After a long and grueling journey, Black Widow finally hit the big screen in theaters as well as on TV screens around the world with Disney+ via Premier Access.
Serving as the first film in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Widow provided fans with a proper send-off to one of the most beloved characters of the franchise's last 10 years, Natasha Romanoff, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson.
However, as the story of one MCU cornerstone ended, other characters of the same caliber have been set up to have bright futures.
Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, David Harbour's Alexei Shostakov, and Rachel Weisz's Melina Vostakoff all saw their MCU debuts in Black Widow as Natasha's highly-skilled Russian family. All three actors have been widely praised since the release of the film, with many fans hoping for multiple future appearances from the newly introduced characters.
Now that the movie has been out for over two weeks, behind-the-scenes details have started to swirl. The official dates for Black Widow's digital release have recently been revealed as well as when the physical 4K Ultra-HD, Blu-ray, and DVD copies will hit the market.
It was also confirmed that fans could see the film on Disney+ at no additional cost starting on October 6, 2021.
As more about the film continues to see the light of day, specific details of Black Widow's bonus features have finally been released, including multiple deleted scenes.
BLACK WIDOW BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE DELETED SCENES
Disney officially released Black Widow's home media details, which will be available on Disney+ as well as digital and disc copies.
Tidbits of highly-anticipated deleted scenes have been confirmed, including additional footage from action sequences such as the "bike chase" involving Natasha and Yelena as well as more heartfelt scenes like a kiss between Alexei and Melina:
Deleted Scenes
- Grocery Shopping – Natasha heads into a grocery store to prepare for her journey through Norway. After a long drive, she arrives at her destination: a mysterious trailer in the middle of nowhere.
- Bike Chase – Tailed by assailants, Natasha and Yelena speed through the city in order to escape their nemeses.
- Gulag Fight – Alexei squares up against several enemies and is quickly overpowered. When all hope seems lost, Natasha leaps in to lend a hand in the fight.
- Smile – The Taskmaster protocol is activated in a tense moment, and an iconic helmet is unveiled.
- Come After Me – Secretary Ross and Mason discover an important message Natasha left behind.
- Walk and Talk – Alexei and Melina have a playful exchange. The Taskmaster arrives and faces off with Alexei.
- Widows in Training – Yelena and Alexei awaken in captivity. Melina hands the Taskmaster vials while the Widows train.
- Kiss – Alexei and Melina reunite after the action. Natasha grieves over an untimely demise in the brutal aftermath.
- Ohio – Natasha witnesses the carefree nature of the Ohio suburbs through the neighborhood children.
Next, a short blooper reel of funny moments on-set of the film has also been confirmed to make it onto the bonus features list:
- Bloopers – Take a look at some of the fun mishaps on set with the cast and crew of “Black Widow.”
Viewers will also have an opportunity to get inside the mind of director Cate Shortland as she provides insight into what her vision was while making Black Widow:
- Filmmaker Introduction Featurette – Director Cate Shortland introduces the film and her vision for it.
The next detail reveals that a featurette of actresses Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh will be included in the special features, allowing fans to see the two training in preparation for their roles:
- Sisters Gonna Work It Out Featurette – Watch Scarlett and Florence as they train, fight, and bond to become the sister duo in “Black Widow.” Listen as the cast and crew discuss the characters, rigorous training, and building the dynamic between the two fearsome siblings.
Finally, viewers will get to witness the highly impressive and dangerous stuntwork that went into Black Widow, an aspect that makes the action as great as it can be:
- Go Big If You’re Going Home Featurette – Step back to appreciate the size and scale of “Black Widow”’s solo film. Shot around the world, the film balances family and drama with mind-blowing action. The cast and crew reveal the intricacies of stunts that made the film so action-packed.
DIVING INTO THE DELETED SCENES
When looking at this list, there are a few that really stand out.
"Widows in Training" will provide viewers with a look at an encounter with Taskmaster while also showing the Widows perfecting their craft and training to become the highly effective assassins that they are. Seeing the widows go through this process is something that fans have wanted to see since Natasha talked about her own time as a young Widow.
Natasha has always had incredible skills as a fighter and a master of espionage, so it will be insightful to see some of the additional processes that she had to go through in the past.
"Kiss" also stands out among the other deleted scenes as it shows a heartfelt moment between Alexei and Melina following the climax of the film. Even though both characters mentioned multiple times in the film that they weren't a real family and they were just following their assignment, it was clear that there was actually a connection between them all, specifically a marriage-like relationship between Natasha's "parents."
Their kiss after being reunited proves that they do actually care about one another and that they may show up together in a future MCU project.
Filmmakers almost always have a limit to how long the final cut of their movie can be, and more often than not, they have to trim scenes down to make them shorter or sometimes even delete full moments completely.
However, even though these scenes aren't in the final product that is released in theaters, directors often feel they are important to the story, so they include them as deleted scenes.
These deleted scenes from Black Widow undoubtedly make the overall story more compelling, and any additional time spent with beloved characters is a positive for fans.
Black Widow is currently streaming on Disney+ via Premier Access and playing in theaters worldwide.
