Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are hyped up, as a new blockbuster from the shared universe is just weeks away from release. Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok will be a game changer for the Thor franchise, teaming the God of Thunder up with both his brother Loki and The Incredible Hulk. Waititi has reportedly crafted the best Thor movie yet, making sure to inject the franchise with more humor, color, and over the top action than before. But it turns out that there is another MCU hero who the director thinks would be an interesting choice: Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. He recently said,
[I'd like to see] Black Widow as something crazy and a bit funnier than we expect it to be. Because we know her story and it's very sullen and very dark and her history is very dark. But! What's the funny version of that? What's the more entertaining version of that?
Do you hear that? It's the sound of fanboys everywhere yelling for joy. MCU fans have long been waiting on a Black Widow movie, so even the most casual of conversations about a solo film is exciting.
We must clarify that Taika Waititi's comments to io9 don't actually mean he'd direct a Black Widow movie. He's recently expressed interest in helming another Thor movie, claiming that he's not particularly fond of the myriad other characters in the shared universe. So perhaps its the idea of making an unconventional Black Widow movie that is more fun to discuss than actually getting down to directing one.
Although Taika Waititi likely won't be directing a Black Widow movie, it doesn't make the fan outcry for it any less loud. While Natasha made her debut back in 2010's Iron Man 2, she still hasn't been given a film to lead-- besides her supporting role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Fans have been hoping she'll be awarded one in the near future, perhaps alongside Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. Considering what a major figure Black Widow has been throughout all three phases of the MCU, it would make sense to finally give her more of a spotlight.
But it's also unclear if Johansson's contract will be up with Marvel after the next two Avengers films. If she's exhausted with playing Black Widow, then we may never get the chance to see her lead a film. This would be a wasted opportunity by Marvel Studios, considering Johansson is the most bankable actress in Hollywood at the moment.
The MCU has only very lightly touched on Black Widow's sordid history, so perhaps giving her a capsule movie set in the past ala Wonder Woman is a good way to go. This would allow the audience to have information other characters aren't privy to, and therefore explain Black Widow's motives in her present day appearances.
You can catch Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow in Avengers: Infinity War on May 4th, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trip tot he movies in the New Year.
