Black Widow is less than two weeks away and I can’t wait. Natasha Romanoff’s much-delayed solo adventure was originally due in May 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic saw its release date repeatedly pushed back. It’s now been nearly two years since we first saw footage at Disney’s 2019 D23 Expo, with extensive teasers released showcasing the movie.
One element that’ll be of particular interest to MCU fans is Black Widow’s backstory. Some of this has already been hinted at, but despite opening up to her Avengers team-mates Natasha still kept her cards close to her chest on her training and actions as an assassin. We’ve long heard of the incident in Budapest involving her and Hawkeye, as well as the traumatizing conditioning she was put through in the ‘Red Room’.
A new trailer gives us a new look at a young Natasha Romanoff, as played by Ever Anderson, the 13-year-old daughter of Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich. In a very brief clip we see a teenage Natasha with dyed blue hair protecting a younger girl (probably Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova). This could be the moment she was recruited, putting her on the path to becoming one of the world’s deadliest women.
Face the past, reveal the future. Marvel Studios' #BlackWidow is now available for tickets and pre-orders. Experience it July 9. https://t.co/yX8cRx4Xcv pic.twitter.com/ONqNwZ7ATX
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) June 28, 2021
With this, Anderson becomes the only other person to have played the live-action Nat, as all previous flashbacks to her training featured Johansson. Though I expect Anderson’s time on screen to be minimal she looks great in this short clip and it’d be fun to see her back in the MCU if they ever wanted to do a full Black Widow prequel movie.
With that release date now just around the corner, the hype machine is in full gear and it’ll feel real good to see that Marvel Studios logo back on the big screen where it belongs.
Black Widow hits theaters and Disney+ on July 9, 2021.
