Marvel Studios’ upcoming film, “Black Widow,” isn’t the first solo film to be led by a female hero. That honor went to “Captain Marvel.” However, that doesn’t mean “Black Widow” won’t shy away from being a feminist feature and discussing some of the female-centric topics that are discussed in our society.
Speaking to Empire, Scarlett Johansson, who plays the title character in the upcoming film, opened up about the feminism at the center of “Black Widow.” And for those wondering if Natasha Romanoff is a feminist, Johansson has a very clear answer.
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“I think this film in particular is very much reflective of what’s going on in regards to the Time’s Up movement and the #MeToo movement,” Johansson said. “It would be such a miss if we didn’t address that stuff, if this film didn’t take that head-on. I think, particularly for Cate [Shortland, director], it was so important for her to make a movie about women who are helping other women, who lift other women up out of a very difficult situation. Someone asked me if Natasha was a feminist. Of course she is, it’s obvious. It’s kinda an asinine question.”
Of course, given this is a Marvel Studios film, details about the plot of the film are being kept under wraps and likely won’t be revealed until the feature makes its debut in November. So, trying to figure out what exactly she means by the film being reflective of Time’s Up or #MeToo is anyone’s guess. That being said, it’s nice to see Johansson not shy away from the topics when discussing the film. When Brie Larson tackled these issues during the promotion of “Captain Marvel,” there was a small (but vocal) segment of fandom that decided that she was anti-white males and didn’t care about certain types of fans. Obviously, that isn’t the case, but her being outspoken seemed to ruffle some feathers.
The fact that Johnasson is seemingly doing the same thing is a relief for those who were concerned that Marvel Studios would back off the political messages in its films. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if Johansson becomes the target of so much toxic fandom and trolls, or if her decade-plus of Marvel work is enough to earn her a pass?
“Black Widow” is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 6. (For now.) Here’s a new image that Empire released from the feature.
