There have been rumblings about a Black Widow movie happening since before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even a thing but it's finally starting to come together and the signs are all pointing to it being released in 2020. Cate Shortland recently signed on to direct and Jac Schaeffer is penning the screenplay but what exactly should we expect to see from the highly anticipated Phase 4 release?
We know that it's going to serve as a prequel to The Avengers, delving into Natasha Romanoff's origin story and no doubt touching on moments which have only been referenced in the MCU until now.
What we're taking a look at here then is everything you should expect from Black Widow, including cameos, plot points, and more, many of which we're confident will indeed end up happening come 2020. So, to take a look at this breakdown, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button.
The Red Room
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, we learned that a young Natasha was recruited by the KBG before being indoctrinated into the world of spycraft after being trained in the Red Room. Her ruthlessness ensured that she was the top pupil in her class and her no holds barred approach meant she was given the codename of the Black Widow. Upon graduating, though, Natasha was sterilised by her superiors.
It's hard to believe that the latter plot point will receive too much screentime, especially as it proved to be so controversial after the way Joss Whedon handled it. However, there's no doubt more story to tell when it comes to the character's origin story beyond the handful of flashbacks we saw in the 2015 release and we should probably expect to spend at least some time delving into her youth here.
Black Widow Vs. Hawkeye
After her status as a Russian spy resulted in Black Widow becoming a threat to global security, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury sent Hawkeye to take her out (what exactly she did that was so bad isn't clear but we'll no doubt get to see plenty of that in this movie). Realising that she could be an asset, Clint Barton decided to recruit her instead and Natasha ended up defecting from Russia to S.H.I.E.L.D.
We're bound to see Jeremy Renner show up here in order for all of that to play out but there has to be more to this story than meets the eye; why would she choose to defect and how did her superiors react to that? It can't have been as easy as walking out on the KGB and then signing up to S.H.I.E.L.D. so don't be surprised if this ends up being a particularly huge part of the upcoming spinoff movie.
Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Just how much time Black Widow will devote to Natasha's time as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is hard to say. She might defect halfway through the movie or right at the end; it ultimately depends on whether or not Marvel wants to tell more stories in this part of the timeline or if they're happy with a standalone origin story. Either way, there has to be a good chance that it will indeed be touched on.
With any luck, that will mean we get to see her and Hawkeye going on some of the missions we've heard so much about, not to mention getting a better look at what this world was like before Nick Fury decided to recruit Tony Stark, Mjolnir crashed to Earth, and Captain America's body was finally uncovered. It could also lead us right into Iron Man 2 but we'll touch on that a little later on here.
Meeting The Winter Soldier
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Natasha mentioned a mission she went on in 2009 which saw her cross paths with Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier. While she claims that the brainwashed HYDRA agent shot her in a bid to get to the scientist she was protecting, it definitely sounds like these two have crossed paths on more than one occasion and we could see that addressed here.
Remember, Bucky is essentially ageless due to the way he was woken up and put on ice at various points throughout history so he could have helped train Natasha and there's a very good chance they may have even gone on missions together seeing as the Russians were involved with The Winter Soldier's return. Honestly, it wouldn't be that surprising if he's a supporting character in the movie.
Natalie Rushman
When we first met Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she was posing as Natalie Rushman. After crossing paths with the Ten Rings, the spy was assigned to work for Tony Stark and keep an eye on Iron Man despite the fact Nick Fury had decided against recruiting him for the Avengers Initiative at that time. Would her entrance in Iron Man 2 be a good place to end this standalone adventure?
Perhaps. Then again, a comic book tie-in revealed that she was also present during the events of The Incredible Hulk and that she shot Samuel Sterns in the leg, so it's feasible that could be touched on and that The Leader will finally be used as a villain somewhere down the line after being reintroduced here (unless, of course, some of Black Widow is set in the present with him appearing in those scenes).
A Surprising Twist
As good as an origin story crammed full of references to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe sounds, I can't help but wonder if there's going to be some sort of twist in this movie which sets the stage for other stories to be told. For example, what if we learn that Black Widow was actually replaced by a Skrull or that she's never truly been loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Either one of those could take the character to some interesting places in Phase 4 and it would make the spinoff feel a whole lot more important.
The Character's Future
While Kevin Feige likes to plan ahead, Marvel Studios is probably being cautious with this Black Widow movie, especially as they don't know just how much interest there will actually be in a solo adventure for Natasha (vocal fans online don't necessarily translate to box office takings). That means it's far too soon to try and figure out where the character's newly launched franchise could end up going next.
However, it would definitely be surprising for there not to be at least some hints here regardless of whether we're talking about sequels set during the present day or teases for other Marvel movies such as the ones mentioned in the previous slide. We'll obviously have to wait and see but what may seem like a pretty low-key affair on the surface could prove to have huge ramifications moving forward.
What do you think is in store for Black Widow in Marvel's planned solo movie? Are you excited to see her receive the spotlight? Share your thoughts on that in the comments section.