After years of waiting for a Black Widow film starring Scarlet Johansson as the Soviet superspy turned SHIELD agent, fans are excited to see that the long-rumored film is finally moving forward. The Russo brothers, the directors of Avengers: Infinity War, are "very happy" that the movie is happening.
Johansson's Black Widow was introduced as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2010's Iron Man 2. The character returned as a partner of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) in The Avengers in 2012. Black Widow helped Steve Rogers fight HYDRA in Captain America: Winter Soldier. Black Widow's dark past was explored in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Her last appearance was in Captain America: Civil War. Black Widow will return in Avengers: Infinity War and in the fourth Avengers movie. Though Black Widow has a strong presence in the MCU, she has yet to have a chance to stand on her own in a solo film. However, things may be about to change.
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Two weeks ago, it was reported that Marvel hired screenwriter Jac Schaeffer to pen the script for Black Widow, a film that the studio has talked about as early as 2010. On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Avengers: Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo talked about their excitement for Black Widow. Joe Russo believes that the film has a lot of potential, considering that Black Widow is "such a rich and interesting character." Russo adds that Black Widow's comic book history as a villain gives Marvel even more to work with.
Scarlett does such a good job of playing that character and people are so used to that character that you forget the character's history, and so there's a lot of compelling stories to tell about someone who has a dark past.
The Russos have spoken in favor of a Black Widow film in the past. At the time, the Russos didn't know where Marvel would be able to fit the project on their slate, though now it appears Marvel is eyeing a 2020 release date. It's been reported that Schaeffer may sit down with Johansson next month to discuss her plans for the movie.
While we wait for news of the plot, fans are already speculating on what to expect. Some are suggesting that the film could be a prequel and may not take place after Avengers 4. Either way, Black Widow has an extremely rich history full of stories to pull from, giving fans plenty to be excited about once Black Widow hits theaters in 2020. Until then, fans will get to see Johansson reprise the role in Avengers: Infinity War this summer and Avengers 4 next year.
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Source: Happy Sad Confused (via Comic Book)
