Warning - This article contains minor spoilers for Black Widow.
Fans of the MCU are currently entrenched in a wild ride for Marvel's third Disney+ show, Loki, which has premiered its first two episodes with plenty of unpredictable action to come. On top of this, the franchise's long-awaited return to theaters is lurking just over the horizon with the July 9, 2021 release of Black Widow, the MCU's first theatrical film in two years.
Star/executive producer Scarlett Johansson is geared up and ready to go for her first solo adventure with an all-star team of supporting actors and director Cate Shortland adding a new chapter to Natasha Romanoff's story.
The MCU movie is one of less than a handful of prequels in the extended Marvel story, largely taking place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. However, due to this being Nat's first solo outing after a decade of supporting roles, her early life will be a key focus as her character evolves away from Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
As it turns out, this dynamic will come into the movie as early as the opening credits.
KEVIN FEIGE ON BLACK WIDOW'S OPENING
During the virtual press conference for Marvel Studios' Black Widow on June 15, Marvel Studios President and producer Kevin Feige was asked about the opening credits of the movie and the "unique visuals" that the scene displayed.
Feige touched on how the credits' unsettling imagery, such as its inclusion of "crying children," was able "to set the stage for...all of these women and characters" in the movie. He expanded on this as a result of Ray Winstone's villainous Dreykov being "so evil in his dealings," helping to be one of the "rare opening title sequences that really helped set the tone and the backstory for Natasha’s character:"
"We needed to set the stage for what both of these women, all of these women and characters had gone through in their past, and exactly Ray Winstone, the villain of our piece, had done. And what made him so evil in his dealings. This idea came about, and it was later in production, or even in additional photography, to showcase that moment that they were pulled apart, what happened after the plane took off, and David’s character sent them back with Ray Winstone. It was tremendous, and it ended up being one of our rare opening title sequences that really helped set the tone and the backstory for Natasha’s character."
A DARK BEGINNING ON THE WAY
As expected, this quote gives away few details about what will actually be seen and heard on-screen during the opening credits of Black Widow. However, it does help set the stage for one of the MCU's darker movies which has been teased for the last few weeks.
Considering this film centers on the MCU's Russian assassin-turned-Avenger, it makes sense that there will be moments of despair right from the get-go.
The sounds of children's screams will undoubtedly hit home quickly as the credits roll, likely tying back to Natasha and her Russian family as they deal with some kind of crisis. This will also likely house much of the footage of Natasha's early life seen in trailers, specifically when she winds up separated from Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova as children.
On top of Natasha living life as a fugitive after the events of Civil War, this movie will undoubtedly tackle the toughest moments she's endured all over the world and how they shaped her into a hero. Looking at the big picture, these screams and cries in the credits seem to have a major impact on everything following it as fans get a deep look into Natasha's next adventure.
Black Widow will debut in theaters and on Disney+ via Premier Access on July 9, 2021.
