A guide for every MCU and comic book actor

Avengers: Endgame has taken the world by storm as a climactic event for the MCU saga so far. With the ending, there were twists and turns that led to the downfall of many superheroes that we’ve grown to love over the years. Among them, Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, tragically sacrificed herself, marking the end of her avenger story. However, as we are now familiar with Marvel’s intention to explore as yet unknown storylines in the Cinematic Universe (Loki and WandaVision to name a few), we finally have the chance to learn more about Natasha’s journey through the Black Widow film that takes place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

Before we uncover the untold story of Natasha’s past and her mission against a dangerous conspiracy in this movie, we’ve put together a list of all the characters who are expected to appear when it hits theaters and Disney + (with Premier Access) on. July 9th. .

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Black Widow / Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson)

You might know Natasha Romanoff after recruiting into SHIELD as Black Widow. The first time we saw her in a Marvel movie, it was in Iron man 2, in which she was on a mission to watch over Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). She also assisted him in the fight against terrorist Ivan Vanko (Mickey rourke) and become one of the founding members of the Avengers. But who was she before all of this happened? In Black Widow, we come to understand that Natasha was a KGB agent and during her spy training years she was brainwashed into living for the state as a skilled assassin. Her excellence in martial arts led her to kill an innocent man, a burden the character clung to. She eventually received a Black Widow coat after her training in the Red Room program, making her a dangerous threat. While we are aware of her change of mind once she joined SHIELD, in this film we will see Natasha confront her origins and become closer to her former criminal partners: Yelena, Melina, and the Red Guardian.

Scarlett Johanson has been granted the rare privilege of playing a character for over 10 years. A household name in Hollywood, Johansson has shown his ability to perform stunts in various iconic Marvel fight scenes, as well as rather emotional roles in films like Marriage story and Lost in translation. The actress has already been nominated for two Oscars, and both were in the same year. Before Scarlett Johanson was chosen to play Natasha Romanoff, Emily blunt was also considered to play the character, but had to put him aside due to his contract under the Gulliver’s travels adaptation.

Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh)

Yelena Belova was also part of the Red Room program, training to be a spy from a young age. Once Natasha gave up her loyalty to Russia, Yelena became the perfect candidate to replace her. Yelena was the first student to surpass Natasha’s grades in the training process and has become a skillful successor to the Black Widow title in the comics. In the movie, we’ll see Yelena and Natasha develop a sisterly relationship as they team up and accept their rigorous upbringing.

Florence pugh has acquired notoriety in recent years. In 2020, she was nominated alongside co-star Scarlett Johansson at the Oscars for her portrayal of Amy March in Greta Gerwigthe version of Little woman. She also delighted horror viewers in Midsummer, a Ari Aster film about a group of friends going to a cult festival celebrated in Sweden. Rising star Florence Pugh also has a starring role in Olivia wildenext directorial effort Don’t worry darling, opposite Harry Styles.

Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz)

Melina Vostokoff is a Soviet agent known in the comics as the Iron Maiden. Cold-blooded assassin, Vostokoff has been on the Red Room training program five times and she has a long-standing grudge against Natasha. The two worked together for the Soviet government, but then went their separate ways.

Rachel Weisz previously revealed that Melina will be involved in complex scientific research, which will be at the heart of the film. The actress has a long career on the big screen. She has received several awards, including the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The constant gardener and a BAFTA in 2019 for The favourite.

Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian (David Harbor)

Also part of the KGB crew, Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian, was a notable test pilot for the Soviet Union. In the same way the Americans created Captain America, the Soviets responded with the Red Guardian. According to the comics, the character was supposed to marry Natasha, so we don’t know much about how their relationship was explored in the movie.

Although Strange things left us in a momentary cliffhanger at the end of Season 3, making us wonder whether or not David Harbor would be back for the next season, we’re definitely sure he’ll be there as Alexei in Black Widow. The actor revealed that the director Cate shortland helped him navigate a human-centered approach to his character. Harbor is well known for his portrayal of Detective Hopper in Strange things and for his role in Hellboy in 2019.

Rick Mason (OT Fagbenle)

Rick Mason may be a new character in the MCU, but he’s appeared in the comics before. From the little information available on Mason, we know that this is a former SHIELD agent who crosses paths with Natasha again. He supposedly supports her in the fight against the Taskmaster and he might even become Natasha’s love interest. However, if fans are correct, he may also be a likely suspect for the film’s mysterious villain, Taskmaster.

british actor OT Fagbenlé plays Rick Mason in this prequel. Popularly known for his role in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Fagbenle never imagined he would be part of the Marvel family. When called for an audition years ago, the actor thought it was a prank. He’s also working on a new comedy series for Hulu called Maxx, which he both created and wrote.

General Dreykov (Ray Winstone)

General Dreykov was a prominent Soviet agent overseeing the Red Room program. While he was the mastermind behind the intensive spy training responsible for converting girls into murderers, he recruited Natasha into the program. He’s also attached to a dark element of Natasha’s past, which could be revealed in the film, given that Loki (Tom hiddleston) mentioned Dreykov’s daughter to him in the first Avengers movie.

Ray winstone fulfills the role of Dreykov in Black Widow. The actor has a career on screen and on stage that spans five decades. Known for portraying troubled and harsh characters, Winstone has worked with renowned directors in the industry, such as Steven spielberg and Martin scorsese. He is best known for Beowulf (2007) and The dead (2006).

Taskmaster (Unknown)

Taskmaster is Natasha’s powerful opponent, after all, according to the trailer, he was the head of the Red Room program. Although the identity of the villain remains a secret, many fans suspect that the person behind the mask is either Rick Mason or Dreykov. What we do know is that he has a ‘photographic reflex’, which means that he can mimic the movements of anyone in battle. This skill is what makes him such a superhuman and extremely unpredictable opponent.

RUMOR: Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)

Since this is a prequel that takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War it’s very likely that Iron Man will make an appearance in the movie. Given his relationship with Natasha since the 2010s Iron man 2, his involvement in Black Widow will most likely be limited to a flashback to their time together during the Avengers years – although perhaps Tony Stark’s appearance could serve as a bridge between Black Widow and Infinity war.

Robert Downey Jr. has shown the world his versatility as an actor by shining in roles ranging from dramatic to Chaplin and Zodiac as successful franchises like the MCU and Sherlock holmes. He’s been playing Iron Man since 2008, instantly becoming an MCU fan-favorite superhero. Downey Jr. has won several awards and has been nominated for an Oscar twice.

Black Widow hits theaters on July 9 and will be available on Disney + with Premier Access the same day.

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