Warning - This article contains spoilers for Black Widow.
Scarlett Johansson's swan song as Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow, has finally been released to fans after a 14-month delay. The movie is filled with action, comedy, family, and a world-building post-credit scene.
After initially supposed to be making her appearance in Black Widow, Julia Louis-Dreyfus returned as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. During her appearance on the Disney+ series, she was seen recruiting John Walker to work for her and gave him his new moniker: U.S. Agent.
In Black Widow, Val and Natasha's sister, Yelena, already have a work history, and Val gives Yelena her next target: Clint Barton.
Besides the dramatic MCU impact, Louis-Dreyfus was a star on set, according to Black Widow's director.
CATE SHORTLAND PRAISES JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS
In the post-credit scene, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Val makes her introduction off-screen by blowing her nose as she is dealing with allergies. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Cate Shortland was asked whether Louis-Dreyfus was actually sick that day.
Shortland responded, "No, that was just Julia being fantastic and being a raw, amazing creature and actress." The director also added how in-awe she was the day of filming, saying that "That day, I basically just watched her and did a little bit of hero worship. And then she left."
In another interview with GamesRader, Shortland revealed that she spoke with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier director Kari Skogland about the cameo.
Shortland also called the Seinfeld actress "the full package" and that she wanted her autograph:
"I spoke with the director of the series and we had a conversation. But really, when Julia came on set, she's the full package. So she had decided a lot of how she was going to play the character. And it was just about us being there and witnessing and me like wanting her autograph. I've got a crush on her. I think she's great. I remember just being on planes and watching the whole four seasons of Veep and crying with laughter. She's a really beautiful woman."
VAL'S FUTURE IN THE MCU
Even though the studio had to swap the order in which Val made her first MCU appearance, the GamesRadar interview confirms they were filmed in the same order as released.
Now, with the knowledge that Yelena has been working for Val, it has become more clear that a small team is forming. This team including U.S. Agent and Yelena has long been rumored to be the Dark Avengers or the Thunderbolts.
This team would be assembled by anti-heroes privately funded by Val and her colleagues. In a world post-Blip and seven years after the Sokovia Accords were signed, an under-the-radar group of people with abilities and their own agenda could be dangerous.
A question many fans may be wondering after the post-credits scene is whether Val knows that Clint wasn't responsible for Nat's death, or was she just manipulating Yelena? Also, what's the motive for Val and her group? Did Ronin kill one of their own, or are they following some twisted moral code?
Nevertheless, expect Yelena and possibly Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Val to return once again in the Hawkeye Disney+ series.
Black Widow is currently playing across the globe in theaters and is available on Disney+ via Premier Access.
