The release of Black Widow marks the end of the longest time-gap between two MCU movies ever. Now with WB’s movies delayed due to COVID-19 spike, fans are hoping Marvel’s spy-thriller movie doesn’t push back.
Despite the odds stacked against it, Marvel’s Black Widow has the potential to do remarkably well at the box office. Especially when it is the first Marvel film to be released after lockdown. The film’s producers and marketing teams have already mesmerised audiences with a stunning set of trailers.
The final trailer of Black Widow came out in early March and has gathered over 16 million views so far.
Creatively, it looks fantastic and to those who prayed eagerly waiting for Natasha’s backstory, they have been answered. Scarlett Johansson played her character powerfully in all the movies so far and she finally gets a leading role. Yay!
Watch: MCU New Timeline
Of course, Captain Marvel, another strong female lead, did very well. The film made over $1 billion and helped set up a massive storyline for the future of the MCU. The 2019 film promised a prequel and came in between major Avengers movies, leaving us with a big cliff hanger.
What’s happening to Black Widow?
However, a week ago Warner Brothers delayed Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984 due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. It made fans wonder whether Black Widow too will again see a delay.
In 2020, amid lockdown fans are coming out of a major Marvel drought, Black Widow looks like a film that can satiate expectations.
With a stunning cast, fans are really excited about the movie. Thought the final trailer did not generate much excitement, but then, neither did Black Panther and Captain Marvel’s trailers. Nevertheless, those movies performed exceptionally well at the box office
About the trailer, maybe Winter Soldier could have been a part of it since the character is integral to Natasha’s comic book storyline. MCU has made him a part of Hydra, which is a little sad. But hey, artistic freedom is what this is all about.
Going by Black Widow’s trailer, director Cate Shortland has made a truly artistic film, with scenic beauty, stunning lighting and brilliant CGI.
Watch: Black Widow Final Trailer
Moreover, there are rumours abound that Iron Man/Tony Stark may show up for a cameo in the movie. But even if they are not true, Natasha has proven to be a strong enough character to hold the film on her own.
A Family Affair
Now on to the trailer and beware, spoilers ahead!
It begins in a beautiful landscape with stunning aerial shots of the sea meeting beautiful hills and rocks. Here, Natasha’s “sister” Yelena Belova, essayed by Florence Pugh, is talking as the camera shows a caravan in the middle of a forest. While this sounds like the worst vacation spot ever, it is precisely where you would expect a hardened assassin to live.
The film’s trailer then cuts to Yelena talking to Natasha about how she tells everyone that Natasha is a science teacher. Her husband builds houses and she would move back if the interest on her mortgage falls. Yelena is just as strong as Natasha and they both look like they have excellent chemistry together, which is what makes movies great.
Enter Taskmaster
The scene cuts to Natasha’s car exploding after being hit by a red beam of some sort. Taskmaster appears and an exciting duel between the two takes place. Shots are fired, cars are burning, and Taskmaster gives us a glimpse of the power of his Captain America-like shield, which Natasha barely dodges by escaping into a tiny hole.
Taskmaster is shown studying Natasha’s fighting style from Iron Man 2 (her hairstyle in that movie, though). His mask shows the scars of many battles and he is as cool as ice. It seems he is controlling the Black Widow program. While many trainees appear to be doing things with blank stares in an environment that is lit bright red with an almost entirely black background and costumes.
Marvel’s branding in its movies is outstanding.
Establishing shots done the trailer focuses on some plot reveals where Yelena is strapped down on a lab table with a scar on her forehead. It looks like experiments were conducted on her. Or is it from a fight?
It isn’t very clear but this is a spy movie and the characters cannot be fully judged from just the trailer.
Next, we see a montage of Taskmaster in a few more fighting scenes and raising a Forever salute (YES!). While Natasha and Yelena are seen fighting together. Another clip shows Natasha fighting other black widows, indicating to us she is confronting her past, as we all need to do sometimes.
It looks like she wants to confront them, but never hurt them. Because she knows the program has given them no choice but to fight for survival. That seems to hinder her abilities while fighting while her colleagues continue to rain blows and kicks at her.
A few moments later, Natasha is wearing the same vest she wore in Avengers: Infinity War. While holding Yelena close to her and crying about some mishap. Some fans believe that’s the end of Yelena. We know that the Infinity War’s plot timeline is just after Captain America: Winter Soldier. So maybe this is where she gets the look that she flaunts in the penultimate Avengers movie.
Then comes the face-off with Taskmaster and some great fighting sequences of Yelena. Shots of buildings being destroyed and a lot of explosions (the usual MCU action movie fare) before we finally see Taskmaster’s sword, which to a comic fan is a huge deal!
Shield, sword and mask, we now have the complete Taskmaster.
More CGI fighting on exploding building debris and the Black Widow logo later, the trailer cuts to Red Guardian (David Harbour ) and Melina (Rachel Weisz) with Natasha and Yelena at the dinner table in a cute family moment.
A Long Wait (Still)… But Worth It
Delayed because of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the movie will come out later than scheduled. November 6 according to the movie’s Twitter handle. But when it does, Black Widow could potentially be another box office hit. It has been quite a wait to see Natasha’s back story after so many Marvel movies and this would add to the plot for sure when Black Widow hits screens around the world.
It is also ironically tragic that Black Widow movie had to come after her death in Endgame, while to a centrepiece, she was truly a phenomenal character in the Avengers franchise.
But with the number of plot twists we have come to expect from the MCU, one can never know. But one thing is certain Marvel’s Black Widow is going to be the ultimate spy thriller movie whenever it releases.
When Trump Realized That Defeat Is Inevitable
No Price Too Big: India’s Pharma Industry Gambles With Innocent Lives And National Pride
The Contours And Context Of The Indo-China Border Dispute
Now, Twitter Goes After China — At America’s Behest
Reckless Statements And Lack Of Foresight Behind India’s Border Diplomacy Nightmare
Emerging Fault Lines Jeopardize The Future Of The European Union
Nepal’s Big Border Snub — Consequences Of India Losing Its Special Friend To China
Trump’s Futile War Against Twitter Reveals How Little He Knows The Law
Chronicling The Jet Airways Saga: From Making History To Becoming It
BJP, Congress And The Great Game Of “Poaching” In Indian Politics
