We may finally be getting a Black Widow movie, but the fight is not over to get the kind of film we all deserve.
News came in on Wednesday that a Black Widow movie is in development from Marvel. Some fans think it’s about time. Some fans think it’s too late. But either way, the process has begun.
There’s a lot to hope for in a Black Widow movie. Her origin story is rife with action and intrigue, but it’s also been told over the course of several films, since her introduction into the MCU in Iron Man 2.
Marvel typically doesn’t move backwards, but rather pushes forward in the timeline. We have a much higher chance of getting a movie that will set up a solo mission or a new arc for the character.
Either way, I would hope that Black Widow’s first outing on her own would be filled with female characters fighting by her side. Natasha’s best friend is, obviously, Clint Barton, but many of the franchise’s female fans are looking to see a greater spotlight on the women of Marvel.
Here are five candidates we think would be a great addition to the Black Widow movie.
1. Maria Hill
Agent Hill doesn’t have quite the same reputation as Natasha Romanoff, but she’s still a strong and capable agent. Her time in Avengers allowed Cobie Smulders to show off both her action skills and her comedic chops. She went on to portray Maria Hill in several other movies, including the upcoming Infinity War, though has typically been relegated to more of a background character.
While Black Widow may be in a league of her own, Agent Hill can hold her own. In a universe full of superheroes, how cool would it be to see two humans — two women — carry a film and save the world? We don’t have nearly enough female action heroes to satiate me, so here’s to hoping a team-up between these two is in our future.
2. Scarlet Witch
Natasha and Wanda have done some bonding over the last couple of films. Scarlet Witch saw her introduction in Age of Ultron, where she ultimately decided to be a good guy and team up with the Avengers. In Civil War, Wanda’s powers were the straw that broke the camel’s back, leading to the Sokovia Accords. We last saw her back in a cell — that is until the Infinity War trailer.
These two aren’t exactly best buddies, but Natasha’s decision to help Steve and Bucky at the end of Civil War has to count for something. Wanda’s powers are incredible and still relatively unknown. Her training also got cut short, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to me if these two characters ended up wanting or needing to team up in the future.
3. Valkyrie
We met Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, and she instantly stole a lot of people’s hearts. Not only was she a powerful female superhero, but she was a queer woman of color to boot. This is the kind of diversity a lot of fans are looking for in their movies, and how awesome would it be if Marvel began to pave the way. A franchise this big would definitely have an affect on the rest of the market.
Natasha and Valkyrie have never met (though it’s likely they will in Infinity War), but considering the Asgardians are now homeless, they’ll need somewhere to stay. I don’t exactly imagine they’ll all pick Earth as their new planet — that wouldn’t quite work, and the government probably wouldn’t like the idea too much — but they’ll at least need temporary residence. These two would make a fine and fierce team.
4. Shuri
Another MCU character Natasha will likely meet in Infinity War is Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, who will make her debut in Black Panther. We don’t know too much about Shuri’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe just yet — other than she’s going to be a total badass and she’s responsible for a lot of the tech used by her people — but it’s likely she’ll play a decent-sized role in her inaugural film.
Wakanda has been secluded from the rest of the world for generations, but following Black Panther and Infinity War, I have a feeling a lot more people are going to know about it. Their technological advances are well beyond what the rest of the world has, so I can see Natasha being sent out to get help. Teaming up with Shuri would undoubtedly lead to some amazing moments.
5. The Wasp
We first met Hope van Dyne in Ant-Man. The tension was high between her and her father, but she was still willing to work with him in order to thwart Darren Cross’ plans to use Hank Pym’s technology to nefarious ends. We’ll be seeing her again in Ant-Man and the Wasp, where she’ll clearly play a bigger role, now that she’s taking on her mother’s moniker and fighting alongside Scott Lang.
What I love most about the idea of a Black Widow/The Wasp team-up is the potential dynamic between these two characters. They’re similar in a lot of ways — no powers, skilled fighters, successful women used to living in a man’s world — and yet their dissimilarities are what would make a partnership truly interesting. Hope would obviously rely on her suit more than her hands, while Natasha’s carefree attitude even in dire circumstances would probably rub her the wrong way. But these two would be a reckoning, and I’d love to discover the reason why they’d have to work side by side.
Bonus: Someone new!
Of course, each of these choices depict a character we’ve already met in the MCU. How cool would it be if the Black Widow movie led us to a new female superhero who could become an established part of this franchise? There are so many to choose from, like She-Hulk or Miss America or Kate Bishop, that it’s hard to land on just one.
Either way, if the Black Widow movie moves forward as planned, we’ll be keeping an eye out for the other characters they plan on having her interact with, hoping that at least one person from our list makes the cut.