Black Widow is a 2021 superhero film based on the edgy and extremely popular Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it marks the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
From director Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome), Black Widow gives us a an in-depth look at the Marvel character with a dark past and troubling upbringing, to say the least. At birth, the Black Widow (aka Natasha Romanova) is given to the KGB, which grooms her to become its ultimate operative. When the U.S.S.R. breaks up, the government tries to kill her as the action moves to present-day New York, where she is a freelance operative. The standalone film will find Romanoff living in the United States 15 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, and take place directly following the events of Captain America: Civil War.
The impressive cast includes Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz. Like many films, Black Widow was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, derailing an initial plan for a May 2020 release date and getting delayed 3 times in total. It is the first film to kick off Phase 4 of the MCU.
