Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) finally gets her own Marvel standalone movie.
Marvel
Thor. Iron Man. Captain America. Hulk. Spider-Man. They’ve all had their origin stories play out on the big screen. Now it’s Black Widow’s turn. The standalone Black Widow film kicks off Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and will show Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff lost and broken down — until she finds herself fighting a new villain.
Everything we know about the Black Widow movie
The film will be set in Budapest. Fans first heard Romanoff mention Budapest during the first Avengers film in 2012, when she chatted with Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) about a mysterious adventure in the Hungarian city. (Read: Black Widow en español.)
There could even be a cameo from Avengers member Tony Stark/Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr.), according to Deadline. However, Marvel has yet to officially announce Downey Jr. is in the movie, and neither Marvel nor Disney immediately responded to a request for comment about the casting mention.
When does it take place?
The movie will be set shortly after Captain America: Civil War but before Infinity War and Endgame, making it a prequel to the more recent Avengers films. Which makes sense, considering what happened to Romanoff during Endgame.
In the Black Widow movie, fans will see what happened after Romanoff went into exile after allowing Captain America and Bucky Barnes to escape in Civil War.
What footage was shown at Comic-Con and D23?
Comic-Con 2019 attendees saw some footage of an epic fight scene between Scarlett Johansson and fellow cast member Florence Pugh as the character Yelena Belova. The two were described as sisters.
The SDCC footage includes past footage of Romanoff from Marvel movies like Iron Man 2, Age of Ultron, Civil War and Endgame.
Then the video shifts to a shot of Budapest, where Romanoff approaches the door of an apartment building with her gun drawn. Romanoff searches each room until she hears a woman with a Russian accent say, “I know you’re out there.” It’s Belova and her gun is drawn as well.
Watch this:
Marvel’s Phase 4 plan explained
3:04
The two have a knock-down, drag-out fight in various rooms of the apartment. Belova’s moves match Romanoff’s, which may imply they were trained by the same person. The fight ends with the characters choking each other on the floor with a shower curtain.
The SDCC footage also includes a motorbike chase; Romanoff and Belova sharing a drink where Romanoff calls her “sis”; and Romanoff saying, “I have a very specific skill set” and wanting to wipe the red from her ledger.
Interestingly, there are a few shots of other women dressed in costumes like Black Widow’s, which implies other female Russian agents could replace her at any moment.
The D23 footage shown on Aug. 24 expands slightly on what was seen at SDCC and also shows off a new white outfit for Black Widow. The fight scene between ScarJo and Pugh culminates in the reveal that Pugh is Black Widow’s sister Yelena and the battle was merely her welcoming sister Natasha home.
Who is the main villain, Taskmaster?
Other SDCC footage shows Romanoff’s car blown up by the villainous Taskmaster. They fight and Romanoff notices that he can mirror all her fight moves — much like Belova in the previous fight. Could Belova secretly be Taskmaster, or is there more to this mysterious baddie?
The supervillain made his first appearance in The Avengers comic book series back in 1980. His superpowers include the ability to mimic his opponent’s physical movements simply by seeing them.
Taskmaster wears a hood over his head and uses a protective shield. In the comics, Taskmaster also taught criminals how to improve their fighting skills.
Marvel Studios’s Director of Visual Development Andy Park posted on Instagram on July 22 the first concept art for the movie, which shows Black Widow battling Taskmaster.
Who is the Red Guardian?
Stranger Things and Hellboy star David Harbour has been cast as Alexei Shostakov, also known as the Red Guardian.
The Red Guardian first appeared in the comics in The Avengers #43. The comics have Shostakov as a longtime agent of the KGB, but it’s unclear yet if his character will be an enemy or ally to Romanoff.
Who’s making the film?
Cate Shortland directs, making her the first female director Marvel has hired to single-handedly helm a feature-length, live-action film. Shortland is best known for her female-led movies Lore and Berlin Syndrome.
The script is penned by female screenwriter and producer Jac Schaeffer, best known for her other female-led superhero movie Captain Marvel. Black Widow is the first film to be solely written and directed by women.
What’s the release date?
Black Widow is set to hit theaters worldwide on May 1, 2020.
Who’s in the cast?
No official word yet if Jeremy Renner will reprise his role as Hawkeye in the Black Widow movie.
This article was originally published July 25 and will be updated as news rolls in.