The story of Natasha Romanoff may have concluded in “Avengers: Endgame,” but it’s not complete. Today at San Diego Comic-Con, Kevin Feige and members of the Marvel team made it official: the “Black Widow” movie, which has already started production overseas, starring Scarlett Johansson, was announced and it’s been slotted for the date we all expected: May 1, 2020.
“Black Widow” will be directed by Cate Shortland, an Australian filmmaker known for the indie films “Somersault,” “Lore” and “Berlin Syndrome.” The film was written by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson and yes, it’s a prequel—obviously, considering the character died in ‘Endgame’— that will delve into the backstory of Romanoff when she was a Russian spy and trained assassin, and how she got out of the life and eventually made her way to the United States, becoming a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and then eventually joining “The Avengers.”
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The film co-stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) Rachel Weisz, O. T. Fagbenle, and Ray Winstone.
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The key line for it all might have been said in ‘Endgame.’ “I used to have nothing. And then I got this. This job. This family. And I was better because of it. And even though they’re gone… I’m still trying to be better,” Romanoff said in that movie. She’s been constantly trying to make amends for all the red in her ledger and she makes the ultimate sacrifice play in this last ‘Avengers’ movie.
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Presumably, “Black Widow” details how she got all that blood on her hands and then very likely, the defining moment that led to her decision to break out free from the “Red Room” where she was trained and raised, and strike out independently on her own (Update: actually, it’s set between “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War” so it’s less of an early prequel as expected, but apparently there are lots of flashbacks to her aforementioned past)
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More will be revealed soon enough closer to the release date and when the first official trailer is released. Until then, plug in a calendar date for May 1, 2020.
Just announced in Hall H at #SDCC, Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOW with Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle, and Rachel Weisz. Directed by Cate Shortland. In theaters May 1, 2020. pic.twitter.com/7WGECDIw3t
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 21, 2019
Check out this 1st reveal of the keyframe illustration I did for the Black Widow film… & TASKMASTER!!! #blackwidow #taskmaster @MarvelStudios #scarlettjohansson pic.twitter.com/c4504e6BEu
— Andy Park SDCC 4604 (@andyparkart) July 21, 2019
Btw, the clip below is fan-made and not at all official, but it’s surprisingly really great encapsulation of her entire arc and story over the course of all the Marvel films.