Fun Facts About "Black Widow"!

After a long wait, Marvel’s “Black Widow” finally hit the big screens on July 9. In this movie, we got to see more of the beloved character, including her complicated family dynamic. As she battles a great force that tries to bring her down, Black Widow deals with her history as a spy and the relationship she broke before becoming an Avenger. The film was instantly a big hit, especially among Marvel fans. So here are a few interesting details you might want to know after watching it.

• Natasha’s backstory was created with the help of a Russian historian. Director Cate Shortland worked alongside the expert to figure out the details, such as where she would have been born and what her childhood would have been like. With this information, Shortland was able to write a realistic narrative that would best fit with the film.

• A new character was created just for the movie. Although Rick Mason makes appearances in the comics, he was just now added to the MCU. Mason is introduced as a former soldier who has turned into an international smuggler. During the story, he repeatedly helps Natasha by providing her with the necessary gear for her missions.

• The entire film was shot on 3 continents in over 87 days. Since the process began in Summer 2019, the filming has traveled through the U.K., Norway, Budapest, Hungary, Morocco, and the United States.

• Throughout the film, multiple references can be identified. For example, Natasha and Yelena’s white suits were created as a tribute to the comic book series Black Widow: Deadly Origin, where Natasha wears the same outfit. Another reference is when Yelena mocks Alexei by calling him “Crimson Dynamo”. In the comics, Crimson Dynamo was part of the Winter Guard (Russia’s version of the Avengers) which also included the Red Guardian.

• The movie’s cast instantly bonded during filming and developed close relationships during those months. Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh immediately connected and spent lots of time trying to make each other laugh. David Harbour, who plays Alexei, recognized this as they started filming. He said: “I do think when we started shooting, we sort of fell into our role, and that family dynamic of us really started to emerge naturally — Scarlett being the oldest daughter, [and] Florence being the younger baby.”

• However, this friendship did not exist before the film. Scarlett stated she felt nervous and intimidated to meet her co-star. Florence later revealed she felt the same way.

• Like in many superhero movies, some costumes were extremely uncomfortable to wear. Black Widow’s suit with a backpack was incredibly hard to move in, which meant Scarlett had to take it off to sit down or lift her arms. Similarly, the Red Guardian’s signature outfit crushed David’s head.

• During Infinity War, another Marvel movie featuring Natasha, the character is seen wearing a vest. This detail is explained in Black Widow as Yelena gives her favorite vest to her sister before they part.

• Taskmaster repeatedly mimics the fighting style of different MCU heroes. In her first encounter with Natasha, the character uses Captain America’s shield moves, Black Widow’s flip, and her fighting pose. Additionally, Taskmaster copies Hawkeye’s bow and arrow skills while trying to catch Natasha and Yelena.

• Finally, another exciting fact is that Black Widow is the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After closing Phase Three with Spider-Man: Far From Home, Marvel has released several series, including Wanda Vision. However, no movies were released yet. Therefore, Black Widow marked an important moment for the beginning of this new period.

Bibliography

Dominik, N. (2021, July 13) 45 "Black Widow" Details That You Might've Missed The First Time Around. BuzzFeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/black-widow-easter-eggs-details

Garafano, L. (2020, July 20) 17 “Black Widow” Cast Facts For Anyone Who Loves Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, And The Rest Of The Actors. BuzzFeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/laurengarafano/black-widow-cast-facts

GQ (2021, March 24) Black Widow ya tiene fecha de estreno y sabemos dónde verla [Photograph] GQ Magazine. https://www.revistagq.com/noticias/articulo/black-widow-estreno-disney-plus

"Jana" (2021, July 6) Fun Facts About Black Widow. Whiskey and Sunshine. https://www.whiskynsunshine.com/fun-facts-about-black-widow/

N.A. (2021, June 23) Black Widow se prepara para su llegada a la pantalla. [Photograph] Disney. https://disneylatino.com/novedades/black-widow-se-prepara-para-su-llegada-a-la-pantalla

Tribune News Service (2021, July 25) Black Widow sisters: Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh are just as tight off-screen – so when can we expect that Instagram cooking collab? [Photograph] South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3142267/black-widow-sisters-scarlett-johansson-and-florence-pugh