Black Widow’s Trailer Proves It Isn’t Releasing Too Late

Black Widow‘s latest trailer proves the MCU installment is releasing at the perfect time despite the early beliefs that it was coming years too late. Set to launch the film slate of Phase 4, Black Widow finally puts Natasha Romanoff in the spotlight of a solo movie. The 24th film in the franchise stars Scarlett Johansson back in the role as the titular character surrounded by MCU newcomers played by Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz. After various release date delays, Black Widow is scheduled to debut on Disney+ with Premier Access with a simultaneous theater debut on July 9.

Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Black Widow follows Nat as she’s on the run without the aid of her fellow Avengers. Though she goes on an independent journey, Nat forces herself to confront her Russian roots and a conspiracy she gets pulled back into. In doing so, she reunites with figures she once called her family, including Yelena Belova (Pugh), Alexei Shostakov (Harbour), and Melina Vostokoff (Weisz). The highly-anticipated look into Nat’s past was years in the making, with development on a solo Black Widow dating back to the early ’00s.

As a mainstay in the MCU since her debut in Iron Man 2, there was always interest in putting Black Widow in the center of a solo installment. Rumors continued throughout the decade that followed with Johansson’s continuous presence in the cinematic franchise, but the ball didn’t get rolling until late 2017. By then, worry began to cloud the project with an overwhelming notion that it was too late for a Black Widow movie. That sentiment seemed justified when Nat was killed off during the events of Avengers: Endgame. The revelation had many asking: what’s the point of expanding Nat’s past when her fate has already been cemented in the MCU? Granted, the recent Black Widow footage indicates that it’s the perfect time to dive back into Nat’s story, especially in light of recent MCU releases.

The Black Widow trailer, which confirms the new July release date, is equal parts emotional callbacks and action-packed teases. By embracing Nat’s fate, the MCU is vowing to present a pivotal chapter in the figure’s life as a way to cement her legacy. Besides her Russian “family,” Black Widow will introduce Taskmaster, a new villain seemingly connected to Nat’s time as a KGB assassin. Based on the footage, Black Widow will have heavy Captain America: The Winter Soldier vibes, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. With trained assassins, people on the run, and deadly secrets thrown into the mix, the MCU is matching the tone of one of the franchise’s more superior sequels to date.

That said, the time of Black Widow‘s new release plan truly came at an opportune time considering The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s run on Disney+. The second miniseries set in Phase 4 featured a story heavily connected to Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), and Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp). The trio of characters were prominent in both The Winter Soldier and Civil War. In fact, the latter served as the debut of Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), a key character in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Seeing as Black Widow is extending Nat’s journey following the two Captain America sequels fits many of the plot points fresh in the minds of fans who enjoyed the recent Disney+ series. That might not have been the case if Black Widow debuted ahead of the miniseries as originally planned.