FIGHTING FORCE

Scarlett Johansson explores the dark history of secret agent Natasha Romanoff – AKA Black Widow – in an action-packed new film

- STEVEN PERKINS.

NEW SUPERHERO DRAMA

Black Widow

From Friday 9 July, Disney+ Premier Access

Few characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have had to wait as long for a solo outing as Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow.

After she made her debut as an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in 2010’s Iron Man 2 and played a leading role in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as well as in all four Avengers movies, fans have long been calling for Natasha to finally take centre stage.

Originally theBlack Widow solo film was due to arrive in cinemas in May 2020, but after the COVID-19 pandemic forced Marvel to postpone its release, the highly anticipated movie arrives in cinemas from 7 July and on Disney+ Premier Access from Friday 9 July (see box, below).

Featuring a star-studded cast that includes William Hurt and Ray Winstone, Black Widow takes place in the aftermath of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, as the former assassin faces up to her life before she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. – and Johansson is delighted to have the chance to explore her character’s troubled history in more detail.

DEVELOPMENT

‘From the very beginning, when we first started talking about doing this standalone film, there was no reason to do it unless we could be really brave and dig deep and go there,’ she says. ‘Having played this character for a decade, I wanted to make sure that it would feel artistically and creatively rewarding for me as well as the fans. It’s been pretty therapeutic. I can’t imagine many actors have an opportunity todo that with a character they’ve played for 10 years.’