David Harbour, who is set to play Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. Red Guardian, in the upcoming Black Widow movie, has said he would love to see his character face Captain America. Originally intended to be released in May 2020, Scarlett Johansson’s solo MCU outing was delayed three times before finally getting a simultaneous release date in theaters and on Disney+ Premiere Access next month. Early critical reactions to the film are praising it for both its well-crafted action sequences and emotional core.

Harbour, known for his role as Sheriff Jim Hopper in the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, has also previously delved into comic-book roles by playing the titular role in the 2019 reboot of Hellboy. The actor’s participation in Black Widow was first announced in April 2019, at the same time as fellow castmates Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz. Intended as a father-figure to Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, Harbour’s Shostakov is a former Soviet super-soldier and counterpart to Captain America. Harbour has previously described the role as “not the heroic, noble man that [people] want him to be”.

Related: What Scarlett Johansson & Florence Pugh Revealed On The Black Widow Set

More recently, at a press conference promoting the film, Deadline reports that the actor was asked if he would like to see his character potentially face off against Marvel's First Avenger. Harbour was enthusiastic about the idea, suggesting a prequel film exploring his character’s relationship with Steve Rogers is “a great concept that could be explored further.” Read Harbour's full quote below:

What’s funny about Alexei, you have this 25-year gap we don’t know about (in the movie). We see him in Ohio and in the prison. And even before the prison, there was a time when he was the Red Guardian, he must have put the suit back on. There is this period of time where he has all these stories about his life. It’s questionable whether or not they’re real.

I do think the classic Cold War thing is a really fun and funny dynamic between these two guys and the fact that they came up like nuclear warheads like in an arms-race together.

David Harbour as Red Guardian in Black Widow standing with hands on the wall

As exciting as the idea of David Harbour’s Red Guardian facing Chris Evans’ Captain America is, several continuity issues would prevent this from ever coming to pass. As most MCU fans know, Evans’ Steve Rogers went into the ice during the events of World War II and was only found and thawed long after the Cold War had finished and the Soviet Union had collapsed. Unless Marvel either seriously retcons Steve Rogers’ history or attempts an alternate timeline story, it seems highly unlikely the two characters would ever get the chance to meet.

While Alexei Shostakov meeting Steve Rogers seems like a long shot, another option may for him to encounter a younger Isaiah Bradley. During The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, audiences learned that Steve Rogers was not the only American soldier to undergo the super-soldier serum treatment, and Bradley was active during the Korean War until he was imprisoned for undertaking an unauthorized rescue mission. Given Bradley gave Bucky Barnes a run for his money in 1951, he would no doubt be just as formidable an opponent for Shostakov. Meanwhile, MCU fans will no doubt come to learn much more about Harbour’s Red Guardian when Black Widow premieres on July 9th.

Next: Everything We Know About Black Widow

Source: Deadline

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