BLACK WIDOW Director Explains How The Movie Deals With Objectification And Infertility; Teases Sequel Plans

As you've likely heard by now, there's a running joke in Black Widow that sees Yelena Belova mock Natasha Romanoff's "classic" pose, which is a piece of imagery that's actually quite sexualised. Heading into this movie, director Cate Shortland wanted to make a point of highlighting that, something she explained the thinking behind during a recent interview with TIME.

"I decided to make a point of it," the filmmaker explained. "[Yelena tells Natasha], ‘You’re a poser. The way you move, it’s not real. Who is it for?’ We were pointing at it, allowing the audience to be aware of what they had watched before and what they were watching now."

Shortland would go on to say both she and the team working on Black Widow made "a conscientious effort" to not objectify its female cast members, pointing out that "[Natasha] was a character created for the male gaze. Initially, even the way she moved, the way she dressed - it was helpful as a stepping-stone. But it wasn't who she was."

Equally as controversial was the Avengers: Age of Ultron subplot revealing that the Red Room had left Natasha unable to have children. That's tackled head-on in this movie, and the director was determined to make it mean a little more this time around (Joss Whedon's take on the issue was widely criticised). 

"[Black Widow executive producer] Victoria [Alonso] and I are both adoptive mothers," Shortland said. "We wanted to talk about the idea that the fact that you do not bear children does not mean that you are less than. We wanted to empower her."

It's been said on multiple occasions that Black Widow brings Natasha's story to a close, but in a separate interview with Deadline, the Australian director hinted that there could still be more story to tell. "I think these girls have got a lot of asses still to kick," she teased, leaving the door open to return to this corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (likely with the focus on Yelena Belova).

Black Widow is set to be released on Disney+ and in theaters this Friday (or Wednesday in the UK).