Posted in: Disney, Marvel Studios, Movies | Tagged: black widow, marvel, movies

"Black Widow" Tells the Story of a Dysfunctional Family

When you think of what a Black Widow movie would be the idea of exploring a dysfunctional family is probably not very high on the list. That is the movie that it appears we are getting. Natasha doesn't have the Avengers to fall back on anymore and to take on a villain like Taskmaster she's going to need some help. That help, according to Entertainment Weekly, comes in the form of a bunch of former Russian spies that she once played house with for a mission. Entertainment Weekly has a breakdown of the supporting players of each of the characters we can expect and one that gives us an idea of what kind of dynamic we can expect.

With the Avengers AWOL, she turns to the only other kin she's ever had: a hodgepodge band of Russian spies who went undercover together as a family when Natasha was a child. There's Weisz as the mysterious Melina, who also trained as a Widow. There's Florence Pugh (who's also a recent Oscar nominee) as Yelena Belova, a no-nonsense Red Room alum whom Nat views as an estranged little sister. (Like many sisters, they settle differences by beating the crap out of each other.) And there's David Harbour as Alexei, a.k.a. the Red Guardian, the Russian answer to Captain America (if Cap was a bearded, past-his-prime goofball). "I thought it would be a straightforward action movie, and then it wound up being a real character study of a dysfunctional family," Harbour, 45, says.

This is a prequel but unlike a movie like Solo: A Star Wars Story we aren't going to watch Natasha learn or gain certain things, like her Widow stingers for example, because according to Kevin Feige that isn't what this movie is.

"A prequel that simply filled in the blanks of things you already know is not very exciting," Feige says. "How does she get her Widow stingers for the first time? How did she learn to do a flip? That doesn't matter."

This is a movie that feels like it should have happened years ago but star Scarlett Johansson believes that now is the right time for a Black Widow movie because of female lead movies that come out before her like Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman. For Johansson, it's not just about a woman being front and center but also about telling female stories.

"I think this character's strength really lies in her vulnerability and her acceptance of that," she says. "She has emotional intelligence that has allowed her to survive without any real superpowers. She's someone who is a problem-solver. She's a pragmatic person. I think a lot of those qualities are inherently female."

Whether or not Black Widow can find a substantial audience remains to be seen but it nice to finally see this character front and center. Not to mention she has a fantastic supporting cast so while this is a long overdue movie it still looks like it could be a lot of fun.

Black Widow, directed by Cate Shortland, stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O. T. Fagbenle, Rachel Weisz, and Ray Winstone. It will be released on May 1, 2020.

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