The Marvel Universe is redefining their history, once again. MCU spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.
Although technically introduced in Iron Man 2 (2010), Scarlett Johanssons’ Natasha Romanov truly found her footing in 2012, in the first Avengers movie of the franchise. She was a skilled assassin, smart, funny, and beautiful. Fans loved her and begged for a stand alone film, similar to those of her male super hero coworkers: Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. Even the Hulk got his own film. And if we’re truly keeping track, Spider Man, Ant Man, and Black Panther all were introduced years after Natasha, yet led stand alone movies to the franchise long before Black Widow was even in production.
Even now, Black Widow arrives 2 years after Avengers: End Game, in which Natasha sacrifices herself for one of the infinity stones, giving her life for the cause and ensuring that the Avengers can save the world together one last time. Now, Marvel pulls us back in time to 2016, following the events of Captain America: Civil War (Are you keeping up? You can thank MCU for this muddy timeline) in order to give Black Widow her long-overdue moment in the spotlight. And here’s the thing: not only does Scarlett Johansson own the screen from start to finish, she welcomes Florence Pugh into the space that she has spent 12 years carving out for herself.
So let’s get into it: 2021’s (Formerly 2020’s) Black Widow picks up with Natasha Romanov on the run after the fall out of the Sokovia Accords. You remember, right? Fighting in Sokovia, fighting between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers…Whatever, it doesn’t really matter. Because for Romanov, the real fight is about take place with her past. As she attempts to lay low undercover, Romanov is pulled back into the fray of the Red Room when she discovers the antidote for the chemical subjugation of the other Widows.
Enter: Florence Pugh. If audiences came to this film to bid farewell to Scarlett Johansson, they are now sticking around to see Pugh dominate the MCU. Carrying the film’s comedic voice on her shoulders, Pugh brought vulnerability and nuance to her role as Natasha’s younger sister. Coming out of the theaters, Pugh’s portrayal of Yelena is the one everyone was talking about. Her jokes landed, as did her pain. It is Pugh who is the heartbeat of the film: the emotionally wounded youngest child, who didn’t realize that her idyllic Ohio family members were actually trained Russian spies. David Harbour and Rachel Weisz are dysfunctional parents, but lovable. Harbour especially shines as the washed-up superhuman soldier. He consistently compares himself to Captain America, calling our beloved Steve Rogers “a contemporary.” Covered in tattoos and barely squeezing into his old super suit, Harbour’s strength is in the love for his daughters, however flawed it may be.
Black Widow comes to the marvel universe in a different world than 2012, when Romanov fans were first hankering for a film. Following the #MeToo movement, the writing of female characters shifted; female characters actually talked and joked about what it was like to be a woman. More so, the demand and expectation for female-centered stories increased exponentially. The Marvel Universe is late to the game with the Black Widow movie, but the movie would have looked very different in the early stages of the MCU than it does now. The argument can easily be made that this movie should have come in 2016 (when the timeline actually called for it) and we could’ve enjoyed Natasha’s spotlight moment without mourning her death first. However, in the era of WandaVision, Captain Marvel, and the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which each center female superheroes, Black Widow fit in nicely. And while Scarlett Johansson may not be sticking around any longer, it feels serendipitous that her film finally comes out in an age where a female superhero isn’t ignored and dismissed. Just as Romanov gave it all for her family, Johansson put in the work for future generations of leading lady super heroes. Black Widow is a celebration of that and a tender farewell to Natasha Romanov, Black Widow.