Black Widow is the Movie Natasha Romanoff Deserved

Image Source: amazon.com

I am a huge Marvel Cinematic Universe fan. I’ve watched every movie as they’ve come out and nearly all the TV shows, including the recent Disney+ series. To say I was impatiently waiting for the release of Black Widow (2021) is an understatement. This standalone film, which follows fan-favorite assassin/super-spy Natasha Romanoff, was supposed to be released in 2020 before the pandemic hit. When it finally came out, I was beyond satisfied.

Firstly, it is the MCU’s second female-led film, following Captain Marvel (2019), so kudos for the diversity (even if it was later than we would have liked). Secondly, Black Widow takes place between Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) while Natasha is on the run, putting her front-and-center for once, and explores facts about her past that had only been hinted at before. Thirdly, the movie has a compelling conflict that drives Natasha and focuses on the character development of her and the other characters, as well as their relationships.

That third point is the most important one—if we had gotten this movie ten years ago, it would have been a typical overly sexualized/femme fatale spy movie spearheaded by men. Instead, we got a movie that highlights Natasha’s relationship with her adopted family—especially her sister, Yelena Belova—and the unfiltered, horrifying manipulation of the Black Widows (a group of female spy/assassins that Natasha was once unwillingly part of). Additionally, it was directed by a woman, Cate Shortland. And, of course, it has the hypnotizing fight scenes and witty banter we’ve come to love from the MCU. So even though Natasha should have gotten her own movie sooner, I’m glad it took longer in order to do it right.

Of course, there are always some things that aren’t perfect in a movie—everyone has different tastes and opinions. But for the most part, I loved every second of Black Widow. The humor, the characters, the plot, the dive into Natasha’s history, and the dark truth about human trafficking—they are all amazing. Since this movie came out after Avengers: Endgame, in which Natasha died, it was an impressive feat to create a prequel movie that still furthered her character. Black Widow certainly accomplished this—in part because it also focuses on Yelena and her character arc that sets her up for future appearances in the MCU.

I truly hope that everyone enjoys this movie and gives it the respect it deserves. There was some backlash and outrage when Captain Marvel came out (mainly by men who disliked powerful women), so I hope that they have learned their lesson and can appreciate Black Widow for the magnificent addition to the MCU it is.