Ever since she debuted in Iron Man 2, Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, has been one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's key heroes, whether it's as a supporting character in another hero's movie or being part of a big ensemble. Eight years after her introduction, it sounds Marvel Studios is finally ready to spotlight the KGB agent-turned-S.H.I.E.L.D. operative-turned-superhero in her own story, as it was reported back in January that a Black Widow movie is in development. While we don't have a timetable yet on when this movie could come out, evidently Marvel isn't sparing any effort with finding the right person to helm it, as the studio has reportedly met with more than 65 directors.
This information comes to us from Variety reporter Justin Kroll, and while we don't know most of the names that are on this list, it was revealed last week that Mustang's Deniz Gamze Erguven, The Rider's Chloe Zhao and A United Kingdom's Amma Asante are among the candidates. Whether the directing job goes to one of those three or someone else we haven't heard about yet, it sounds like Marvel's been quite thorough with its search. With a character like Black Widow, who's both been an important player in the comics and an integral member of the MCU, it's important to ensure that her standalone movie is the best it can be. If that means chatting with upwards of 65 directors, then by all means, schedule those meetings!
All we know for sure about the Black Widow movie, aside from Scarlett Johansson obviously reprising the heroine, is that it's being written by Jac Schaffer, who also penned Olaf's Frozen Adventure and The Hustle. However, it was recently rumored that rather than being set after the events of Avengers 4, it would be a prequel following Natasha Romaoff approximately 15 years after the fall of the Soviet Union. That would place the movie around 2006, a couple years before her appearance in Iron Man 2. Assuming this is true, it's unclear if at this point in time she was still working for Russian intelligence or had already defected to join S.H.I.E.L.D., but since Sebastian Stan has expressed interest in appearing in the Black Widow movie, perhaps the tale could chronicle Natasha's first encounter with The Winter Soldier.
Assuming that Black Widow is released during Phase Four, that makes it the third movie that's confirmed for this slate of films, following Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (an Eternals movie is also in consideration). We here at CinemaBlend will keep you updated on how the Black Widow movie is developing as more information becomes available, including who scores the directing gig. In the meantime, Black Widow can currently be seen alongside most of the MCU's other heroes in Avengers: Infinity War, and you can look through our Marvel movies guide to learn what other projects this franchise has in the works.
