To say that the past couple years have been good for David Harbour’s career would be an understatement. Along with being one of the lead actors in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Harbour also succeeded Ron Perlman as the next cinematic Hellboy, and we’ll see how he does as Big Red come next week. But just because Harbour is portraying a Dark Horse Comics character doesn’t mean he can’t jump to an adaptation from another comic book company, as word has come in that he’s been cast in the Black Widow movie.
With Black Widow reportedly gearing up to roll cameras in London this June, the Marvel movie is slowly assembling its cast. Naturally Scarlett Johansson will be reprising Natasha Romanoff, the KGB agent-turned-S.H.I.E.L.D. operative-turned-Avenger, and last month it was reported that Fighting with my Family star Florence Pugh was in talks to join the cast. Now THR has dropped the news that David Harbour will be appearing in the movie as well, although no details about his character were provided.
It’s becoming increasingly common for actors to lend their talents to more than one comic book movie franchise, like how Josh Brolin played both Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Cable in Deadpool 2. David Harbour already has the spotlight in Hellboy, which could lead to sequels or even a full-blown cinematic universe depending on how its received, but now he can also leave his mark on the MCU as well in Black Widow’s standalone adventure. Plus, the actor has also already lent his talents to the DC universe, as he played Dexter Tolliver in Suicide Squad. Harbour’s other notable credits include Quantum of Solace, Revolutionary Road, The Green Hornet, The Equalizer, The Newsroom and State of Affairs.
While no official plot details for Black Widow have been revealed yet, rumor has it that the movie will be a prequel set before Iron Man 2. That said, there are conflicting claims on the specific time period, with one report saying it will be set only about half a decade or so before Natasha Romanoff met Tony Stark and another saying it will occur during the turn of the millennium and involve the Y2K bug. It’s also possible that rather than explore Natasha’s time working for the KGB or her early years at S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Widow will actually take place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. For now, Marvel is keeping us in the dark, although depending on what happens to Natasha in Endgame, that could foreshadow what’s in store for her in her solo feature. Either way, whether it’s a younger version of her or her current day self, she’ll be crossing paths with David Harbor’s character, be he friend or foe.
Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow doesn’t have an assigned release date yet, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for that information, more casting and other updates on its development. In the meantime, don’t forget to look through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else the MCU has coming up.
