A stalwart of the MCU finally gets her own movie in Black Widow, the long-awaited solo project for one of the universes most beloved characters.
But Endgame, you say. How is she getting a movie after Endgame? They’re just setting it earlier in the timeline, filling in Natasha Romanoff’s exploits after the events of Captain America: Civil War. That whole period where she was in exile from the Avengers left her with some time on her hands, which she apparently used to confront her rough childhood as a spy-in-training for the Russians. I mean, she could’ve just gone to a beach somewhere, but digging up old wounds is good too, I guess.
In another big milestone, Black Widow marks the first time an MCU film is directed solely by a woman (Captain Marvel had Anna Boden as a co-director). Cate Shortland has the reigns this time, making that mythical big jump from a a couple well-regarded indies, Berlin Syndrome and Lore, to a massive blockbuster.
Leading in front of the camera, of course, is Scarlett Johansson as the titular hero, and she’s joined by a hell of a lineup of newcomers to the franchise. Rachel Weisz, Florence Pugh, and David Harbour all star as figures from her past, although how much they’ll help Johansson’s Romanoff remains to be seen. O-T Fagbenle, on the other hand, appears as a definite ally from her S.H.I.E.L.D. days.
Look, this is going to be a runaway hit, no questions asked. It’s just nice to see the MCU continue to expand, even if they did wait way too long to do it.
Black Widow is directed by Cate Shortland and stars Scarlett Johansson, Rachel Weisz, Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle, and David Harbour. It will be released in the US and the UK on May 1st, 2020. For international release dates, click here.
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