Could Marvel's Recent Movie Date Move Be For Black Widow?

Black Widow is finally getting her own solo film, and Marvel actually might have tipped their hat [...]

Black Widow is finally getting her own solo film, and Marvel actually might have tipped their hat on the release date with a previous move.

The new Black Widow solo film does have a director and a writer, but it does not have a release date, at least officially. That said, Marvel might have already cleared the runway for it with their previous release date announcements, specifically an untitled Marvel movie that is in the February 12, 2021 slot.

That move was made relatively recently, just as the Black Widow director shortlist was making its way out to fans. Many believe it to be the slot for Black Panther 2 (or whatever it ends up being called), but there's a chance that it could be the slot for a Black Widow film, moving it from the original July spot.

The new movie will be directed by Cate Shortland and will be written by Jac Schaeffer. The movie is reported to be a prequel set before the events of Marvel's Avengers.

Shortland is known best for projects like Somersault, Lore, and her most recent work in Berlin Syndrome. That film is a horror-like thriller, and while we don't expect Black Widow to carry all of that over (especially Berlin Syndrome's basic premise), it does give you a sense of how Shortland can build tension amidst picturesque backdrops. If she can bring that to the world of Black Widow, this could be a great match.

Black Widow was introduced in Iron Man 2 and has since made appearances in The Avengers, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War. She was one of the few left standing by film's end and will reprise her role in the upcoming Avengers 4.

As for Johansson, she feels there's plenty to explore in the Widow's past.

"I love playing this character, and I think there is definitely an opportunity to explore the Widow as a woman who has kind of come into her own and is making independent and active choices for herself probably for once in her life. You know she hasn't always had that possibility so if it fit that criteria then yes I would want to do it," Johansson said.

Avengers: Infinity War and Ant-Man and the Wasp are in theaters now. Other Marvel films include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.

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