Black Widow introduced us to Natasha Romanoff’s original family before she found the Avengers – her sister Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), mother figure Melina (Rachel Weisz) and dysfunctional surrogate father Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour). Also known as Red Guardian, a Russian super-soldier, Alexei made a big impression on fans. Yet while we know Yelena will be back in Hawkeye, it’s currently unclear if Red Guardian has a future in the MCU.
But Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige certainly hopes he does. The official Marvel Studios Twitter held a watch party yesterday, which saw Feige take over the account and answer fans’ questions. One fan asked the studio president whether we’ll ever see Alexei again. “I certainly want too [sic],” Feige responded.
A running gag in Black Widow was Alexei’s delusional view that he and Captain America were sworn enemies, when in reality they never actually thought and Steve Rogers probably never heard of him. But now he’s out of retirement, there’s the possibility for him to face off against Sam Wilson’s Cap instead. One fan pitched this battle to Feige and he liked the idea. “I’d like to see that.. how about you guys?” he replied.
Well, Feige’s comments are definitely encouraging and strongly suggest there are plans afoot to bring Harbour back in the MCU down the line. The most obvious place for him to return would be in Black Widow 2, which has yet to be formally announced but feels like a solid bet after fans took to Pugh’s Yelena so much. Alternatively, if Feige is serious about liking the concept of a Red Guardian/Cap fight, then maybe Harbour could cameo opposite Anthony Mackie in Captain America 4.
In the meantime, catch Red Guardian’s debut in Black Widow, available in theaters and on Disney Plus now.
