The sad thing is, more people will be focused on the idea that this movie should have come out in 2017 after CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR rather than assess the film on its own merits. And that, frankly, is unfair. Additionally, people who criticize that this is not Natasha’s movie or that she doesn’t have an arc clearly would do well to remember everything we know about the character dating back to IRON MAN 2 and THE AVENGERS because this film ties heavily into those aspects of the character.
For me, as someone who remembers as many details as possible about the MCU as I can, this film makes perfect sense. It does provide *one* huge, important sense of closure to a character haunted by her past – particularly one event referenced in a previous film that we are now just getting full details about in this film. And that in and of itself justifies this film’s existence, as the sins that haunt her have defined her and who we know her to be between her first appearance to her final in AVENGERS: ENDGAME.
Do I feel this film would have been even more exciting if released between CIVIL WAR and AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR? Yes. But this doesn’t stop the film from being incredibly interesting, with remarkable new characters (mad props to Florence Pugh’s instantly lovable Yelena Belova) and the best Marvel Studios action scenes since CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER.
It’s great to be seeing the MCU again on the big screen. Despite some shortcomings (we fall into the classic 1-dimensional Marvel Studios villain issues that often plague this franchise), I think this will honestly be my favorite blockbuster of the summer and hands down the best female-driven superhero film I’ve seen. For me, well worth the wait!
Black Widow is hitting theaters and Disney + with Premier access on July 9th!
