There Will be Multiple Black Widows in Black Widow

Now that San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, we can start to take stock of what we learned. The projects coming out of Marvel alone require a lot of processing. We’ve been unpacking things like how Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will revisit one of Marvel’s most elusive villains. How Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster will fit into Thor: Love and Thunder now that it’s been revealed she’s going to become Mighty Thor. How Marvel’s commitment to showcasing more LGBTQ characters will manifest itself in Phase 4. On and on the list goes—from Mahershala Ali as the new Blade to the return of Zemo in the Disney + series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. All of this news is why we missed this little nugget until now. In director Cate Shortland’s upcoming stand-alone Black Widow film, it turns out Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff will be but one of many Black Widows in the film.

IGN‘s Terri Schwartz caught up with Oscar-winner and Black Widow star Rachel Weisz after Marvel’s epic Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con. Weisz confirmed that she, too, will be a Black Widow in Black Widow, as will costar Florence Pugh. This conjures up an incredible world of infinite Black Widows (or, to be accurate, a world in which there are several other highly trained super assassins who go by that moniker).

Here’s that video for your viewing pleasure:

Weisz’s character Melina Vostokoff and Pugh’s Yelena Belova can now be confirmed as fellow assassins. With Johansson, Weisz, and Pugh leading the cast, Black Widow has no shortage of star power. They’re joined by Stranger Things‘ David Harbour, The Handmaid’s Tale‘s O-T Fagbenle, and the great Ray Winstone to name a few excellent supporting players. And the script, from what we’ve heard, is surprisingly personal. Pugh told Collider that she was drawn to the story:

“I was excited to see how bold it was and to see how raw it was and to see how sad it was. It was a script that I didn’t expect to be associated with this, and that’s part of why I got so excited,” she told Collider. “And with Cate Shortland attached and telling the next part of Natasha’s history was only thrilling to be a part of.”

Black Widow has quickly become one of the more intriguing entrants into Marvel’s Phase 4. It’s due in theaters on May 1, 2020.

Featured image: Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: ENDGAME. Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). Photo: Film Frame. ©Marvel Studios 2019