Scarlett Johansson has been part of the MCU as Natasha Romanoff for nearly 10 years now, even predating franchise stalwarts like Thor and Captain America, but she’s still never had her own solo movie…until now. Marvel finally officially revealed at Comic-Con that Black Widow is coming next May, serving as the first entry in Phase 4.
Fans are excited for the super-spy to at last get her due in the franchise, and it seems hopes are high behind the scenes as well. Marvel Studios producer Victoria Alonso spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the MCU’s bright future, and briefly touched on the promise of Black Widow. Among other things, Alonso commented that it “should be the best movie that we make,” which seems to suggest that the studio is very pleased with what they’ve seen so far.
Though BW was only announced a week and a half ago, it’s been in production since May. So, Marvel must like the look of what’s been shot already by director Cate Shortland. They’ve also got a heck of a cast assembled for the pic, which is probably filling them with confidence as well. Johansson will be joined by Florence Pugh as fellow Widow and sister-figure Yelena Belova, Rachel Weisz as Melina, another spy with experience in the Red Room, and Stranger Things star David Harbour.
Before SDCC, there were many theories going around about who Harbour could be playing, but we now know he’s Red Guardian, the Russian counterpart to Captain America. O-T Fagbenie is also on board as Mason, who now seems like the best bet for the real identity of Taskmaster, who’s confirmed to be the main villain of the film.
Production is expected to last on Black Widow until September, ahead of the movie’s release in theaters on May 1st, 2020. As such, we’ve still got a while to go until we get to see if Alonso’s right and this is the best entry in the MCU to date, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned by now, it’s to never doubt Marvel.
