The Wait for Widow is Almost Over!

 Marvel Studios has finally announced that it intends to release its first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase 4 movie, Black Widow, on July 9, 2021. The film, which has been postponed for over a year due to the repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic, is set to debut in both theaters and on Disney Plus. It’s no secret that the road to the Black Widow movie has been a long one, and fans of the spy-turned-Avenger can’t wait to finally delve into Widow’s backstory.

Natasha Romanoff, aka The Black Widow (played by actress Scarlet Johansson), made her MCU debut in Iron Man II and has appeared as a leading character in almost every major Marvel project to-date. Demand for a Black Widow solo film has only grown in the past few years as the character appeared in more and more pivotal roles, like in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Infinity War. Things were looking good for a Black Widow solo movie as Marvel began wrapping up the Infinity Saga, but just as fans thought Marvel had finally committed to the solo movie project, the character was surprisingly killed off in Avengers: Endgame. That appeared to be the end of Black Widow’s story, until Marvel made a surprise announcement at San Diego Comic Con announcing the upcoming solo film set for summer 2020. No one could have predicted, however, that the film would then be shuffled from May 1st to November 6th to May 7th before finally settling on the July date due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The release of the highly anticipated film on July 9th will mark the end of a 737 day gap between Marvel movies (the last movie released being Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 2, 2019), the longest in Marvel’s thirteen year history.

   The release of the Black Widow movie is exciting for many reasons, one of the biggest being, it will finally give the founding female Avenger her due. Natasha Romanoff is easily one of Marvel’s most developed and interesting characters, it’s a wonder they are only just getting around to her solo movie. Black Widow promises to deliver the intricate storylines Marvel fans have come to know and love, as well as intense action sequences, impressive villains, and the general excitement that comes with a superhero movie.

Of course, there are a few fans who claim that the time for a Black Widow movie has long since passed. Will a Black Widow solo film still be relevant when it finally releases in July? Of course it will! Marvel is a master at weaving together their interconnected films and clearly has a plan in place for Natasha’s story. Let’s not forget that before the Coronavirus pandemic hit, Black Widow was set to kick off Phase 4 of the MCU (due to the pandemic, the hit TV series WandaVision actually opened up Phase 4). There is no doubt that Black Widow will play an important part in the future of the Marvel movies as well as finally give Black Widow fans the solo film they deserve.

July 9th is still a ways away, but with a brand new trailer (released on April 3rd), an ongoing comic series, and plenty of fan theories circulating, Widow fans are keeping busy. We know the movie will focus on Natasha’s past before she was an Avenger, but what exactly will we get to see? Will we finally get to see what happened in Budapest? (Don’t think we’ve forgotten about that one Marvel) How about the new characters, what roles will Yelena Belova, Melina Vostakoff, and Alexei Shostakov play? All of these characters have appeared throughout Black Widow’s vast comic book history as both friend and foe; it will be interesting to see the direction Marvel takes with them. Speaking of supporting characters, will other friend’s of Natasha’s, like Hawkeye or Captain America, make an appearance? Excitement and expectations are as high as ever for the Black Widow movie. Hang in there Black Widow fans, our wait is almost over!