Even though Disney+ has been keeping fans busy with their made for platform series like WandaVision, Loki and Falcon and the Winter soldier – it’s been a long time since fans could see a Marvel release on the big screen. Black Widow has been delayed so many times it’s probably one of the most anticipated films to hit theaters this summer. Not only will it be the back story that many fans have wanted and asked for, but it also may answer some questions fans have been asking for a long time.
One of the biggest questions about Black Widow was how far back in Natasha’s story would the prequel style movie take us. Fans will know, if they they have watched Infinity War and End Game the end of her story (as far as we know for now), but what lead her to that point? Through the original Avenger movies she hints to her past in the Red Room, and things they did to her, her past in Budapest. But how deep did that go and what all impact did it have on her?
As Black Widow opens, it has a fairy tale like beginning – a sweet family set in the Midwest. But that quickly gives way to fights, action and even a very dark reality for Natasha’s past. The idyllic beginning goes so dark that it will make your jaw drop, and make you start to wonder where this movie is going. It’s unlike any Marvel film so far, and while there is still a dark undertone (once you know the girls past), it isn’t completely setting the tone for the movie or take you completely down path.
Fans know that Natasha has a dark past. She has a lot of red in her ledger. But similar to the story in Red Sparrow, Black Widow shows just how dark and deep the extremes of the Red Room are. Black Widow first appeared in the comics in April of 1964, in the middle of the Cold War and her back story reflects that. However the movie starts in the 90’s, putting Natasha in the middle of the current timeline. While this doesn’t exactly fit the comics, it does fit the current MCU time line.
So Black Widow is a bit dark and a lot different than any Marvel film so far. But what about action and what fans are looking for? It is a full two hours of action, laughs and everything fans have missed in Marvel films over the last year or so. Despite the super dark beginning, it isn’t going to stay dark through the whole film. We finally get to know more about Natasha, her family, her past and what exactly the Red Room did to her and countless other girls. We also get to see her take on an adversary she thought she had already defeated.
Could Black Widow’s story been a Disney+ story like Loki or WandaVision? Possibly, and maybe that is somewhere down the pipeline since there’s still a lot of her story to be told. But the cinematic release of Black Widow is perfect for releasing the origin story for one of the original Avengers. And it is nice to see a movie focused on strong women who are looking to make a change in their world as well as helping others.
As any Marvel fan will know – stay through the credits. I’m not sure why we need to say that after all of these movies, but in case you didn’t know – that after credit scene will be leading to some reveals for the next film or two. Black Widow will be in theaters and on Disney+ with premiere access on July 9th. This is one that you’ll have to watch a few times to get all of the details we probably missed in the first time through it.
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About Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow”
In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina. Directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige, “Black Widow”—the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe— will launch simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access in most Disney+ markets on July 9, 2021.
