Ever since she was introduced all the way back in Iron Man 2, fans have been eagerly waiting for Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, to get her own solo movie. Despite her death in Avengers: Endgame, fans will finally be getting their wish with this summer's Black Widow. The movie will explore Natasha's past and an important mission she was on before her death, and it may start a new trend of prequels within the MCU.
According to Slashfilm, Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed that other characters in the MCU could get similar prequels after Black Widow. He explains, "Certainly this film and this story is a particular case for Natasha. But the notion of exploring the past, present, and future of the MCU is certainly in the cards for all of our characters."
With the complicated timeline of the MCU, there have been some movies that have taken place before the events of others. Some notable examples include Captain America: The First Avenger, which took place mostly in the 1940s, and Captain Marvel, which took place in the 1990s. However, Black Widow is the first time Marvel Studios will look into the past of an established character and explore their backstory after they have already been introduced to the MCU, as both The First Avenger and Captain Marvel marked the first appearance of their respective titular heroes.
In Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson returns as Natasha Romanoff directly after the events of Captain America: Civil War. On the run from the authorities, she will go back to her former home of Russia, confront the broken relationships she left behind, and face her painful past. The movie is directed by Cate Shortland and also stars Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, and David Harbour. Black Widow is the first movie to be released as part of the MCU's Phase 4.
The idea that the MCU is willing to start exploring prequels with some of its characters opens up endless possibilities. Much like how the Disney Plus shows are allowing some secondary characters to be explored, these prequels could answer some questions about certain heroes that haven't been addressed in the movies. And much like with Natasha, prequels would allow characters like Iron Man to return to the MCU.
Of course, there is still the possibility that these prequel stories will not carry the same weight as the bigger MCU projects. After seeing Natasha go into space to defeat Thanos for wiping out half the universe, the idea of watching her in a more grounded spy thriller feels a little like a step backward. It seems like the success of Black Widow will dictate just how much Marvel is willing to invest into these prequel stories.
Black Widow will hit theaters and Disney Plus on July 9, 2021.
Source: Slashfilm