Black Widow (2021)
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A former spy must confront her past and the secrets of the Red Room to secure her future.
The story
Set primarily during the events of Captain America: Civil War, the film follows Natasha Romanoff, a skilled assassin and Avenger, who finds herself on the run. Forced to confront her clandestine past as a Russian spy, she must navigate the dangers of her former life while dealing with the consequences of her actions. As she faces off against enemies from her past, she must decide how to navigate her identity as a hero while dealing with the lingering shadows of the Red Room.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1995, agents Alexei Shostakov and Melina Vostokoff pose as a family with daughters Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. After being captured by General Dreykov, the girls are trained as Widows in the Red Room. Decades later, Natasha becomes an Avenger but remains a fugitive for violating the Sokovia Accords. When Yelena sends her a serum to neutralize the Red Room's mind-control, Natasha is attacked by Taskmaster, a girl with photographic reflexes. The two women team up, breaking Shostakov out of prison to find Vostokoff. They eventually reach a Red Room facility where they confront Dreykov. Natasha discovers that Taskmaster is actually Dreykov's daughter, Antonia. After a series of battles and a facility explosion, the Widows are freed from mind control. Natasha provides the others with the locations of other Widows while she prepares to help the remaining Avengers.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 134
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Cate Shortland
- Writers
- Eric Pearson · screenplay; Jac Schaeffer · story; Ned Benson · story
- Cast and characters
- Scarlett Johansson · Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow; Florence Pugh · Yelena Belova; David Harbour · Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian; O-T Fagbenle · Rick Mason; Olga Kurylenko · Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster; William Hurt · Thaddeus Ross; Ray Winstone · Dreykov; Rachel Weisz · Melina Vostokoff
- Genres
- superhero
- Themes
- identity; sisterhood
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; violent
- Setting
- Various locations including Russia, Hungary, and the United States during the 1990s and 2016.
- Premise and plot tags
- prequel; origin story
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics
- Franchise connections
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, particularly for its action sequences and the performances of the lead actresses.
- Awards and nominations
- ReFrame Stamp · gender-balanced hiring · 2021 · won
- Production trivia
- The film was delayed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.; The character of Taskmaster was changed from the comic book counterpart Tony Masters to fit the film's story.; The film's final scene featuring Rick Mason was added during reshoots in 2020.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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