Black Widow opens and closes a door for Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film offers fans a much-needed way to say goodbye to her amazing character portrayed by Scarlet Johansson. The action-packed spy film is unlike other movies in the MCU because it lacks the superhuman abilities of the rest of the Avengers (with the exception of Hawkeye). What it lacks in magical special effects makes up for by showcasing the pain and tenacity that Natasha has had to endure since the day of her birth. It’s an origin story crossed with a spy story about toppling the very thing that created her.
Black Widow occurs mostly between Captain America: Civil War when Natasha helps Steve Rodgers, breaking the Sokovia Accords, and Avengers: Infinity War. It also gives viewers a look into her life as a child and just how early her work with the KGB started. The Red Room was just a chapter in Natasha’s story, and Black Widow opens that world up further layer by layer. Director Cate Shortland said, “Black Widow is a femme fatale, but what is she underneath that?”
When Natasha dies in Avengers: Endgame, it was devastating. It felt too soon, but Black Widow feels like the perfect way to remember her and how great her sacrifice really was. We understand now why she made a choice to jump. When you dig deep into the absolute hell that Natasha Romanoff has gone through in life, you see how pure of a character she is despite all the red in her ledger. As much as it hurts that this character won’t appear in the MCU again, her story feels whole and complete now.
“When you see Natasha in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she’s often this kind of impenetrable force,” says Scarlett Johansson, who returns as Black Widow. “She’s reckless and out of control but still has this amazing intellect. What are her secrets? Her vulnerabilities? I am excited to share her fragility and her strength. She is in a male world, and she projects a certain way of being in that world. What we wanted to do is find out who is the real Black Widow.”
It also opens the door to the new Black Widow, Yelena Belova. While the film feels very much like a “one and down” for most of the characters, Yelena has a bright future filling our gaping Black Widow hole. Yelena, played by Florence Pugh, along with Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov), played by David Harbour, offers some comic relief to super serious Natasha. Yelena has the ability to break down Natasha’s barriers, unlike anyone else. A bond that forms from the love of a family member. Yelena is just as bruised and broken as Natasha, and she now has to find her own footing in life beyond the Red Room.
While the unmasking of Taskmaster may let fans down, they can still revel in the Russian spy family as dysfunctional as it may be. Don’t forget to stick around after the credits to see an end credit scene that will have fans saying, “what!?”
Black Widow is in theaters on July 9th.
Black Widow Review: The Finale Natasha Romanoff Deserved
Summary
Black Widow opens and closes a door for Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film offers fans a much-needed way to say goodbye to her amazing character portrayed by Scarlet Johansson. The action-packed spy film is unlike other movies in the MCU because it lacks the superhuman abilities of the rest of the Avengers (with the exception of Hawkeye). What it lacks in magical special effects makes up for by showcasing the pain and tenacity that Natasha has had to endure since the day of her birth. It’s an origin story crossed with a spy story about toppling the very thing that created her.
