Marvel Studios’ Black Widow finally hit theaters this past summer, marking the first solo, big-screen outing for Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. While the film’s release caused a bit of legal drama behind the camera, audiences seemed mostly pleased with the spy flick. There are a number of memorable scenes, such as Romanoff’s first fight with Taskmaster and Alexei Shostakov’s prison break. Believe it or not though, a different key scene was set to be cut, until studio head Kevin Feige stepped in.
Director Cate Shortland seems to have put a lot of work into the Marvel Cinematic Universe film. She managed to thrill audiences with impressive action sequences and move them with sweet character moments. One of the latter is the dinner scene, which sees Natasha and her found family reconnect in a tense (but sweet) way. Shortland recently explained why the scene ultimately worked out well for the film:
He doesn’t give you many directives, he’s very free. But that was a scene he really felt needed to be in the film, and Scarlett and I kept fighting him on it, saying, ‘How will this ever work?’ But it became a very alive thing. You’ve got this bunch of people shipwrecked together, who are still desperately trying to cling onto the roles that they had in Ohio, because that’s all they know. That’s all they have. And it’s beautiful for me.
It’s hard to argue with the sentiments the filmmaker shared with Empire. The “beautiful” scene marks the first time that Natasha, Alexei, Yelena Bolova and Melina Vostokoff share a meal together in decades. On the surface, the purpose of the meeting is for them to discuss how they should handle the villainous Dreykov and his band of rogue Widows. Yet the group also ends up diving into their strained relationships and the baggage they’ve been carrying since they parted ways years earlier.
The MCU is certainly known for its massive action sequences, but the quieter moments are just as memorable for fans. Of course, viewers can recall the epic final battle in Avengers: Endgame, though I’m sure many also remember Steve Rogers’ heartbreaking visit with Peggy Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Kevin Feige seems to understand that the spectacle doesn’t hold much weight if fans aren’t invested in the characters. In the case of Black Widow, I’m glad he insisted that the intimate scene be kept in the final cut.
However, Cate Shortland also made note of the creative freedom the super producer allowed her and her team. This lines up with past comments that have been made about the man who’s guided the MCU since its conception. For instance, he was reportedly very open to the creative suggestions brought up by director Chloé Zhao when it came to filming Eternals. The Marvels director Nia DaCosta has also spoken on the creative freedom she’s been given on the Brie Larson-led sequel.
It would seem that like any good producer, Kevin Feige understands when and when not to step in. This is surely one of the reasons he’s seen so much success with this massive superhero franchise. With this, there’s a good chance he’ll seek to maintain this method of working with filmmakers, and future films (like a potential Black Widow sequel) would definitely be better for it.
Black Widow is now available to own on Digital HD, DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD and can also be streamed on Disney+.
