The long awaited kickoff to Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a bittersweet one, seeing as Scarlett Johansson’s titular super heroine Black Widow dramatically sacrificed herself in “Avengers: Endgame” two years ago- If you don’t know this, sorry, but that film made $2 billion, so…
So, yes, it’s sad to say farewell to Natasha Romanoff in her long awaited solo outing, but at least it’s a strong, action packed and surprisingly deep entry to the MCU for the character to go out on, quelling all worries that this prequel wouldn’t deliver in comparison to the epics that came before it.
Set in the aftermath of “Captain America: Civil War,” this film has Johansson’s Romanoff on the run and always looking over her shoulder following the dissolution of the Avengers. That is quickly upended by the appearance of Taskmaster, a mysterious masked agent who is after Nat for reasons connected to her long lost “sister,” Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh, “Midsommar”), who has been working as a sleeper Black Widow agent for decades.
Trailing the mystery involving why the two women are targeted will bring their hypothetical family back together, reuniting them with Melina (Rachel Weisz, “The Constant Gardener”) and Alexei (David Harbour, “Stranger Things”), the Russian agents who raised them.
Longtime MCU faithful may think they’ve figured out the traditional formula for these superhero blockbusters, but Black Widow is a pleasant reminder that Marvel is open to experimenting with their genres. This film opens with an out of left field sequence depicting Natasha and Yelena’s childhood before segueing into an opening credit sequence set to a haunting cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Based on this opening alone, it’s crystal clear that director Cate Shortland is eschewing the more fantastical elements of Marvel’s lore to tell a dark, close quarters story that explores every single facet of Nat’s past and the less savory things she’s done before her hero career- if you’ve ever wondered what Loki was talking about when he mentioned “Dreykov’s daughter” in “The Avengers,” you’ll find out here.
Black Widow is certainly an edgier film than even the darkest moments of the MCU prior, with plenty of violent fight sequences and a much more mature storyline involving loss of free will and confronting abuse. There’s still plenty of trademark humor, but in terms of tone, this film is more akin to “Logan” than an Avengers film.
Johansson gives her best performance as Romanoff here, portraying more of how Nat’s past deeds have shaped her into someone repentant, but still damaged from what she’s done. Even though we know how her story ends, what she goes through in this film is no less vital to understanding the choice we know she makes. The stakes here are personal for Nat; she’s not saving the world, she’s challenging herself.
A great deal of that comes from the addition of Yelena, who simply put, steals the movie. Pugh not only gives a phenomenal, borderline award worthy performance by any standard, but brings lots of humor and heart to her character, who has a bright future in the MCU. Harbour and Weisz also bring a great dynamic and scenes of the foursome together are highlights of the film.
Black Widow is a rare prequel that adds to the story we know, rather than diminish it. With new and exciting additions, lots of action and resonant themes, this installment provides lots for fans to chew on, especially its juicy post credits scene.
Black Widow is now playing in theaters and is streaming on Disney+.