Black Widow hits Comic-Con with first details of Scarlett Johansson film
We’re finally getting a peek inside Black Widow’s ledger.
It’s been almost a decade since the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced Scarlett Johansson’s flame-haired super-spy Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2, and now, she’s finally getting her own spin-off movie. During Marvel’s presentation at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed the first official details of the upcoming Black Widow film, due out May 1, 2020.
Australian director Cate Shortland is helming the film, which also stars Rachel Weisz as Malena, Stranger Things’ David Harbour as Alexi, The Handmaid’s Tale‘s O-T Fagbenle as Mason, and Midsommar’s Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova.
“I don’t think I could have played this iteration of Natasha 10 years ago,” said Johansson. “It would’ve been a very different film. I get to play Natasha as a fully realized woman and in all of her many facets. I’m excited for fans to see the flawed side of her, what she perceives to be the flawed side of her. And I’m looking to wipe out some of that red in my ledger, so you guys will be seeing a lot of that.”
Pugh describes Yelena as a “sister figure to Natasha,” while Fagbenle plays a contact from Black Widow’s past. “There’s a kind of romantic undercurrent,” the actor said. “At least, I’m kind of into her.”
“What is more exciting than the mythology of the Marvel universe?” Weisz said. “There is nothing more exciting and escapist and interesting. But also they’ve really put at the forefront really strong, powerful female characters and Cate Shortland our director and working alongside Scarlett and Florence, two incredibly powerful characters. Malena, my character, is a pretty tough chick. David and O-T are pretty awesome too. I love men as well as women.”
Attendees inside Hall H were treated to footage from the film, which is set in Budapest and features Taskmaster as the villain.
Johansson’s Black Widow has played a major role in seven Marvel movies, tracking her evolution from morally dubious Russian assassin to world-saving Avenger — one of the few non-superpowered characters who could hold her own against genetically enhanced super-soldiers and Asgardian gods. The character met a seemingly permanent demise in this year’s Avengers: Endgame, sacrificing herself to obtain the Soul Stone and help defeat Thanos.
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