Marvel Studios recently announced that it has tapped in Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland to helm the Black Widow origin movie. The film studio’s search for the director lasted over half a year as they interviewed more than 70 directors including Amma Asante (Belle, A United Kingdom), Maggie Betts (Novitiate), Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry), and Melanie Laurent (Galveston) before finalizing on Cate’s name. Cate is best known for her female-led movies including Lore and Berlin Syndrome.
Black Widow is notably the studio’s first film to be directed solely by a woman. In fact, the film’s script is also penned by female screenwriter and producer Jac Schaeffer. The movie will be Marvel’s second female superhero centered film after Captain Marvel, which is scheduled to debut on March 8, 2019.
The action-adventure project will see Scarlett Johansson reprise her role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. Until now, the Marvel female superhero has only played supporting roles in a couple of superhero films including The Avengers installments.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Black Widow origin movie will reportedly be set before the events of the first Avengers, even before the superhero was introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Iron Man 2. The project will put the focus on Natasha Romanoff’s transformation from a trained assassin and Russian secret agent to being one of the Earth’s mightiest heroes. There is no release date yet set for Black Widow.
Marvel fans had mixed reactions towards the news. While some were happy that their favorite Black Widow is finally going to a solo origin film, others thought that there’s no point making the movie at a time when people aren’t too excited about a ScarJo-lead film. Some are of the view that the Black Widow origin movie should have been made years ago.
You can check out their reactions in the tweets below.
Are you excited about Black Widow origin movie? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
so that Black Widow movie is still happening huh pic.twitter.com/VXaJtT9BcS
— Clarkisha Kent: Bushmaster's Revenge (@IWriteAllDay_) July 12, 2018
i have mixed feelings for the black widow movie. i love natasha with my whole chest but i really don't want a two hours movie with scarjo as the main character, i'm begging you marvel to do a recast.
— َ (@lokiavas) July 12, 2018
We DO want a Black Widow movie. We've been waiting for this film for years. Fight me. pic.twitter.com/yZ01mUm4u1
— Max (@MaxAlarconH) July 12, 2018
Let’s celebrate the fact that we’re getting a Black Widow movie with a female director. I‘m not really interested in the character or movie but it’s a big step for Marvel and it’s great to see more big movies being directed by a woman.
— Jared (@JaredWayne97) July 12, 2018
I’m just saying. If they were going to make a Black Widow movie, it should have been in Phase One. I said what I said.
— jay (@subzerostark) July 13, 2018
i feel like marvel really missed the boat with the black widow solo movie lol, like maybe they shoulda done it after avengers 1 instead of waiting until years later after scarjo has worn out her welcome with dumb shit like the ghost in the shell movie and the dante gill thing
— Bobby Schroeder (@ponettplus) July 13, 2018
Congratulations to Marvel for taking over a decade to make a Black Widow movie and finally taking steps on it just right at the moment people aren't too excited about the prospect of a ScarJo-lead film https://t.co/4CfpVAigLm
— James Whitbrook (@Jwhitbrook) July 12, 2018
some marvel stans: we dont want a black widow movie
marvel: *confirms a black widow movie*
me, a black widow stan: pic.twitter.com/5E8lp8O8oF
— mich | black widow 2020 (@qirasromanoff) July 12, 2018
do you remember when we didn't have more than scarlett saying that she had many ideas for a bw solo movie? and that we saw several superheroes get their own movie? NOW IS THE TIME OF NATASHA!! THIS IS REAL AND THERE IS NO GOING BACK, WE'LL HAVE THE #BlackWidow MOVIE. I'M READY pic.twitter.com/ewMbPHSiYp
— ale (@banneroffstuff) July 12, 2018
everyone is mad about the black widow movie /and scarlett/ and then there’s me pic.twitter.com/PbEFl3KYmG
— tiffany loves scarlett (@lgbtromanova) July 13, 2018
black widow is scarlett's favorite role. she really loves and cares about natasha so much. she worked so hard and she did an amazing job! i'm so glad that she's finally getting her own movie now. she really deserves it
— romanoff (@goshromanoff) July 12, 2018
Source: Various links (check above)
