New “Black Widow” Video Explains Why It’s The Perfect Phase 4 Kickoff Film
We are a mere two days away from the premiere of director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, the long-awaited standalone film for Scarlett Johansson’s titular Avenger. If you’re reading this, you likely know the basics about Black Widow—the film tracks Natasha Romanoff (Johansson) during events between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Natasha heads east to contend with the darker parts of her ledger, that is, her life when she was one of the Black Widow assassins for the KGB. In heading home, Natasha also comes into contact with familiar faces—Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Rachel Weisz’s Melina Vostokoff, and David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov. In a new featurette, we get to learn a bit more about the evolution of the film, why, at long last, Natasha finally got her own stand-alone story, and why that story was the right one to kick off Marvel’s Phase 4.
“We’ve been waiting to tell the story of Natasha Romanoff for years,” says Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige at the top of the new video. “It was one of the great post-Infinity saga opportunities. How to evolve into Phase 4.”
It was a unique choice to kick off Phase 4 by looking back, but this being an MCU film, Black Widow also sows the seeds for new characters who will play a part in the future of the MCU. Black Widow will also allow MCU fans a fresh perspective on what’s come before, including Natasha’s heroic decision and ultimate sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame.
The featurette also hints at another staple of the MCU—allowing you to come into a film with preconceived notions of a character you think you know and subverting them. What do you think you know about Natasha and her past? Who do you assume the film’s villain, Taskmaster, will turn out to be? And how might the newcomers like Florence Pugh’s Yelena factor in the MCU’s future? These questions and more are why seeing Black Widow—and seeing it on the biggest screen possible—is a must for Marvel fans.
Check out the featurette below. Black Widow hits theaters and Disney+ Premiere Access on July 9.
For more on Black Widow, check out these stories:
Meet Heidi Moneymaker, The Stunt Woman Behind “Black Widow”
New “Black Widow” Clip Features an Attempt at a Great Escape
Natasha Romanoff’s Journey From “Iron Man 2” to “Black Widow”
“Black Widow” Review Roundup: An Epic Spy Thriller That Was Worth The Wait
New “Black Widow” Images Herald Marvel’s First Phase 4 Film
Three New “Black Widow” Videos Highlight Villain Taskmaster & More
Featured image: Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) as Black Widow in Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOW. Photo by Jay Maidment. ©Marvel Studios 2020.
