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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth in the film world, and fans are eager to return to the property in Phase Four. While Black Widow's delay made the current interim period last longer, we're still getting plenty of exciting information regarding the shard universe. And it turns out that Scarlett Johansson's signature Avenger actually informed the events of Ryan Coogler's Black Panther.
While it'll be another few months before we can dive back into Phase Four, the previous events of the MCU have been given new context thanks to some additional content. Namely the new book The Wakanda Files, which has all sorts of new tidbits for the fandom. An excerpt of that book features Shuri explaining the new changes to T'Challa's suit, which came as a direct result with his conflict with Black Widow in Captain America: Civil War. It reads,
Brother has mentioned on many occasions how he felt foolish that the Black Widow's projectile bites were able to keep him from pursuing Rogers at the Berlin airport. The new nanotechnology and kinetic disbursement in his suit should prevent a repeat issue.
And just like that, Natasha Romanoff's influence on the overall MCU is made even more obvious. Because while Widow didn't appear in Black Panther's 134-minute runtime, she still managed to have an effect on its contents. Maybe that's her super power.
The above except from The Wakanda Files (via Comic Book) further shows the connective tissue of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The franchise is notable for embracing serialized storytelling, and Phase Three in particular featured a ton of thrilling crossover moments. Black Panther's success was unprecedented, and greatly opened the MCU by introducing Wakanda.
Marvel fans can re-watch Black Widow and Black Panther's time in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
In Captain America: Civil War's epic tarmac sequence, Natasha suddenly shifts her allegiance from Team Iron Man, as she stuns Black Panther in order to let Cap and Bucky escape. And it turns out that iconic encounter is part of why T'Challa got a new suit in his own solo movie.
Fans are eager to see Black Widow return to the MCU in her own solo movie, especially since she tragically sacrificed herself during the Time Heist. But the movie has been pushedvback a number of times, and now won't hit until next May. In the meantime, we've got the epic trailers to keep us satiated.
In addition to anticipation for Black Widow's eventual release in theaters, the Marvel fandom is also eager for any information regarding the future of the Black Panther franchise. Chadwick Boseman's character quickly became a fan favorite and real-life hero during his time in the MCU, but he tragically past this year from colon cancer. With the cast and crew of Black Panther still mourning, it's simply too soon to think about how the property might move forward without the actor.
In the meantime, The Wakanda Files are offering some intriguing new context to the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And the studio is currently going full tilt with production. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings recently wrapped filming, while Spider-Man 3 and Thor: Love and Thunder are currently in pre-production.
Black Widow is currently set to arrive in theaters on May 7th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies next year.
