Black Widow actor David Harbour teases his character's motivations and describes him as a narcissist. Arriving in theaters this May, Black Widow is the long-awaited solo film for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff. After years spent as a supporting player, Natasha is finally getting her time in the spotlight, and it'll be spent delving into her mysterious past. Fans have gotten little information about Natasha's life before joining SHIELD and the Avengers, but now, as she revisits the Red Room that trained her, they'll learn a lot more.

Harbour plays Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian in Black Widow, Natasha's pseudo-father and Russia's equivalent of Captain America. Comic book fans have already noted that his big screen backstory is different than that of the source material, since in the comics Alexei, at one point, is Natasha's husband. However, much like other characters in the MCU, the films have opted to switch things up. Harbour is best known for his role as Jim Hopper in Netflix's Stranger Things, and fans are eagerly awaiting the show's fourth season, especially since Harbour was recently confirmed to return.

Related: Black Widow Movie's Red Guardian Is Goofy (& That's Why It's Great)

During a recent interview with EW, Harbour opened up a bit more about his MCU character. After mentioning he thinks Alexei is the best character in the MCU, he went on to explain why that was an appropriate thing to say. Harbour's explanation went like this:

I think I’m biased, but I think it’s the best character in all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I mean, he is a narcissist, so it’s very appropriate that I’m playing him and that I think that. But he’s just got so many layers. On one level, he’s your classic superhero badass character, but then when you meet him, he has this need to be liked, and he wants to be thought of as funny and a big shot — which he isn’t.

Red Guardian Black Widow

Considering how Black Widow's first trailer had him celebrating and putting on a show when he got back into his Red Guardian suit, Harbour's comments certainly hold up. This is certainly a Red Guardian that's a bit past his prime, but is still eager to jump into the fight and prove he still has it in him. As one of the members of Natasha's estranged Russian family, fans are curious about the role he played in Natasha's past, as well as why he's never been mentioned before. Black Widow will hopefully provide satisfying answers to those questions. Harbour is joined by Rachel Weisz and Florence Pugh in rounding out Natasha's pre-Avengers family.

Despite being Russia's version of Captain America, Alexei sounds very different than Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), and that's a good thing. Making his character too similar to Steve's would feel like rehashing something that's already been done before. Instead, Harbour's comments suggest a fresher take on the character, and one who will play a pivotal role in Black Widow. Provided Black Widow keeps its release date, fans only have to wait another month and a half to see Harbour's Red Guardian in action.

More: Who Is Red Guardian? David Harbour’s Black Widow Movie Character Explained

Source: EW

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