By Ethan Kerr, Contributing Writer
Finally, Scarlett Johannsen is getting the respect she deserves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her own origin movie “Black Widow,” coming to both theaters and Disney+ on July 9.
This film was needed since the first “Avengers” film back almost a whole decade ago, and with her counterparts getting their own numerous origin films, it is only fitting that Black Widow gets her own.
With the film set after the events of 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” the Black Widow, or her real name Natasha Romanoff, finds herself alone and in danger from a conspiracy tied to her extensive past as a spy. This film will be nothing short of a hit and a long-awaited film for lovers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Originally, this film was set to be released in May of 2020 solely in theaters, but like plenty of other films and artistic releases, it was postponed due to the pandemic.
This was not the only time that the film was postponed either, as it was optimistically set for a November 2020 release, then again to March 2021, then, finally, to the July 9 release people are looking at now. Fortunately, many signs point to this being the final postponement, with most adults being eligible for a vaccination at that point, as well as the movie being released simultaneously on Disney+ for exclusive home streaming. Marvel fans have had enough waiting, as Black Widow was already yearning for her own film for many years.
Romanoff was always an intriguing character to watch develop throughout the years, as her first appearance on screen came in “Iron Man 2,” known only as a former KGB spy and super-trained assassin. At that point, she was tasked with supervising the ill Tony Stark and would soon be one of the founders of the ever-loved ensemble of superheroes, The Avengers.
She has had a past that was not mentioned all too thoroughly throughout the films, but what has been said is at least somewhat faithful to her comic book character.
Born in Stalingrad, Russia, Romanoff lived an orphaned life until she was picked up by the KGB in her teenage years. She became a star pupil in their education programs and indoctrination into the world of spy-craft. She was regarded as a master spy and an all-too-lethal assassin. During her time of being a spy, she was forced to do unfathomable deeds to both adversaries and innocents alike.
Black Widow has said she has countless regrets from this portion of her life, mentioning that her actions toward innocents, and even being sterilized by the KGB, haunt her to this very day.
In her adult years, the peace and justice focused group, S.H.I.E.L.D, had her on their radar and sent out Clint Barton on a mission to neutralize her. Barton would later become her greatest friend, Hawkeye. Romanoff would later vacate Russia and join forces with Barton and the rest is history within the MCU.
This sets up a decent premise of what to expect from the upcoming movie, especially regarding her past and regrets.
Without spoilers, the last time people saw Black Widow in action was in “Avengers: Endgame” on the mission to reverse the effects of the Mad-Titan Thanos. This film should likely be seen before watching Black Widow, even though the film is set a few years in the past.
Romanoff played a key role in the film, and her part will likely play a part in the weight of meaning in the new movie.
In any case, it has been far too long without a solo Black Widow film, and these postponements have only made eager fans even more anxious to see what Marvel studios has had in the works for so long. Romanoff is finally getting the cinematic respect that is all too deserved.
kerre20@bonaventure.edu
