Black Widow Director Explains How the Movie Differs From the Rest of the MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally returning to the big screen with the debut of Black Widow next month. While the film features one of the MCU's longest-tenured heroes, it also represents a bit of a departure for the franchise. It's turning back the clock to follow a character we've already seen die on-screen, and director Cate Shortland is aiming to make the film feel different from the rest of the franchise in terms of its tone and characters.

While speaking to Fandango about Black Widow, Shortland explained that the characters in the film aren't quite as black and white as many of the others we've seen in the MCU. They're heroes most of the time, but they're a lot more complex beneath the surface.

"I think what's exciting is this whole legion of new characters is going to be unleashed," Shortland said. "And I think what's really exciting too, is there's an ambiguity about those characters. So, whereas the, say, original legion was fairly black and white, I think some of these characters who are going to come to the fore have got a darkness in them. And that's interesting, because that's not something that we're used to seeing as well. In some ways, it's more complex. Some of the characters are more difficult. But I think what people want is change. I don't think we can keep watching the same thing. And I think Kevin [Feige] is very aware of that, I think he not only is switching it up with cultures and adding different voices, [but] what he's also doing is adding different perspectives on the world."

Black Widow takes place in the time between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, when many of the Avengers were forced to go on the run after violating the Sokovia Accords. Natasha returns to Russia and meets up with her family. Rachel Weisz, Florence Pugh, and David Harbour all join the MCU as characters with strong ties to Natasha and her past, while Scarlet Johansson reprises her role as Black Widow. This will be her seventh time playing the character in the MCU (eighth if you count the Captain Marvel post-credits scene).

Are you excited for the arrival of Black Widow this summer? Let us know in the comments!

Black Widow is set to arrive in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access on July 9th.