Black Widow starts playing on big screens in the U.S. from tonight, and Marvel Studios is kicking the hype-machine up a notch with a new trailer that features plenty of exciting teases about what's to come in the movie.
The focus here is on the fact that this title marks the studio's long overdue return to theaters, and while Black Widow will be available on Disney+ Premier Access service for $29.99 starting tomorrow, it's clear that Disney would prefer fans to buy a ticket and experience this Phase 4 title on the biggest screen possible (which, providing it's safe to do so, sounds like a great idea).
Things are certainly looking good for the movie, as advance ticket sales are Fandango's best of the year to date. They're actually topping pre-pandemic movies like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Doctor Strange, and first weekend projections are said to be between $80 million and $90 million.
Check out this new trailer for Black Widow below:
In our review, we concluded by saying, "Black Widow is Bourne meets Bond meets Terminator...with two outstanding, badass female leads. Action-packed, funny, and at times surprisingly gut-wrenching, Cate Shortland's vision for the MCU is bold, empowering, and utterly unmissable."
In the movie, Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina. Black Widow is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige; Black Widow - the first big screen story in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - arrives on July 9th both in theaters and on Disney+.
Click on the "Next" button below for our breakdown
of what did and didn't work in Black Widow!
Did Work: A Story Worth Telling
"What's the point of a Black Widow movie?" That's a question fans have been asking for a while now, especially after Natasha Romanoff's story came to an end in Avengers: Endgame. It's no secret that this movie is set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, and rest assured this proves to be a story that's worth telling.
There's little here that really explains what the MCU looked like in the wake of the Sokovia Accords being enforced, but that means you'll find a lot more than just a series of cameos and Easter Eggs.
This hard-hitting story about family fleshes out Natasha's past, while also laying the groundwork for this shared world's future. Did we need this to explore this corner of the MCU? Some will argue that the answer is "no," but you'd be mad to think that after watching because this movie is a blast.
Didn't Work: No Budapest (Or Winter Soldier)
Without spoiling anything too major here, there is a flashback to the mission that saw Natasha join S.H.I.E.L.D. (you'll even hear a familiar voice), but we don't get to see Hawkeye and Black Widow fighting side-by-side in Budapest. In some ways, that would be completely unnecessary as the movie tells us more than enough about what led to them teaming up.
As a result, showing it really would have been superfluous to the larger story being told, with a flashback doing little to add to the overall narrative. However, there are ways the movie could have been structured to allow for that, and it's easy to imagine a lot of fans being disappointed.
It's also a shame that the teased history between Natasha and The Winter Soldier we first heard about in Captain America: Civil War isn't addressed in any way, which is a pity when you have to believe him showing up in the Red Room or taking down Red Guardian before he was imprisoned would have been a cool way to tie a lot of lingering plot threads together.
Did Work: Blockbuster Action
Black Widow doesn't have superpowers, but that doesn't mean Marvel Studios doesn't pull out all the stops for this action-packed solo movie. Yes, things do get a little explodey in the final act, but that was to be expected, and the visuals are nothing short of incredible throughout.
Whether it's Natasha's battles with Taskmaster, her and Yelena going on the run through Budapest, or an incredible prison break sequence (that includes an avalanche), this movie never disappoints.
So, rest assured that while this first Phase 4 movie doesn't feature a character like Thor or Doctor Strange, it never shies away from making this one of Marvel's most action-packed titles. That alone promises to make this a must-watch on the biggest screen you can find.
Did Work: Family Dynamic
You've probably heard a lot about Black Widow being a movie about family, and that's 100% the case. The bizarre dynamic shared by Alexei, Melina, Natasha, and Yelena takes up a decent chunk of the movie, with the dinner scene above an undeniable highlight (albeit a fairly brief one).
It's how things play out throughout the rest of the movie that really resonates, though, including a flashback to Natasha and Yelena's childhood, and the way those two women bond after finding each other again. We can believe that they're "sisters," and the chemistry Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh share is phenomenal.
However, it's Red Guardian's relationship with his "daughters" that becomes perhaps the most touching part of this blockbuster. When we do catch up with these characters again, Marvel Studios has ensured we'll fully buy into them mourning for Natasha, despite the fact that their history with her has only been explored in one movie.
Didn't Work: An Abrupt Ending
Again, we're not going to drop anything too huge here, but if there's one part of Black Widow that will almost certainly leave you feeling disappointed, it's the way things so rapidly conclude.
After the final battle, it feels a lot like Marvel Studios suddenly remembered they had to get Natasha in the right place to explain how she ended up fighting alongside the Secret Avengers in Infinity War. As a result, that leaves a noteworthy plot hole, a big unanswered question, and a sense of confusion. It's almost as if there's a scene missing or there were once plans for a different ending.
Perhaps this will all be addressed down the line, with the reveal that Natasha was replaced off screen by a Skrull imposter. We're not banking on it, though, and this is the only sloppy part of an otherwise excellent movie.
Did Work: "T-800" Taskmaster
The Taskmaster costume certainly isn't the best design Marvel Studios' talented team of concept artists has come up with, but we're pleased to report that it looks a lot better in motion.
From the character's very first appearance on screen, it's clear he's a force to be reckoned with, and a legit threat to even someone like Natasha (who has fought aliens, robots, and even her fellow Avengers at this point). We'd have liked to see him pull a few more moves from well-known heroes and villains from his arsenal, but there's hopefully room for that down the line.
Regardless, this version of Taskmaster is an absolute beast, and comparisons to the T-800 in Terminator are definitely appropriate. It feels like the surface of this villain has barely been scratched in Black Widow, so fingers crossed we don't have another Ghost on our hands here.
Did Work: Taskmaster's Secret Identity
Don't panic, we're not about to spill the beans on who is really beneath that hood! A few of us have seen the movie here at CBM already, and none of us experienced this reveal in the exact same way.
Someone telegraphed it from the start, another writer was taken completely by surprise, while the third figured it out as the movie progressed (by a process of elimination). Whatever happens with you, rest assured that this big Black Widow reveal is almost certainly going to leave a lasting impact.
It could have gone badly wrong, but it proves to be a clever twist and one Marvel Studios handled well. We'd definitely have appreciated spending a little more time with the unmasked Taskmaster, but it seems like that's a story for another day...well, as we mentioned before, we certainly hope so, anyway!
Did Work: Everything About Red Guardian
After the disappointment that was Hellboy, David Harbour has fully redeemed himself as Black Widow's Red Guardian. Despite occasionally falling into the role of "comic relief," there are more than enough emotional beats to help Alexei become a three-dimensional character we're now keen to see much more of in the MCU.
He may be out of shape, but Red Guardian also just so happens to be a legit badass, and whether it's a prequel exploring his glory days as a superhero for the Soviet Union or a follow-up to this movie, we'd love to see where he can go from here.
It's also worth mentioning Rachel Weisz's Melina here, because while we don't want to get into too many specifics (due to spoilers), we think you'll love what she brings to the table. Fierce and quirky in equal measures, she another character with future storytelling potential.
Didn't Work: An Unnecessary Ally
O. T. Fagbenle is a talented actor, but in Black Widow...well, he doesn't really add much to this movie. As Rick Mason, he's a character who has a shared history with Natasha, and their playful banter is by no means a chore to sit through; it just doesn't make much of a difference to anything!
He's basically just there as a plot device to provide the hero with the weapons she needs, and there are definitely ways Mason could have been completely cut. If so, he honestly wouldn't have been missed.
Wasting Fagbenle is on Marvel Studios, and while not everyone needs to have an alter-ego or be set up to appear in a future project, there are probably better supporting players who could have been plucked from the comic books. Sure, there are ways Mason could return down the line, but it's hard to imagine anyone crying out for that the way they have with other characters.
Did Work: The MCU's New Black Widow
Black Widow definitely doesn't end with Yelena Belova picking up Natasha's mantle and running off to join The Avengers, but it certainly feels like the plan is for her to take on that role in the MCU.
In a lot of ways, it seems Phase 4 is all about passing mantles (just look at what's happened with Captain America, not to mention what we know about plans for Thor and Hawkeye). Having Yelena pick up where Natasha left off just makes sense and gives the MCU another badass female character for people to root for who doesn't boast the same powers as Captain Marvel or Sersi.
This is a character with a lot of potential, especially as she's clearly going to be a very different Black Widow to her predecessor. At times, this feels more like Yelena's movie than Natasha's, but not in a bad way, and you'll be left very excited about where this badass superspy is going next...