Ever since Black Widow debuted in Iron Man 2 back in 2010 and was then a prominent member of the Avengers in the eponymous film to follow just two years later, one had assumed a solo flick starring Scarlett Johansson was sure to bring up the rear. But, lo and behold, Marvel Studios took their sweet time getting there, though we’ll at least see her finally getting a headlining gig in 2020.
Now, given how not all news pertaining to the highly anticipated picture has proven accurate, we advise that you approach the subject for today’s discussion with a little bit of caution. Granted, the source it comes from, That Hashtag Show, has had some solid scoops in the past, but it’s for the better we regard it as rumor at this point in time.
Regardless, we’re all dying to know who’ll complement Johansson in the long overdue Marvel epic, and based on the latest word on the street, the main villain is a male who’s “simply described as exciting.” Furthermore, the studio’s open to ethnicity, “but looking for someone in their 40s.”
Admittedly, that’s not much to go on, but THS theorizes that Kevin Feige and company may be looking to fill the role of either the Red Guardian or Taskmaster. Again, though, that’s just speculation. On the plus side, however, the comics have a nearly bottomless well filled with unused bad guys to tap, so there’s no fear of running out of possibilities.
Speaking of which, a secondary antagonist, described as being a “conniving female villain” is also being sought, with the Powers That Be said to be in need of an actress in her 50’s. Once again, your guess is as good as ours.
On the flipside, a “bookish American” in his late 20’s is supposedly wanted for a minor role, but four others are considerably more complicated and prominent. Here’s how THS broke those down:
The studio is looking to fill four roles which seem like good bets to end up being potential double agents. The two most interesting roles call for “contemporaries” to the Widow and are looking for actors in their late-20s to early 30s. The first is a “kick ass” female character described as a “female Bond” while the other is for a male with an emphasis on African, Middle Eastern or East Indian actors. Additionally, the search is on for one European Caucasian female and one European Caucasian male, both in the 50-60 year old range. The studio is putting an emphasis on actors and actresses who can speak multiple languages for all of the roles mentioned above, which certainly makes them all feel like spied.
Naturally, anything listed off today could wind up being either an established Marvel character or a new creation entirely. I guess we’ll find out for sure once Black Widow arrives in theaters sometime in 2020. As of now, no date has been etched in stone, though all signs point toward it landing the coveted May slot.
