The first social media reactions to Black Widow are finally here. Scarlett Johansson's solo Marvel Studios movie has been a long time coming, with arguments that it should've been a Phase 1 film. It was further delayed by the coronavirus pandemic; initially set to kick off MCU Phase 4 in May 2020, it's been pushed back several times to its current July 2021 rollout. Nevertheless, there's excitement surrounding its nearing debut as it hits theaters and drops on Disney+ on the same day.

In the main MCU timeline, Natasha Romanoff is already dead; she sacrificed herself in Vormir in exchange for the Soul Stone as part of the heroes' time heist in Avengers: Endgame. Working around this, the Black Widow standalone film takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil War, where the character is left alone following Iron Man and Captain America's conflict regarding the Sokovia Accords. Directed by Cate Shortland, the Marvel Studios blockbuster will introduce characters from Nat's past, particularly her Russian family composed of Alexei Shoskatov, Melina Vostokoff, and Yelena Belova. Together, they deal with some unfinished business from their past, but accomplishing their mission won't be that easy with the mysterious Taskmaster on their tails.

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Marvel Studios is offering a more grounded narrative in their upcoming big-screen offering. But Black Widow's more important element, however, is wrapping up Nat's MCU story in a satisfying way. Now, the initial consensus on the movie is up on social media, with several critics sharing their thoughts about it.

From the looks of it, the initial reactions are generally positive with particular praise for the movie's action sequences. The emotional core of Black Widow, which revolves around Natasha's Russian family, seems to also work overall. Florence Pugh and David Harbour are standouts, with the former's future in the MCU already looking bright. Despite being a period piece, Yelena is tipped to take over the Black Widow mantle moving forward, and considering the glowing review for Pugh's performance, the idea of seeing her more has become even more exciting. That being said, there are also a couple of negative reviews for the movie, with the film's third act supposedly ending up being a letdown.

Most importantly, the Black Widow movie sounds like it finally gives Johansson and Nat their due. There was massive backlash following the character's death in Endgame, that this solo film, long-overdue as it may be, is expected to make up for. Despite the unusual storytelling progression, this more-than-likely final outing for Natasha sounds like it properly completes her narrative in the MCU, as well as, gives her the satisfying send-off that she deserves.

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Source: Various (see links)