Marvel Studios' first film in Phase Four, Black Widow , has yet to be released. It has been delayed multiple times and is now set for a release on July 9, 2021, over a year after the initial plan.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently said , "We’re going to remain flexible. We’ll make the call probably at the last minute in terms of how these films come to market, whether it’s Black Widow or any other title." So, it remains unclear if Scarlett Johansson's solo film will stick to that release or possibly also be released on Disney+ Premier Access.
Eventually, the film will be released to long-awaiting fans, and the MCU's next phase of films will be underway. However, as fans continue riding the Marvel wave, this may be Johansson's final performance.
BLACK WIDOW'S FINAL ACT
Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson and director Cate Shortland recently spoke with The Gentlewoman . Shortland revealed that Black Widow was possibly Johansson's "last film as Black Widow." The idea of finality for Johansson as this character contributed to the making of the film, according to Shortland:
“She really pushed to make something that wasn’t flimsy or superficial. She wanted to make something that meant a lot to young people and to women. And she knew it was possibly her last film as Black Widow – she didn’t want to leave Marvel making a feel-good movie.”
The Black Widow herself, Johansson added that the experience of doing her own solo film was "exposing:."
“She’s always been a part of something bigger than herself, and now that’s all gone. Yeah, it was exposing. But it was time , you know?"
THE END OF BLACK WIDOW?
After Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame in order to get the Soul Stone, many fans took this as the end of Scar Jo as the Marvel hero. The upcoming Black Widow film is assumed to give fans a deeper look at a character and see what her life was like without the Avengers. It has been a long time coming for Marvel Studios to make a Scarlett Johansson-led solo film, as she was first introduced into the MCU in 2010.
However, beyond giving fans more background on the beloved character, hints from marketing point to another Black Widow being set up for the future. Florence Pugh is set to star as Yelena Belova, Natasha's long-lost sister.
Before marketing for this film was halted, signs pointed to Yelena being a trained fighter, similar to Natasha. So, as this may be the end of Johansson's time as Black Widow, there is an opportunity for the mantle to be picked up by Yelena in future films. Pugh's MCU future seems to be certain, as she arrived in Atlanta to film for the upcoming Disney+ series. Hawkeye.
Black Widow is set to hit theaters and Disney+ Premiere Access on July 9, 2021.
