Marvel has finally confirmed the solo Black Widow movie.
Speculation about a prequel featuring Natasha Romanoff had been rife ever since the release of Avengers: Infinity War back in 2018. And leaked set photos this year ensured that a solo Black Widow movie was, in fact, on the way despite Marvel boss Kevin Feige never publicly admitting the same.
At the 2019 Comic-Con, however, Scarlett Johansson’s return as the beloved character was made official and all rumors put to rest with a release date set for next year.
During their presentation at Hall H, Marvel did showcase yet unreleased footage from the movie, purportedly including a scene where Black Widow has a heated confrontation with Yelena Belova, portrayed by actress Florence Pugh.
Feige also confirmed the long-standing rumors about Taskmaster being the movie’s primary antagonist.
Created by David Michelinie and George Perez, the character’s real name is Tony Masters and he first made his comic debut in The Avengers issue #195 back in the summer of 1980. Since when he’s become a firm fan favorite, a status that has often even compelled Marvel Comics to make him an anti-hero rather than actual villain, something that might be a hint for what his arc might be in the Black Widow Movie.
Similar to Black Widow and her colleague Hawkeye, Taskmaster too possesses mastery in the skills of archery and weapons utility, in addition to being a veteran assassin and tactician with super reflexes.
But, though Feige and Marvel have incorporated Taskmaster in the upcoming movie, his casting remains a matter of debate.
There have been very few rumors about just who might be playing the character, and some fans have even posited that Marvel might take the androgynous route and make Yelena the famed villain, but only time will tell.
Black Widow will hit theatres on May 2020.