Could Black Widow 2 Happen? Here’s What Director Cate Shortland Says

Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow

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After some humble beginnings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now a powerful force in the entertainment world-- extending to both TV and film. The MCU will finally return to the big screen with Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, which is expected to bring closure to fans regarding Scarlett Johansson’s title character. But could a sequel happen? Shortland recently responded to that very question.

Black Widow is a unique MCU installment, as we’ll be going back in time and exploring where Natasha was in the time between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. This time setting makes the possibility of a sequel complicated, especially as Scarlett Johansson's title character perished in Endgame. Cate Shortland was recently asked if there are any plans for Black Widow 2, to which she said:

I think these girls have got a lot of asses still to kick.

How delightfully cryptic. While not revealing any concrete information about plans for a Black Widow sequel, Cate Shortland certainly seems like she’s teasing the possibility of more stories. We’ll just have to wait for the first movie to release, and see how audiences respond to newcomers like Florence Pugh’s Yelena.

Cate Shortland’s comments to Deadline are sure to start countless fan theories, especially once Black Widow finally sees its wide release in just a few days. Since Cate Shortland thinks the women of the movie have more ass to kick, one has to wonder how this might happen. Will we get another prequel story or will the story catch up to the timeline? Only time will tell.

Marvel fans can re-watch the Infinity Saga as well as gain access to Black Widow on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

The Black Widow movie will finally reveal Natasha Romanoff’s dark history, which had been referenced vaguely a few times throughout her tenure in the MCU. We’ll also be introduced to a slew of new Widows, who make up her allies as well as enemies. Nat’s first chosen family includes Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz, who are both playing Widows. Plus there’s the always delightful Stranger Things standout David Harbour.

It’ll be interesting to see exactly how the success of Black Widow is ultimately measured. While the blockbuster marks the MCU return to theaters, the movie is also available for an additional price on Disney+. Black Widow’s box office presumably won’t measure up to pre-pandemic numbers, but Marvel has an absolutely massive fanbase who might be convinced to return to the movies.

Black Widow will finally arrive on July 9th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.