Since her first appearance way back in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson’s S.H.I.E.L.D. super-spy Black Widow has suffered from a serious case of being always the bridesmaid, never the bride. It’s kinda crazy that she’s been a part of so many significant Marvel movies without ever nabbing her own individual film.
After all that sidelining and COVID-19 delays, are Kiwi fans of Natasha Romanoff closer to catching the Black Widow film as it was intended: on a glorious, huge screen? Scroll down to check out that tantalising final trailer and to get info on the film’s Aotearoa release date.
Directed by Australian drama filmmaker Cate Shortland, Black Widow is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and actually takes place right after the events of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.
So it’s not really a sequel or prequel so much as a mid-quel? Whatever. The movie’s stacked cast sees Natasha reckon with figures from her shadowy origin story, such as her comrade Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz, who plays something of a mother figure to Black Widow.
The film’s New Zealand release date is now set as 8 July 2021, with session times across the country to be updated closer to that time (check this page for details).
With no Marvel Cinematic Universe films released in cinemas 2020 (the first year without a big-screen MCU release since 2008), it’ll be exciting to see how the beloved and enduring Black Widow character kickstarts the next phase of Marvel’s storytelling. Could Pugh be anointed as the next generation’s Black Widow? Maybe? Probably.
Either way, 8 July is your first chance to find out.
