Black Widow‘s Supporting Cast Elevates Marvel’s Solo Story

On the aerofoil , Cate Shortland ’s Black Widow may feel like an inconsequent piece of the Marvel puzzle . Since it ’s set between the event inCaptain America : Civil WarandAvengers : Infinity War , it ’s prosperous to wonder why the studio pass backward instead of forward . There ’s a delicate balance there , to be certain , but the film explores the recent past with an middle on enrich many of the things we already loved about the nominal character while introducing a whole new side of her world . gratefully , it mold , though it ’s not without some setbacks .

In retiring Marvel Cinematic Universe films , we ’ve seen bits and piece of how a young woman named Natasha ( Scarlett Johansson ) became the high - power bravo known as Black Widow . Teases of her past — include her parentage , and some polar fourth dimension in Budapest — have been come out , but the truth is she ’s the Avenger with the least amount of backstory . That ends with Black Widow , directed by Cate Shortland from a book by Eric Pearson . The film explain where Natasha came from and how she became the person fans have come to love , and adds new layers that make what happen in subsequent Marvel film ( mainlyNatasha ’s decease in Avengers : Endgame ) that much more touching . And yet , because we get laid what happens to Natasha down the route , you end up being more interested in everything materialise around her , which is a disappointment consideringhow long it tookfor the celluloid to happen .

Black Widow introduces us to a few crucial people in Natasha ’s life story , specifically parental figures Alexi ( Stranger Things’David Harbour ) and Melina ( The Mummy’sRachel Weisz ) , and a baby describe Yelena ( Midsommar’sFlorence Pugh ) . We see them decennary prior to the film ’s timeline , then fast onwards to when Natasha was on the run after she ( and others ) decided to ignore the Sokovia Accords . finally , she and Yelena reunite and mold a shaky alliance to wind up a line of work Natasha thought she completed a long , long time ago . Since the nominal character never note her sister before , you’re able to only imagine how the other might sense about being put on the back burner for the Avengers .

Black Widow is dropping into theaters, and streaming, July 9.

Black Widow is dropping into theaters, and streaming, July 9.Photo: Marvel Studios

That palpable tension between Yelena and Natasha is the drive effect of the film and is used to power some great action determine pieces and , most amazingly , a lot of humor . Yelena goof on Natasha perpetually , get for some of the best bit in the moving-picture show . She ’s the entire opponent of the Natasha we live — cold , calculating , exact — and comes across as funny , goofy , and ego - aware . That does n’t intend she is n’t lethal , far from it , but the two play off each other in some very entertaining ways . It also helps that Pugh is completely in the pocket with her execution here , exudate vast “ If you did n’t know me before , you will after this ” Energy Department . She steals the movie .

The plot soon forces the sisters to reunify with Alexi and Melina and the things we learned of their other years together weigh heavily on all of them . After a few massive action scenes ( four language : prison house break eggbeater avalanche ) , Black Widow slow down considerably to not just fill in blank in the film ’s narrative , but the MCU as a whole . The just part of this though is that the reveals are never too cumbersome or invasive . There ’s never a big , shocking , “ Ah - ha ! ” moment , it ’s just information that ’s spit in that informs everything around it . Credit this in large part to Shortland , whose obvious worship for the characters lease those things experience underneath an periodic intimacy we are n’t used to in the MCU , thanks to carrying out pick and cast chemical science . However , what quickly becomes evident is because we ’ve visualise Natasha in so many other motion picture , and know she survives this one to go onto the Avengers flick , her story is n’t all that interesting . Sure it ’s nerveless to take more about her , but a lot of that feels too familiar . Thankfully Melina , and especially Alexi and Yelena , are total clean pages to the consultation , and anytime any of them are in a scene , Black Widow is at its best .

Pugh certainly reigns supreme over everyone else in the film but Harbour is a confining second gear . If you ’ve seen the trailers you sleep together that Alexei is n’t just some veritable guy — he was the Red Guardian , a Russian superhero . His personal battle and torment , having been one before people like Captain America , Iron Man and Thor were coolheaded , is both heartbreaking and screaming . Harbour goes all out with the public presentation , which at times can sense exuberant , but is mostly just endearing . Rachel Weisz fans wo n’t be as happy with Melina , just because she ’s have the modest part of the three and the least to work with in term of emotion and lineament . But she ’s still good in the theatrical role and a joy to watch , particularly diametrical Harbour .

Johansson, Harbour, Pugh.

Johansson, Harbour, Pugh.Photo: Marvel Studios

It ’s important to commemorate though , the movie is n’t call “ Yelena ” or “ The Red Guardian . ” It ’s called Black Widow . And while Natasha ’s increment throughout is important , it ’s limited . You almost get the sense that if this was the first time Johansson had played the role , peradventure she would have made other determination . rather , she ’s lock into this character and lineament after a ten - plus of playing in this existence and does n’t have a lot of wriggle room . That holds the flick back a bit because even when Natasha makes indemnity or learns a all-important new piece of information , she ’s still the same old Natasha .

If you ’re wondering who the Black Widow is really fighting against in her film , that would be Taskmaster ( played by an actor I wo n’t reveal for saki of spoilers ) . The villain is almost a Terminator - corresponding mien throughout the film , with the remarkable aim of acquiring something Natasha and Yelena have in their possession . And while a reveal later in the moving picture does add together something to the character , and the activity scenes feature them are telling , Taskmaster is never as authoritative as one would have a bun in the oven . Which , when you think about Marvel ’s Rogues Gallery — Loki , Thanos , Killmonger , Red Skull — is a rather large knocking against Black Widow . Thankfully , there ’s a lot more to the nefarious subplot in the film , which does balance that out a bit .

So what you ’re leave with is a motion-picture show where the main wedge and independent baddie are basically the most boring part of the story . Admittedly , it ’s not a good feeling . But if you think about Black Widow and Taskmaster being almost support cog in the story , the other things about Black Widow come together really well . It features great fresh characters boosted by stellar performances , the action is on par with what you ’d expect from a Marvel movie , and there are enough surprise , revelations , and cliffhangers to get you excited to see where things go next . Plus , if you were to ascertain the film in episode , there ’s little doubt Natasha ’s actions — particularly in Endgame — will be exponentially more knock-down after meet what she experiences here .

Florence Pugh is the true star of Black Widow.

Florence Pugh is the true star of Black Widow.Photo: Marvel Studios

When history looks back at Black Widow , odds are most people will forget justhow long it tookthe only woman Avenger to get her own picture — and that it only come after she snuff it . It might also be watch as a superfluous filename extension of Avengers : Endgame and an elaborate apparatus for future Disney projects , but considering it ’s still very much a part of the sweeping MCU , those stop up being good things . Black Widow serves multiple aim and impacts stories break forward and backward ; very few of the other Marvel movie do that or add as much color to the overall report as this does . You ’ll still wish Natasha would have develop a chip more or that she went up again an imposing , redoubtable villain , but nevertheless , the film ’s focussing and carrying into action give it a solid foundation and entertainment note value that make it a flawed , by desirable , debut into not just the MCU , but the cinematic universe at large .

Black Widow opens in theaters — and on Disney+ for an extra charge — on July 9 .

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