Late last night, Marvel Studios released a "Special Look" at
Black Widow which was basically "Trailer #1.5" before our second look at the movie comes our way sometime between now and May.
Filled with plenty of action-packed footage, this sneak peek also put the spotlight on Taskmaster. The fan-favourite comic book villain will finally make his big screen debut in the spinoff that's set between the events of
Captain America: Civil War and
Avengers: Infinity War, and while his costume remains divisive, it's clear the the character has the potential to be a scene-stealing badass.
We take a closer look at that in the gallery below, but before we get to those hi-res screenshots, we have a newly released
Black Widow featurette exploring how this adventure came to be.
Seeing Scarlett Johansson talk about the character back in 2009, it's crazy to think that this movie has been a decade in the making. Still, the signs are pointing to it being worth the wait.
Now, about those screenshots! In the gallery below, you'll find an in-depth look at this latest preview for
Black Widow, including some must-see, wallpaper worthy shots of Taskmaster. To check out the entire gallery, all you guys need to do is click on the "View List" button below.
Following the events of
Captain America: Civil War, Black Widow is on the run and being hunted down so she's turned to an old friend for help. However, there may be more to the story than meets the eye...
Natasha refers to Yelena as her "sister" but chances are they were just in the Black Widow program together. Interestingly, it appears as if she too may be on her run but not from General Ross and the United States government.
Perhaps the vengeful General Ross put Black Widow on the Russian government's radar and that's why she's seemingly being pursued by both her former taskmasters and those responsible for the Sokovia Accords.
Clearly, there's an awful lot we don't know about the movie but it does appear as if Yelena will be an ally to Natasha in the MCU rather than an ally and enemy like in the comic books.
It seems as if a new generation of Black Widows has been trained to take the place of former agents like Natasha and Yelena and they're clearly gunning for the old models at their government's behest.
Is it us or does Yelena ditch her Russian accent during this "Special Look"? Like Natasha, it seems as if she's moved on from her past and adopted an American accent in the process.
2020 is shaping up to be an awesome year for Scarlett Johansson as she recently made history by becoming one of only a handful of actors to receive not one but two nominations at the Academy Awards.
Yelena certainly appears to be used to being on the run as she has a whole cache of weapons in this apartment. Just like in the comics, it seems as if she'll be every bit as skilled as Natasha.
This is an awesome shot of
Black Widow in action and if the visuals in this sneak peek are anything to go by, director Cate Shortland is definitely going to deliver a visually unique Marvel movie.
Natasha talks about trying to be more than just a trained killer, clearly referencing her time with The Avengers and the fact she decided to help Captain America escape.
Yelena obviously isn't buying it and doesn't seem to believe in the hero game; is it possible that she'll embrace her comic book counterpart's villainous nature by the time all is said and done or could she become a New Avenger?
Despite the fact
Black Widow takes place before
Avengers: Infinity War, Kevin Feige has said it will set the stage for the future of the MCU. What could he possibly mean by that?
Florence Pugh is one of the most in-demand stars in Hollywood today so Marvel Studios would be foolish to let her go after a single movie. With that in mind, her becoming the new Black Widow doesn't feel like a stretch.
Another character fans are excited to see is Rachel Weisz's Melina. Another former Black Widow, it appears she was a mentor to Natasha and Yelena once upon a time.
There's been speculation that she's Taskmaster but look closely at this trailer and you'll notice that she's fighting him shortly after he takes down Red Guardian during that fist fight.
Natasha is also rocking one of those white suits here and something tells us that Melina is probably the one who provides the team with their costumes and weaponry as she may still have ties to the Black Widow program.
All the signs are pointing to David Harbour's Red Guardian being a highlight and while he's being used for laughs in some ways, it would be great to see him return in a completely different franchise somewhere down the line.
The new Black Widow program looks particularly deadly and it seems the Russian government (assuming they're still in charge rather than a separate, shady organisation) is creating an entire army of assassins.
As for why they've been tasked with taking out Natasha and company, it's likely that they want to get rid of those who have betrayed them in the past or because these former operatives know too much.
Having the Russians be responsible for this deadly group seems very political, so don't be surprised if Disney changes things a little to avoid controversy (Marvel movies tend to do fairly well in that part of the world, after all).
Taskmaster's MCU appearance has been somewhat divisive among comic book fans but it's fair to say that he looks good in action and quite a bit more impressive than in that first trailer.
He's clearly formidable enough to have Natasha on the ropes and easily deflects her shots with his shield. That's something the movie has lifted straight from the comics.
It looks the the red part of the shield glows when Taskmaster deflects bullets meaning it's probably made of a special material able to absorb blows rather than the Vibranium that Captain America's shield is made of.
Black Widow certainly appears to be taken aback by how skilled her opponent and Marvel Studios is clearly hoping we'll be shocked by who's beneath the mask given the way their identity has been concealed.
As you'll no doubt be well aware, one of Taskmaster's abilities is to copy the moves of anyone he fights. Given the way he throws his shield, how much do you want to bet that he's been watching tapes of Captain America.
The vest that Yelena can be seen wearing here is ultimately donned by Natasha in
Avengers: Infinity War, something many fans believe means she winds up being captured or killed.
Natasha takes down some of her rival Black Widows here using her trademark stingers and it seems fair to say that they've never looked as cool as this in action on the big screen before now.
The hope among the majority of fans is that
Black Widow will end with Yelena being recruited by General Ross into the Thunderbolts. The question is, will he transform into Red Hulk at any point?
Melina is attempting to escape from an avalanche here but has she left her friends behind? This is a spy movie, so someone is bound to be outed as a traitor along the way.
Say what you will about the costume but Taskmaster really does look good in motion and he's hopefully a villain who will have a recurring presence in the MCU moving forward.
If
Black Widow proves to be a success, what comes next for the franchise? A sequel might not be that tricky even though Natasha obviously died during the events of
Avengers: Endgame.
Bear in mind that the superhero ensemble featured a five-year time-jump, so there's a lot of time there for Natasha to have reunited with her old friends for another adventure in a world which would obviously be very different.
This is a phenomenal shot that showcases Taskmaster's ability to mimic his opponents. How will Black Widow fare essentially fighting herself in this movie, we wonder?
Honestly, the mask isn't great but it's not all that different to previous Taskmaster designs and something had to be done in order to differentiate the villain from Red Skull!
What was your favourite moment in this "Special Look" at
Black Widow? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts on that in the comments section below and stay tuned for updates.