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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a massive place, but it started with relatively humble roots. Phase One slowly introduced each iconic hero, before they eventually collided in Joss Whedon's The Avengers. One of the characters to make up the original team was Scarlett Johnasson's Black Widow, who grew to become the heart of the The Avengers. But it looks like Johansson wasn't originally sure if her character would end up being popular for the fans.
Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow was introduced in Iron Man 2 as Natalie Rushman, Tony's new personal assistant. But she was a SHIELD agent all along, and got to kick ass and take names in the movie's third act. Since then she's appeared in four Avengers movies and two Captain America flicks, becoming one of the most prominent characters in the entire MCU. Scarlett Johansson recently spoke to her entrance, saying:
When we did Iron Man, I didn’t know if the audience would like my interpretation of the character. It’s the iconic hero shot. We were all thinking, This is crazy! because these worlds were coming together. We’re still processing how much of an impact these movies have had.
It's hard to imagine the the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe without Black Widow, considering how deeply connected she was to the members of the original Avengers. But her version of Natasha did have some differences to the comic book inspiration, which is likely why Scarlet Johansson was so nervous ahead of Iron Man 2's release.
Scarlett Johansson's comments to Parade is sure to come as a surprise to moviegoers who have seen how the Marvel fandom has embraced Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. While there are some differences in the character's accent and mysterious past, Widow is a fan favorite character within the shared universe. She's the one who has kept the team together throughout the last decade of movies, advocating for the likes of Tony, Steve, and Bruce at various points.
Marvel fans can re-watch Black Widow's tenure in the MCU on Disney+ You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
The character is so popular that fans have campaigned for years for Scarlett Johansson's Avenger to finally get her own solo movie. While Natasha's sacrifice in Endgame put an end to her story, Cate Shortland's Black Widow will finally give the title character her time to shine. Set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War, the upcoming blockbuster will reveal more about her mysterious past, and give context to her actions in the last two Avengers movies.
Black Widow will kick off Phase Four this November, after the movie was delayed following theaters closing. There's a killer cast joining Scarlett Johansson in the movie, including David Harbour, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, and O.T. Fagbenle. Smart money says there will be plenty of exciting revelations, as well as deep connections to Infinity War and Endgame.
Black Widow will arrive in theaters on November 6th, on the release date originally intended for The Eternals. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
