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Exploring Yelena Belova’s Comic Book Origins(Photo Credit –Facebook)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe underwent a major change in the status quo in Avengers: Endgame. While the film, which concluded the Infinity Saga, brought back many of the characters who’d been wiped out in Avengers: Infinity War, other characters lost their lives trying to undo Thanos’ plans. One notable loss was that of Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, who sacrificed herself to seize the Soul Stone.

Following this, a 2021 solo Black Widow film was released, introducing her adoptive sister Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh. Yelena would grow in prominence in future MCU titles as a remnant of Natasha’s legacy, and plays a leading role in 2025’s Thunderbolts film. She also has a storied history in Marvel Comics, being a rival and supporting character to the comics’ Black Widow since the 1990s.

Yelena Belova Was Introduced As A...

It’s been over a week since John Cena shocked the world and gave Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson his soul. This was supposed to be a farewell tour for one of (if not the) best professional wrestlers ever. More than that, he was someone that kids looked up to. Now, those kids have kids and they’re seeing their hero go Anakin Skywalker and embrace the dark side of the Force.

Changing from a baby face (hero) to a heel (villain) happens often in wrestling, but it's shocking in comics. It usually means the balance of power in the universe shifted. For example, one of the most famous was Superman becoming a tyrant during Injustice. Comic book fans have seen alternate realities where The Man of Steel has switched sides, but this happened on a bigger scale. Even if you don’t read comics you know about it because it...

Brady Corbet's historical epic, The Brutalist, earned rave reviews in 2024, and recently won some key Golden Globe Awards, leaving many to wonder what kind of movie The Brutalist is, and what to watch like it. Premiering at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, The Brutalist follows László Tóth, an architect and Jewish immigrant from Hungary who moves to America, hoping to find success after the devastation of World War II. After a chance meeting with a wealthy businessman, Tóth's luck begins to change. The Brutalist is rising in popularity due to its amazing reviews, but also its shocking runtime.

There are many aspects of watching The Brutalist that make it different from an average blockbuster. First, the movie is 215 minutes long, which is more than 3 1/2 hours. Movies of that length typically boast epic stories that take place over many years, and The Brutalist is no different. Furthermore, this movie...

Black Widow's new symbiote training in the Red Room reveals that she possesses a surprising immunity to telepathy. Marvel's deadliest hero, Natasha Romanoff, proves to be just as powerful as her superpowered peers. Black Widow's ability to combat all telepathic attacks redefines her power level in the Marvel Universe.

Warning: Spoilers for Black Widow: Venomous #1!Telepaths within the Marvel Universe need to watch out for Black Widow. The fact that Natasha Romanova can stand tall alongside gods, monsters, and super-soldiers within the Avengers without needing any powers speaks to the level of skill that she has as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative. However, she's still a human and, thus, on paper at least, shouldn't be a match for, say, a mutant or master telepath.

Natasha surprises her doubters in Black Widow: Venomous #1 by Erica Schultz, Luciano Vecchio, David Curiel, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Vc's Ariana Maher. She's...

Black Widow in the MCU lacks abilities from the comics, like advanced healing & immune systems, and age resistance. Yelena Belova, Natasha's successor, could inherit missing powers, bringing a new dynamic to the Black Widow character. Possible future MCU adaptations may explore Natasha's missing powers, like symbiote abilities and hypnotism, enhancing Yelena's narrative.

Though Black Widow has appeared throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some very notable abilities are missing from the famed superhero franchise. Natasha Romanoff (known in the comics as Natasha Romanova) was depicted as a distinctly human hero throughout the MCU timeline. However, in Marvel Comics, Black Widow actually has a litany of abilities bestowed upon her during the experiments in the Red Room, with some other startling developments in 2023.

As seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Widow is imbued with enhanced agility and acrobatic skills, bolstered by expert marksmanship, tactical planning, and martial arts. These talents...

Black Widow has her own Venom symbiote, becoming the new composite being 'Widow.' The new Widow, bonded with a symbiote, takes a dark and deadly approach, using spiders and crows to hunt down killers in Siberia. Black Widow uses her symbiote creatures to eat her victims' brains, accessing hidden memories once her creepy-crawlies return.

As Black Widow adjusts to life as a Venom-style symbiote hero, her new powers make her not just one of Marvel's creepiest heroes, but one of the coolest and most unique symbiote crime-fighters in the publisher's universe. Currently, Natasha Romanova is going by the codename 'Widow,' having bonded with a young symbiote which budded off from Venom. While symbiotes have relatively uniform powers, Black Widow's prior training and murderous imagination have made her especially creative.

In a preview of Black Widow & Hawkeye #1, Natasha pursues a killer across Siberia. Despite the man's frantic escape,...

Natasha Romanoff has been fighting an uphill battle ever since she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2. In addition to being the only female Avenger in a boys’ club of super-powered dudes (for a time), plans to give her a solo film kept getting derailed by Marvel’s musical chairs approach to priorities and other extraneous factors. When Marvel finally announced Cate Shortland’s 2021 film Black Widow, some fans felt it was too late for the deceased assassin to spend her time in the sun. Despite the film’s questionable CGI and bizarre positioning in the MCU timetable, Black Widow brings some of the best aspects of the character center stage. Black Widow also gives fans Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), arguably one of Marvel’s best on-screen characters in a post-Endgame world. However, did you know David Hayter (Wolves) almost directed a Black Widow film in 2004? It almost happened,...

The director of the canceled Black Widow movie from 2004 recently revealed more details about the film and the inclusion of a famous classic rock song in one of its action scenes.

David Hayter, renowned voice actor and screenwriter for several comic book films such as 2000's X-Men and its sequel, X2, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to lament about a scene he never got to shoot for the film, as Lionsgate canceled the project in 2006. According to Hayter, a key scene in the film would have shown a young Natasha Romanova, a.k.a. Black Widow, fighting back against her Red Room oppressors, accompanied by the famous rock song "Tom Sawyer" by Rush.

Related An MCU Icon is Perfect as Marvels Next Symbiote Superhero One of Earth's Mightiest Heroes is now host to the newest symbiote in the Marvel Universe, and they are perfect for each other. It's kind of heartbreaking,...

Not all superheroes wear capes and, in fact, many of them don't even have superpowers. Some of the greatest superheroes in movie history have been mere mortals with a sense of justice, unmatched bravery, and some really cool gadgets. Specialized training and an iron will are also helpful in taking on superpowered villains bent on destruction.

While it may seem like cheating, since supervillains are antagonists to the extreme, good intentions aren't enough and human heroes need some impressive tech to level the playing field. Not everyone can wield this technology, and even fewer have the guts to take on evildoers of unimaginable power. The best movie superheroes without superpowers have inner strength and drive that in a way that seems like superpowers.

Related: Top 10 Superhero Movie Villains With No Superpowers

Captain America Was The First Avenger

With his impressive physical abilities, acrobatic moves, and sheer butt-kicking skills, it certainly...

You’ll forgive me, I hope, for my lack of initial excitement at learning about the Hawkeye and Black Widow pack for Atomic Mass Games’ Crisis Protocol. Whilst I think Natasha Romanoff’s alter-ego is a fairly interesting character, I didn’t realise when this pack was first announced that this would be a very different Black Widow to the one in the core box. Hawkeye, I find a pretty irritating chap all round, so his inclusion into my game system was most unwelcome – and in both cases where Crisis Protocol is concerned, I should never have doubted either of these characters.

Let’s start with Black Widow – who in the core box is known by her original name of Natasha Romanova, but in the expansion, where she is Black Widow: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, she is Natasha Romanov. Whilst it’s annoying for owners of both versions of Black Widow,...

Co-created by Stan Lee, Don Rico & Don Heck, Black Widow made her first appearance in 1964's Tales of Suspense #52, published by Marvel Comics. Introduced as an antagonist for Iron Man, Natasha Romanova was a Russian spy who later defected to the United States, becoming an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a member of the Avengers. In 2010, the character (renamed Natasha Romanoff) made her film debut in John Favreau's Iron Man 2, played by Scarlett Johansson. She has since appeared in six Marvel movies, including 2019's Avengers: Endgame, in which she sacrificed herself so Hawkeye could retrieve the Soul Stone, saving her best friend — and all humankind — from the genocidal warlord Thanos. Now, Natasha is getting her own standalone adventure, a prequel exploring the fan-favorite character's origins in surprising & exciting ways. Directed by Cate Shortland (of the films Lore and Berlin Syndrome) from a screenplay by Eric Pearson,...

Plot: On the run following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanova (Scarlett Johansson) is forced to reckon with her past when her estranged sister, Yelena (Florence Pugh), comes back into her life demanding they take down The Red Room - the program that trained them to be assassins. Review: Can you believe that it's been two full years since the last Marvel movie hit theaters? We've all come to expect at least one Marvel flick every six months or so, and perhaps…...

Reports are beginning to surface regarding the 2021 theatrical release slate, and it's beginning to sound like the same delays that plagued last year are going to continue, with Marvel Studios' Black Widow next in line to receive another frustratingly familiar push back. It's not yet known what the new release window would be for the movie, but with the United States continuing to struggle amid the global situation, it's unlikely that movie patrons would be willing to fill theater seats any time soon.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige did recently admit that another Black Widow delay could be on the cards saying, "I mean, confidence is meaningless in today's world because nobody knows anything. Hope springs eternal. A year delay, you hope would be enough, there's a vaccine out there now. We'll see. I certainly hope so. I want to be back in the theater with people."

Of course, should...

Disney+’s Hawkeye has set its sights on a half dozen cast additions to the Marvel series.

Announced back in April 2019, Hawkeye will star Jeremy Renner (reprising his McU role of Clint Barton aka the titular archer) and Hailee Steinfeld (as padawan Kate Bishop).

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Our sister site Variety is now reporting, via sources/not confirmed by Disney or Marvel,...

Black Widow villain, Taskmaster, remains a mysterious presence. Hidden under a mask, the skilled bad guy will put Natasha and her comrades through their paces, with the identity of Taskmaster sure to provide one of the movie's biggest shocks. One thing we do know though is how supervillain manages to be so formidable, imitating his opponents' fighting style in order to mimic them and learn how to use it against them in order to always stay a step ahead. Discussing the character in the Black Widow: The Official Movie Special Book, Fight Coordinator James Young had this to say about the battles between Natasha and Taskmaster.

"Taskmaster is, by far, the hardest character that we've had to design for because you finally have a character that can look at what you're doing, replicate it, and use it right back at you. And if you used it again, he will be ready for you.

With the announcement that Wonder Woman 1984 will now go to streaming on the same day that it hits theaters, all eyes are on Marvel's similarly positioned Black Widow. Well, it turns out that, despite Disney looking to bring several high-profile releases to their streaming service Disney+, including Emma Stone's Cruella and the Robert Zemeckis-directed Pinocchio, there are currently no plans to do the same with the next McU outing.

Shortly before Warner Bros. revealed that Wonder Woman 1984 would be sent to HBO Max on December 25th at no additional cost to subscribers, Marvel Studios executive vice president Victoria Alonso stated the following about Black Widow releasing on Disney+, "It seems to me that our films are films for theatrical distribution. We always said that we believe in different formats, and it is very important to maintain the custom, the tradition, of watching certain films in community.

Thanks to the recently released Black Widow: The Official Movie Special Book we now have our best look yet at the movie's mysterious villain, Taskmaster. The character cuts an intimidating presence in this newly released Black Widow concept art and series of stills, covered head-to-toe in armor and wielding a sword and shield.

#BlackWidow nos ofrece un nuevo vistazo a Taskmaster. pic.twitter.com/WPHxiZsf5N

— La Cosa Cine (@lacosacine) November 9, 2020

Taskmaster studies his opponents' fighting style in order to mimic them and learn how to use it against them, something that will come in very handy when trifling with the likes of Black Widow and her highly skilled crew. The identity behind the mask of Taskmaster is currently unknown, with many believing that it will be either O-t Fagbenle or Rachel Weisz who is revealed as the villain.

"There's a whole conspiracy theory that I'm Taskmaster," Fagbenle said during...

Several new images from the recently released book, Marvel's Black Widow: The Official Movie Special, have appeared online and give us a glimpse at The Handmaid's Tale actor O.T. Fagbenle's somewhat mysterious character, Rick Mason. Mason has been described as an ally from Natasha Romanoff's past with S.H.I.E.L.D. who has a romantic interest in her, which is all well and good, but many believe that he will turn out to be Taskmaster, the villain of the piece in Black Widow.

these are the last photos from the book, might as well post them! (spoilers) #blackwidowpic.twitter.com/UgLAGdkA3p

— nessa (@yelenabarnes_) November 1, 2020

Taskmaster is currently even more of a mysterious presence than Mason, which has led many to make the connection. Taskmaster studies his opponents' fighting style in order to mimic them and learn how to use it against them, with speculation rampant...

With the Black Widow movie coming after the character's deathly sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel fans are wondering what the future of the character might hold. Well, according to Scarlett Johansson, she is hopeful that the franchise will be picked up and led by Florence Pugh's character, Yelena Belova.

"I definitely felt that way from the very beginning," Scarlett Johansson says when asked about passing on the Black Widow name. "She stands completely on her own. She's strong and different. She's so different to Natasha."

"You also see the generational difference, too, in how they react to things, and what they're careful about, or what they're careless about," she continues. "It's so fresh, what she does. It's very representative, also, of who she is as a person. She's unapologetic, and confident in herself, and curious, and brave, and emotionally brave - far more than I ever was. And that stuff all comes through.

Scarlett Johansson has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the very first phase, with the Oscar-nominated actress portraying Black Widow all the way up until last year's Avengers: Endgame. Sacrificing her life in order to obtain the final Infinity Stone, fans were shocked to see the character die and not return, especially within the confines of the McU, which has become infamous for death fake outs. Well, Johansson has now addressed Nathasha Romanoff's final moments, finding the whole experience very poetic.

"I love Natasha. She's had an incredible 10-year journey, and I felt that she was finally able to make an active choice. It seemed very in-character, that ultimate sacrifice that she makes. She's made peace with that, and, in some ways, has known that's her destiny all along, in a weird poetic way. When you look back on the films, that's in there. All the films...

The upcoming McU movie, Black Widow will reflect the shifting political climate, the #MeToo movement and contain feminist themes, says lead star Scarlett Johansson. In a recent interview, Johansson has stated that Black Widow, one of only a few female-led superhero blockbusters, will absolutely address how things have changed both on the big screen and in the real world within the last decade or so.

"I think this film in particular is very much reflective of what's going on in regards to the Time's Up movement and the #MeToo movement. It would be such a miss if we didn't address that stuff, if this film didn't take that head-on. I think, particularly for Cate, it was so important for her to make a movie about women who are helping other women, who lift other women up out of a very difficult situation. Someone asked me if Natasha was a feminist.

With the constant release date delays, Black Widow has been a never-ending tease, with some newly revealed details making the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie now even more enticing. A recent IMAX earnings call with investors revealed that approximately 30 minutes of the upcoming Marvel Studios movie will be presented in the IMAX format's signature, expanded aspect ratio.

"Missed news from yesterday's IMAX earnings call - 30 minutes of #BlackWidow will be presented in expanded 1.90:1 in IMAX."

While it is not yet known which footage will be presented in this way, the IMAX format is usually applied to big action sequences in order to provide audiences with a more immersive cinematic experience. With the trailers for Black Widow teasing some epic, superhero-style mayhem, the addition of IMAX is a welcome one that will certainly up the thrills as we dive into the action-packed life of one of the founding Avengers.

Hollywood has slowly been exploring IMAX cameras,...

Over the years, the cinema industry has been wowing audiences by bringing comic books to the big screen. Today, it’s safe to say that comic book movies have become a staple genre. Having said that, here are the top five exciting comic books coming to the silver screen soon. Note that some possible spoilers might be waiting for you throughout this article.

Aquaman 2

Jason Momoa will be donning his iconic green and gold underwater superhero suit as Arthur Curry for Aquaman 2. At the time of writing, Aquaman fans still have to wait for the official release date of the comic book movie’s sequel. Nonetheless, some reports indicate that the film will be released in late 2022.

Amber Heard may also return as Arthur Curry’s on-screen wife, Mera. But, will Patrick Wilson’s portrayal as Orm Marius return for the movie’s second iteration? Perhaps, only time...

When characters are popular with fans, they are often depicted in fan art. While there are a number of different approaches to fan art, there are always several pieces of work that stand out as extraordinary. Sometimes this is due to a creative or cute redesign, sometimes it is a result of a popular mashup between two universes, and sometimes it is due to the pure talent of the artist.

Related: McU: Black Widow's 10 Biggest Mistakes (That We Can Learn From)

One character who has many depictions via fan art is Natasha Romanova, Aka Black Widow. This Marvel superhero regularly outsmarts her opponents and remains a fierce and strong female character. With many fans excitedly awaiting the release of the film Black Widow, it seems like a great time to examine these amazing fan art depictions of the heroine.

Audiences still have a to wait a little while to see what Marvel's Eternals is all about, but it is very possible that we just got our first glimpse at the movie's teaser poster courtesy of actor and The Eternals star Ma Dong-seok. Posting an image on social media, Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee, showed off the trailer he had during the movie's shoot in London, as well as his welcome letter from Marvel Studios, and, potentially, a poster for The Eternals.

Though the image is rather small, it looks like the first poster will feature the titular group standing together with what is possibly a giant, Celestial face behind them. Of course, it is quite hard to tell exactly what the image shows but based on the usual Marvel-fare it is likely that this will be the case.

Eternals picks up following the events of last year's Avengers: Endgame.

After sacrificing her life in order to save the universe during the dramatic events of Avengers: Endgame, audiences have been left wondering how, exactly, the solo Black Widow movie will play out. With the movie set to introduce a host of other characters, including Midsommar star Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, McU fans have been curious as to whether she will be taking over from Scarlet Johansson now deceased Natasha Romanoff. Well, according to Black Widow director Cate Shortland, there is certainly an element of baton-passing going on.

"[Kevin Feige] realized that the audience would expect an origin story so, of course, we went in the opposite direction. And we didn't know how great Florence Pugh would be. We knew she would be great, but we didn't know how great. Scarlett is so gracious, like, 'Oh, I'm handing her the baton.' So it's going to propel another female storyline.

Black Widow may be biding time until a pandemic-pushed November release date, but director Cate Shortland is already teasing how the debut solo outing of Scarlett Johansson’s Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran is also set as a springboard for Florence Pugh’s debuting character, Yelena Belova.

Of course, the timing of Black Widow remains curious, seeing as it follows 2019’s Avengers: Endgame [Spoiler ahead, if, for some earthly reason, you haven’t seen it by now], in which Johansson’s Natasha Romanova/Black Widow traveled with Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to the planet Vormir, where she sacrificed herself to attain the Soul Stone. However, while the main story of the upcoming solo film obviously takes place before that event, Shortland, in an interview with Empire, pushes the notion that it will also serve as a prospectively franchise-fruitful introduction for Pugh’s Belova. As Shortland explains:

“[Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige] realised that the audience would expect an origin story so, of course, we went in the opposite direction.

According to sources close to Wgtc – the same ones who told us that a Percy Jackson TV show is in the works and a She-Hulk series is in development for Disney Plus, both of which were correct – Taskmaster might play a substantial role in the upcoming Deadpool 3. Although the script for the film hasn’t yet reached its final draft, the current plan is to have the Black Widow antagonist come to Wade Wilson’s aid during his next adventure.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the character, and haven’t been paying much attention to Natasha Romanova’s first standalone feature, Taskmaster – Aka Anthony “Tony” Masters – is a super villain who first appeared in the 195th issue of The Avengers comics in 1985. Despite his somewhat silly name, Taskmaster is a formidable foe who, endowed with a photographic memory, has the ability to mimic his opponent’s...

After sacrificing her life in order to save the universe during the dramatic events of Avengers: Endgame, audiences wondered how, exactly, the solo Black Widow movie would play out. Well, Black Widow is going to turn back the clock, to a time when the intrepid spy did not have The Avengers backing her up and will delve into the character's backstory. An experience that will be 'surprising' according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.

"She has such a rich backstory...We've hinted at it throughout all the other films. But we approach it in a completely unexpected way. She's been up to a lot all along - in between when we see her in the other movies - some of which will be surprising to people."

Knowing the movie is set following the events of 2016's Captain America: Civil War, audiences will get to see what Black Widow got up...

Gavin Jasper Sep 17, 2019

McU Phase 4 will introduce many established characters in the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows. Here's who's coming.

Now that Thanos has been dusted and the Infinity Saga is over, things aren’t slowing down in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. McU Phase 4 is going to not only have a bunch of movies, but a bunch of new TV shows on Disney+ and elsewhere that will feed into the overall narrative.

With the recent acquisition of the Fox movie properties, Marvel is going to wait on bringing Fantastic Four and X-Men into the forefront. And while stalwarts like Iron Man and Captain America are getting phased out, the McU has no shortage of new heroes and villains to spotlight in their upcoming projects.

Black Widow

First up, we have the characters coming to the Black Widow movie.

Yelena Belova

In the comics, Yelena was trained as an assassin...

Fans at Comic-Con got to see some cool footage from Black Widow featuring Natasha Romanova (Scarlett Johansson) fighting the villain Taskmaster. Upon seeing this footage I immediately thought that the character had the build of a woman. A lot of other fans noticed this as well and speculation started spreading that Rachel Weisz could end up being Taskmaster.

That is certainly a possibility! After the big Marvel panel Weisz was asked by Variety if she was in fact playing Taskmaster. She laughed, sidestepped the question and said the interviewer would have to kill her before she told him. He then asked how important Taskmaster is to the story and she said:

“I would say of some significance.”

She then winked at the interviewer and explained that she will get to do some fighting in the film. There definitely is a possibility that Weisz could be Taskmaster, and if she is,...

We have been hearing for quite some time about the Black Widow movie that is coming out, starring and produced by Scarlett Johansson herself, our own beloved Natasha Romanova. And by hearing about it, I mean we have been hearing that it’s going to be made, but not really much more as far as time and place. But we’ve been speculating that it’s probably the story of the start of her career and possibly some of her youth to see where she has come from and what has turned her into the badass Avenger we know and love.

What we do know is that besides ScarJo, the cast will include David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, Florence Pugh (Fighting With My Family), and O-t Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale). We also know the movie is currently in pre-production.

Now we also know that the rumored amount Johansson will be...

The upcoming standalone Black Widow movie will reportedly be Marvel's very first R rated film. Based on the comic book character created by Don Rico, Don Heck and Stan Lee, the new Marvel Studios film is to be penned by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Cate Shortland. Starring Scarlet Johansson as Natasha Romanova herself, it looks like the project is slowly…...

Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow has become one of the central pillars of the McU. Since her debut in Iron Man 2, she’s spent the last eight years kicking a serious amount of ass across the Avengers and Captain America movies, and that’s despite having no superpowers (and not even a fancy bow and arrow). If anyone deserves a solo movie, it’s her, so the news that Marvel Studios has pencilled one in for a May 1st, 2020 release is music to our ears.

That’s according to perennial leak-mongers That Hashtag Show. Along with a bevy of information about what else is on the studio’s 2020 slate, they also dished up some particulars of what the Widow film will consist of, offering up the following synopsis:

At birth the Black Widow (aka Natasha Romanova) is given to the Kgb, which grooms her to become its ultimate operative.

Lately, the future of the McU has felt more mysterious than ever, but this new report supposedly offers a pretty good indication of what to expect from the franchise beyond the three the films we’re getting next year. And with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 looking to arrive a lot later than previously expected, it seems that 2020 will be the year of Black Widow and The Eternals.

While we have no official confirmation of the release dates of either flick, That Hashtag Show allegedly has sources telling them that Natasha Romanoff’s long-awaited solo debut is scheduled to hit theaters on May 1st, 2020, followed by The Eternals on November 6th. Obviously, even if this intel is legit, there’s still every possibility that these dates will be changed at some point in the next couple of years, but it’s nice to have some idea of what the...

After appearing in six Marvel movies, Scarlett Johansson will finally get her standalone Black Widow movie and that comes with a pretty hefty paycheck. According to THR, the actress will make $15 million to star in the film.

According to the report, that salary equals what Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth have earned for playing Captain America and Thor in Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok, and the upcoming Avengers 4.

Scarlett Johansson has certainly earned the big pay day. Some people might even feel that it’s long over due. Of course, no one is making as much as Robert Downey Jr. who is making $50 million in the Marvel films he stars in!

Black Widow is deep into development and is set to be directed by Cate Shortland from a script written by Jac Schaeffer. This is a possible synopsis that was released by a Hollywood trade:

At...

Black Widow is finally getting her due—and so is Scarlett Johansson. The actress, who has played the superhero spy Natasha Romanova in six films, will earn a reported $15 million to star in an upcoming standalone, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A spokesperson for Marvel Studios disputed "the accuracy" of the numbers, despite multiple source confirmations: "As a matter of policy, we never publicly disclose salaries or deal terms." Johansson's $15 million payday equals what Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth earned for playing Captain America and Thor, respectively, in Avengers: Infinity War, according to the trade. Evans and Hemsworth also nabbed the same figure for their respective work in...

It’s going on eight years since Scarlett Johansson’s debut as Black Widow, and in that time, the sleeper agent formerly known as Natasha Romanova has grown into one of the undisputed pillars of Marvel’s franchise. An McU Mvp, if you will.

That loyalty has been rewarded with substantial roles across The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, while we fully expect Black Widow to enjoy more screentime during Avengers 4 than she did in the super-sized Infinity War – ditto for Chris Evans, who has since announced his retirement as Captain America.

Circling back to Black Widow, though, and The Hollywood Reporter brings word today that Scarlett Johansson has scored a huge $15M payday for the planned standalone movie – an eight-figure sum on par with what Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth earned on Civil War and Thor: Ragnarok, respectively.

We should stress that a Marvel spokesperson reached out...

A rumored synopsis for the upcoming Black Widow movie has made its way online. For years, Marvel fans have been demanding that Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, be given her own movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Kevin Feige and the rest of the brass in charge are mostly keeping quiet, the movie is in development and will be coming our way in the relatively near future. Now, we have a possible synopsis, which sounds like this will be in line with what fans were hoping for.

The potential synopsis was revealed via a recent production listing from a subscription-based publication that deals with such information. So it's coming from a seemingly legitimate source. However, we must caution that this could still be placeholder information that doesn't end up meaning anything once the movie actually starts filming, or it could still just be downright incorrect. That aside for a moment,...

Marvel fans have been pretty excited for the Black Widow movie that has been put into development at Marvel Studios. The movie is deep into development and is set to be directed by Cate Shortland from a script written by Jac Schaeffer.

There haven’t been any official story details released for the film since the production has been in development. Just a handful of rumors and lots of fan speculation. But today, thanks to Production Weekly (via: a Black Widow fan Twitter account), we have a possible synopsis to share with you:

At birth the Black Widow (aka Natasha Romanova) is given to the Kgb, which grooms her to become its ultimate operative. When the U.S.S.R. breaks up, the government tries to kill her as the action moves to present-day New York, where she is a freelance operative. The standalone film will find Romanoff living in the United States...

After years of fans trying to wish it into existence, Marvel Studios is finally – finally – bringing us a Black Widow solo movie. Scarlet Johansson first appeared as S.H.I.E.L.D. super-spy Natasha Romanoff way back in 2010’s Iron Man 2 and, while her male colleagues have had various vehicles to themselves since then, it’s taken until now for the star to get her own standalone project off the ground.

Still, better late than never and while Johansson’s secret agent is expected to feature in Avengers 4, the Widow movie is beginning to make serious headway over at Marvel Studios, after appointing scribe Jac Schaeffer on script duties and Cate Shortland to the director’s chair.

We haven’t been told too much about what Kevin Feige and co. have planned just yet, but a possible plot synopsis leaked online earlier today and teases what the pic may bring us.

Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton and Paul Rudd's Scott Lang famously sat out for this year's Infinity War, much to the disappointment of Marvel Cinematic Universe devotees all over the world. However, newly leaked set photos from the Avengers 4 reshoots in Atlanta have shown up online, featuring Lang, along with Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanova. Now, Jeremy Renner is getting in on the fun, posting a picture of himself on social media with his fresh Hawkeye haircut, along with a caption that reads, "Circling the wagons with my good friends."

Jeremy Renner did not give a geotag location with his social media post, but he's more than likely already on the set of Avengers 4, or at the very least getting ready to leave. That fresh new Hawkeye haircut probably has to be groomed pretty often, which means that whatever he's doing, it's happening soon. Renner previously shared a picture...

When Avengers: Age Of Ultron came out in 2015, "Clintasha" fans were disappointed when director Joss Whedon decided to pair Black Widow with a romantic partner who wasn't Hawkeye.

After all, the two characters shared a lot of chemistry on screen when they first met in the original Avengers movie. However, many fans argued that Hawkeye had gone off the grid for two years and that Black Widow refused to wait around for his return.

A potential dalliance with Mockingbird has been suggested by fans, but there has been no screen presence of Hawkeye's comic book wife in the McU.

In the comics, the duo are on again, off again lovers, with their romance lasting for over 50 years. Throughout this time, plenty of events have occurred to bring the superheroes together. However, some of these occurrences have also pushed them farther apart.

Their fondness for each other marked the first time...

Marvel has found its “Black Widow” director in Cate Shortland, who was chosen from a field of more than 70 candidates. The Australian filmmaker, whose “Berlin Syndrome” premiered at Sundance last year, will become the studio’s first solo director when she helms the standalone film starring Scarlett Johansson — next year’s “Captain Marvel” is being co-directed by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck.

Shortland, 49, is likely best known for directing 2012’s “Lore.” About a family of unrepentant Nazis attempting to flee in the aftermath of World War II, it won the Audience Award at the Locarno Film Festival before its theatrical release. Her 2004 debut, “Somersault,” starred a then-unknown Abbie Cornish and premiered in the Un Regard Section of the Cannes Film Festival; though she’s far from prolific, Shortland’s body of work clearly impressed Marvel’s upper brass.

Johansson has portrayed the Russian spy (real name Natasha Romanova) in several films...

A woman working in low-wage jobs takes what looks like an easier gig involving wearing a black dress at a party in this award-winning drama

Spanish actor Ana Asensio multitasks as star, writer-director and producer of this arresting feature, a gritty, ominous thriller that’s winning awards on the festival and independent film circuit. Like a million other immigrants in New York City, Luciana (Asensio) feels she can’t go back to wherever she came from (hints are dropped about a tragic accident involving a child). But she’s not exactly thriving, working two or three cruddy low-wage jobs, from handing out flyers in the street while dressed as a chicken to babysitting bratty posh kids. Chicken-costume colleague Olga (Natasha Romanova) asks whether she could cover for her at an evening gig where all she has to do is stand around looking pretty at a party in a black dress,...

Title: Most Beautiful Island Director: Ana Asensio Cast: Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden, Larry Fessenden, Caprice Benedetti, Anna Myrha. Written, directed and played by Ana Asensio, ‘Most Beautiful Island,’ is an eerie tale about an undocumented young woman’s struggle for survival in the Big Apple. Luciana is from […]

The post Most Beautiful Island Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

It’s easy for Americans to look at a film like Eli Roth’s Hostel and find themselves afraid of the situation presented as one they could fall prey to if the circumstances arose. We’ve been instilled with that anxiety for decades — the notion that our freedoms at home do not transfer over when traveling abroad. It’s up to you to learn your destination’s customs and to be vigilant about your safety so as not to be the next Michael P. Fay (caned during a 1994 trip in Singapore) or Natalie Holloway (disappeared while on a 2005 vacation in Aruba). There’s an air of danger and uncertainty with every breath we take, but only when we leave the comfort of constitutional rights do we acknowledge how little control we have.

Now turn the table to witness the immigrant experience — especially today as xenophobia increases ten-fold under a regime...

Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.

Spanish actress and triple threat Ana Asensio wrote, directed and starred in her feature film debut “Most Beautiful Island,” which won South by Southwest’s grand jury award for narrative feature, and audiences will finally be able to see the thriller, billed as being in the vein of “Eyes Wide Shut” about immigrant life in America, when Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Film release the movie this fall.

Co-starring Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden and Caprice Benedetti and produced by Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix, “Most Beautiful Island” had its New York premiere at this week’s BAMcinemaFest. The film is a psychological thriller set in the world of undocumented female immigrants hoping to make a life in New York City.

Read More: ‘Most Beautiful Island’ Review: Ana Asensio’s SXSW Winner Is a Spellbinding Thriller About Immigrant Life In AmericaShot on Super 16mm with a voyeuristic sensibility, the movie chronicles one harrowing day in the life of Luciana, a young immigrant woman struggling to make ends meet while striving to escape her past. As her day unfolds, she is whisked through a series of troublesome and unforeseeable extremes. Before the day is over, she finds herself a central participant in a cruel game where lives are placed at risk for the perverse entertainment of a privileged few.

“[Ana Asensio]is fearless in front of and behind the camera,” Peter Goldwyn, president of Samuel Goldwyn Films, said in a statement. “’Most Beautiful Island’ is a memorable film which captured hearts, minds, and the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW.”

Check out the rest of our weekly Acquisitions Rundown after the break.

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Psychological thriller won grand jury prize at SXSW.

Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films have acquired North American rights to Ana Asensio’s Most Beautiful Island.

Asensio stars alongside Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden and Caprice Benedetti.

Fessenden’s New York-based Glass Eye Pix produced Most Beautiful Island, which takes place in the world of undocumented female immigrants in New York City.

The film chronicles one day in the life of one of the young women as she becomes part of a cruel game for the perverse entertainment of a privileged few. The film won the grand jury prize at SXSW earlier this year.

Asensio wrote the screenplay and also produced with Jenn Wexler, Chadd Harbold, Fessenden, and Noah Greenberg. Peter Phok, Jose María Garcia, Ahmet Bilgen, Selim Cevikel, Christohper Todd, and Gill Holland served as executive producers.

The film receives its New York premiere on Wednesday at Bam Cinemafest.

Peter Goldwyn negotiated...

Marvelous Marvel Women: Our top 5 female heroesMarvelous Marvel Women: Our top 5 female heroesAdriana Floridia4/17/2017 10:58:00 Am

With the release of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we figured this would be the perfect opportunity to highlight the women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If you ask us, Gamora is the best part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. She's incredibly strong, fierce, and has overcome many obstacles in her life. She's definitely the most skilled of the bunch, and frankly we're not sure what Star-Lord and the gang would do without her. Check out where she ranked on our list of the top 5 female Marvel heroes, and let us know who we missed and who your favourites are in the comments below!

5. Pepper Potts (Iron Man)

While she's not a hero in the traditional sense, there's no denying that Pepper Potts is essentially Iron Man's right hand woman.