Why Black Widow’s David Harbour Was Giddy Wearing The Red Guardian Suit

David Harbour was giddy when he saw himself in the Red Guardian suit in Black Widow. The newest installment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) follows Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), as she is forced to confront her past. The movie is set when the Avengers are separated after the events of Captain America: Civil War, but before Avengers: Infinity War. This is the final time Johansson will be playing the iconic character, with her journey having ended in Avengers: Endgame. Her solo movie introduces new characters to the Marvel Universe.

One of these new characters includes Alexei Shostakov, also referred to as Red Guardian. He acts as a husband for Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and a father figure for Natasha and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). In addition, he has super strength that makes him a serious threat in a fight. At one point in the film, Alexei retrieves his old costume from his glory days, which miraculously still fits him, even though he physically struggles to get into it. Previously, Harbour has worked on big projects, including Netflix's Stranger Things and The Newsroom.

In an interview with CinemaBlend, Harbour talked about his experience filming the highly anticipated Marvel film. While he still looks at the experience positively, the moment he saw himself in the Red Guardian suit for the first time remains a highlight for the actor. He answered how it felt to be in the costume with a big smile on his face. See below for Harbour's response:

"It’s very special. I mean, you’d seen sketches and all that stuff, and then they build it and they bring it to you, prototype occasionally for the helmet stuff. And then they bring it to you and they present it to you, and you put it on. And it, I mean, I tried to be cool. I try to be cool and cynical about a lot of this stuff, and then you show up and you actually put it on. And there was like… Even my icy heart had a big, light bubbling joy in it. And it was like a little five-year-old, like you’re a five-year-old with the best Halloween costume on the block. … I mean, I was giggling, I was so excited. You know, all this stuff you see in the movie where he comes out and he’s like, ‘Still fits.’ … I mean, that stuff was just me. It’s just… There’s no acting involved. It’s just me thinking I look great and them all laughing at me. But you could not convince me in my psychotic break that I did not look phenomenal in that."

David Harbour as Red Guardian in Black Widow

Black Widow marks Harbour's third time starring in a comic book-related film. Previously, he played Dexter Tolliver in Suicide Squad and the title character in 2019's Hellboy. Alexei is excited to be back in the costume after so many years, although as the actor mentioned, it is clear that not much acting was required for Harbour to put that pure bliss on display for the scene. He spoke like a true fan of the character, which is always infectious to see.

Even though the film is titled after Natasha herself, Black Widow is an ensemble piece through and through. Alexei is a fun character that adds a few enjoyable moments throughout the story. Harbour does an excellent job with the role, and he most certainly does look good in the Red Guardian's suit. If the MCU decides to bring Alexei back into the fold in the future, Harbour would likely be more than happy to star in the role again. With the direction that the MCU is going in, it would not be surprising to see him brought back.

Next: Why Black Widow Fits Phase 4 Better After The MCU Release Delays

Source: CinemaBlend