Marvel Fans Conflicted Over ‘Black Widow’ Movie News

Marvel Studios' in-the-works Black Widow movie starring Scarlett Johansson is drawing mixed reactions.

It was learned Thursday Marvel tapped Lore and Berlin Syndrome director Cate Shortland to steer the Black Widow standalone, set before the events of 2012's The Avengers.

Johansson, who has starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise as Natasha Romanoff since 2010's Iron Man 2, previously lead the Luc Besson-directed actioner Lucy to $463 million worldwide in 2014. Black Widow marks Marvel's second female-led movie after Brie Larson starrer Captain Marvel, out in March, and is the studio's first to be directed solely by a woman after Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck teamed for Captain Marvel.

Johansson came under fire recently after it was learned the actress would be playing a transgender man in mob drama Rub & Tug, where she will play Dante 'Tex' Gill, who was born Jean Marie Gill but identifies as a man.

Following the backlash, a rep for Johansson issued a statement to Bustle, instructing upset parties to turn to representatives for Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman for comment. Those award-winning actors starred in trans-centric productions Transparent, Dallas Buyers Club, and Transamerica, all of which received Emmy or Oscar considerations.

Johansson previously weathered white-washing backlash for her role as Motoko Kusanagi in the Japan-set Ghost in the Shell.

The actress' off-screen controversies and confirmation Black Widow will be set years earlier in the ongoing MCU timeline has drawn mixed reactions from online commentators, many of whom have called out Marvel's delayed response in giving the Avenger her own movie and for moving forward on a project deemed "unnecessary."