Despite being one of the few Avengers to not possess any superpowers - or a suit that effectively grants them superpowers - Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow has been a standout supporting character in nearly every Marvel Studios movie that she's appeared in to date, and the cries from fans for her to get a standalone film have been heard long and loud for many years now. Unfortunately, those same fans continue to be disappointed by the notable lack of a Black Widow movie every time Marvel updates its release slate, which is currently filled in through mid-2019.
Despite that fact, Black Widow supporters may have cause for renewed hope, thanks to comments made by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige. Previously, Feige hinted that Black Widow could get her own solo film in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - and Feige's latest statements about the matter suggest that possibility is, in fact, a strong one.
In an interview with Deadline, when asked about which of the various characters in Captain America: Civil War who have yet to receive a solo movie are most likely to get one down the line, Feige responded as follows:
"We’ve announced the next nine movies, ten counting Civil War, through the end of 2019. Where we go beyond that are ongoing discussions that we’ll focus on in the next few years because we have a lot to do before then. Of the characters that you’ve just mentioned I would say certainly the one creatively and emotionally that we are most committing to doing is Black Widow.
"We think she’s an amazing character. We think Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of her is amazing. She’s a lead Avenger and has amazing stories in her own right to tell that we think would be fun to turn into a standalone franchise."
Well, that definitely sounds encouraging for those who continue to wish that Black Widow get an opportunity to kick ass on the big-screen while not being overshadowed by titans like Iron Man and Captain America. Of course, assuming Black Widow does eventually get her own adventure, some fans are still likely to be annoyed by the fact that she didn't get to accomplish the goal of being the first female superhero to be the sole headliner of an MCU movie.
That accolade will of course be going to Captain Marvel, whose movie is set to arrive in theaters on March 8, 2019. One could argue that Black Widow devotees should just be happy that she might finally get her own film, and not waste time picking nits. On the other hand though, Widow was indeed the first female Avenger, and it would have made perfect sense for her to be the first MCU female to get the solo movie treatment. Alas, unless the Marvel schedule is drastically rearranged for some reason, she'll have to settle for second place.
That aside, one wonders what ground a potential Black Widow solo movie would cover. Would it simply be a group Avengers-style mission, only told from her point of view? Or perhaps Marvel would choose to delve further into her still fairly mysterious past (which eventually lead to her switching to the side of good and joining S.H.I.E.L.D.)? Another possibility would be Widow somehow being cut off from her superpowered compatriots, and forced to defeat a powerful villain using nothing more than her brains, cunning, and formidable fighting skills. Any of these options could work, but the first step is for Feige to step up and finally pencil her name into the release schedule.
NEXT: Civil War Directors Talk Black Widow Movie
Captain America: Civil War is now playing in theaters. Doctor Strange arrives on November 4, 2016, followed by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man: Homecoming – July 7, 2017;Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – March 8, 2019; Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on July 12, 2019, and on May 1, July 10, and November 6 in 2020.
Source: Deadline