Black Widow Movie: How Red Guardian Compares To Marvel Comics

Here's how Black Widow's Red Guardian compares to the character in Marvel Comics. MCU fans around the globe recently got their first look at 2020's Black Widow solo movie, giving viewers an early introduction of what they could come to expect from the film. The trailer unveiled a host of new characters and locations, and has vaguely teased the trajectory of the plot. One of the standout new additions to the star cast is David Harbour's Alexei Shostakov, AKA Red Guardian. Effectively the Russian equivalent of Captain America, the Red Guardian has had many origins, and the mantle has been taken up by many individuals since his first appearance in 1967. Naturally, with the introduction of a new character into this universe, the question must be asked: how does the MCU Red Guardian compare to his comic book counterpart?

In the comics, Alexei Shostakov is the second individual to don the red suit. The husband of Natasha Romanoff, Shostakov was a fighter pilot during the second World War and the Korean War for the Soviet Union. His exemplary work in the air (in the Marvel universe) made him a better candidate in the eyes of the USSR than Yuri Gagarin to be the first man in space. His decorated war status allowed him the unique opportunity to become the Russian Captain America.

Shostakov engaged in secret training that allowed him to become the most fierce man in Russia, all under the direction of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. However, his choice to stay led to he and Romanoff parting ways as she left for the United States. During the Cold War he clashed with the Avengers on occasion, even facing off with his former lover Romanoff. In the end, he becomes a hero, sacrificing himself to save her and Steve Rogers. He was strong, capable, disciplined and dangerous. Shostakov was no nonsense, and was willing to go to any length to defend his homeland.

Though we know little about the on screen rendition of the character, it appears that the version of Red Guardian in Black Widow movie will take some fairly loose inspiration from the source material. He appears more light-hearted and loose than his comic characterization. Noticeably older, Shostakov in the MCU seems to give off the vibe of a character who is out of his prime, yet still mentally feels he is, noting in the trailer that his classic Red Guardian costume "still fits". That costume in the movie is similar, although the white straps give it a more tactical feel, which fits with Black Widow.

Harbour's version of the character, for lack of better terminology, appears more fatherly than the comic's Russian super soldier. Not only that, but the film version does not seem like a "villain" in the traditional sense. With The Taskmaster set to fill that role, it appears Shostakov will be jettisoned straight into the hero role. Whether or not there will be any mention of a relationship between he and Natasha remains to be seen, but it does appear that beyond his name and costume, there are some clear personality differences between the screen and the page.

We have seen very little from the character in the trailer, and he was not necessarily a top-tier character in the comic world. However, at the end of the day, the Red Guardian does have an interesting enough story that could fit the Black Widow narrative, and David Harbour appears to have a clear sense of where he plans to take him. There are already some clear differences in the characterization of the big, red Russian between the two mediums, but how deep they will run is still a point to ponder. However, it is apparent that there is a conscious effort to make the character faithful to some degree to the source material, and this will likely become more obvious as he is fleshed out further when the film is released this coming May.

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