Scarlett Johansson confirmed where Black Widow takes place in the MCU timeline.
Over a decade after making her debut in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff will take the lead in a standalone film titled Black Widow. Of course, after Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow sacrificed her life to help the Avengers defeat Thanos in Endgame, most assumed the film was set in the past.
While it was widely believed that Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow takes after the events of Captain America: Civil War, some fans theorized that it would take place in between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame when the world was recovering from Thanos’ decimation. However, Scarlett Johansson confirmed that Black Widow will take place in between Captain America: Civil and Avengers: Infinity War during an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert:
“What can I say? Well, I think it’s already out there, it takes place after the Civil War and before the Infinity War. […] A lot of people have told me that the film, you know, that the film should have happened before and they’re wondering if it’s too late for this movie now, but I really could never have made this film ten years ago when we first started our journey with Marvel. […] My journey with Natasha has informed this film and it’s a character who is a fully recognized woman and I think it has a complexity to it that is just delicious.”
Scarlett Johansson also confirmed that fans will get to find out about some of the red on Black Widow’s ledger, saying, “that’s with this is all about. It’s a homecoming, for sure.”
Full plot details on Marvel Studios’ Black Widow are currently under wraps, though it has been revealed that the film is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War and will see Scarlett Johansson’s Nathasha Romanoff take on the villainous Taskmaster. The film will also mark the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of Yelena Belova, the second modern-era character to use the Black Widow title in the comics.
Directed by Cate Shortland from a script written by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson, Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle, Ray Winstone, Olivier Richters, and Rachel Weisz.
Black Widow will be released in theaters on May 1, 2020.
