The date is April 25, 2019. You just walked out of the movie theater, in tears and in joy. You just watched “Avengers: Endgame,” and you’re mourning over [spoiler] Iron Man’s and Black Widow’s death. When, suddenly, a couple of weeks later, the “Black Widow” movie is announced. Turns out, she was set to have her own prequel movie set between “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” Months pass, and two trailers come out, revealing what Black Widow could mean for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Trailer Analysis:
What does the trailer mean?
As seen in the trailer, the key point in “Black Widow” is that Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) has to confront her past. She has to return to Russia to set things right with her family, and to stop the evil Taskmaster. Taskmaster’s identity is still unknown, but odds are that he (or she) will probably have a personal connection to Black Widow. She’s aided by her wonderful Russian super ”family,” although we’re not sure if it’s her literal family or one that she made for herself.
Melina, Natasha’s “mom” is played by none other than Rachel Weisz. But certain theories suggest that Melina might be Taskmaster, the villain of the film. In the comics, she’s known as the Iron Maiden, one of the major villains to Black Widow. And in the trailer, you can even see an Iron Maiden mask in the background of one of the scenes. Does this suggest she is Taskmaster, or that she is an entirely different villain we didn’t know to expect in the film? Only time will tell. Next, there’s Red Guardian, Black Widow’s “father,” played by “Stranger Things’” David Harbour, who seems to be the comic relief in the film.
If “Black Widow” works, and the trailer suggests it will, it can propel a lot more content for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Finally, there’s Yelena (Florence Pugh), who plays her quasi-sister. She is best known for her Oscar-Nominated performance in “Little Women” and as the main character in the new Ari Aster horror film “Midsommar.” Throughout the trailer, she can be seen wearing a vest that looks very familiar. It’s because it’s the same exact vest that Black Widow wears in “Avengers: Infinity War.” I have a theory that Yelina will actually die in this film. There’s a shot in the trailer where Natasha is holding an unconscious (or dead?) Yelina in her arms, and she’s wearing that vest. Maybe Natasha took the vest to keep it as a reminder of her dead sister? Or is it just a red herring to throw us off the trail of the real events in the movie? All in all, the “Black Widow” movie is sure to have many twists and turns.
Cameos and Post-Credit Scenes
Who will return in the next Marvel movie?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for its great post-credit scenes and incredible tie-ins to other movies and other characters. So what key players in other Marvel movies return for “Black Widow?” Well, as seen in the trailer, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by a de-aged William Hurt, is returning, perhaps to take down Black Widow. In the comics, he turns into Red Hulk, the arch-nemesis of the Hulk and the leader of the supervillain team The Thunderbolts. It is rumoured that in the end credit scene, he will assemble The Thunderbolts and turn himself into the Red Hulk. Ross has lacked screen time over the years, and I’m glad to see that he will finally be a bigger part of the MCU.
Other Marvel superheroes are rumoured to appear as well. A leak came out saying that the post-credits scene would show Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, visiting Natasha’s grave in the present day. One of my favorite post-credit scene theories is that the on-the-run Captain America and Falcon would recruit Black Widow to be part of their secret fugitive team. Although everyone knows what the ideal post-credit scene is: The return of none other than Tony Stark. After his death in “Avengers: Endgame,” everyone has been longing to say one last goodbye to Iron Man, and everyone thinks that Black Widow is the perfect movie to have that since it’s set in the past. I honestly think that bringing Iron Man back to life would be the worst possible move, but if it’s set in the past, it just might work out.
What this means for the future of the MCU
What will happen next?
If a character such as Black Widow can have a successful solo movie after their death, this could usher a whole new era for Marvel movies. Not only could there be new solo and team-up movies discovering whole different characters and events, there could also be movies about past characters and team-ups. There could perhaps be an Iron Man 4, a Mysterio movie, hell, there could even be a Yondu movie. If “Black Widow” works, and the trailer suggests it will, it can propel a lot more content for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A universe that’s looking increasingly bright.
Release date for “Black Widow” November 6, 2020.
Watch the trailer for ‘Black Widow’ below:
