Black Widow deserves her own movie now

[Cowtools]

It's a very Whedonesque scene. The basic concept behind Buffy was doing that scene from a horror movie, where a perky blond teenage girl wanders into a dark alley and gets eaten by something that goes bump in the night— and then reversing it, having the teenage girl just wail into the monster. But it plays on that expectation. The scene from the Avengers works on a similar premise, it's deliberately setting up a damsel-in-distress scenario, deliberately setting up this sexual peril, in order to turn the whole thing around. But it's not a coincidence she's dressed in an evening wear and that her captors are commenting on her appearance, or that the way she defeats them all is by basically destroying her bonds and using them as a weapon. I think she also chokes some dude with a chain in that sequence? It's all deliberate, all symbolic. And by making Natasha definitely pretty, calling attention to the sexy elements, I think Whedon is, you know, meant to make us question that at least a bit, the sexiness, while at the same time it is still invoking this sexiness, in a way that never would be invoked for Captain America.

I think that sort of turnaround is something Natasha's 616 canon plays a lot with— Natasha isn't a gender neutral character, she is someone who often gets mistaken for just a pretty face, and uses that to her advantage. The element of seduction/intimacy is standard fare in spy stories, even with male protagonists, and so it makes sense her character delves into that stuff, too. But I think that sort of character is only really successful if there's more to their motivations/existence. The more her M.O. is "get tied up sexily only to take the bad guys down" the more the emphasis becomes just "get tied up sexily", you know? But I think in the film it was handled pretty smartly, because we saw Natasha in a lot more context. Her role in the final battle was stealing an flying motorcycle thing and figuring out how to close the portal, not like, distracting the gross aliens with her sexuality, and that's where Whedon succeeded where a lot of others have failed.

The one thing I would say that's a bit disappointing is that in the mainline MU we have lots of superheroines who would never be introduced as surrounded by men, tied to a chair, but there's no female counterpoint to Natasha in the filmverse. I like Emma Frost a lot, and she is way more overtly sexual than Natasha is, way more semi-clothed. And I think that's fine because it suits Emma Frost! But if Emma Frost is the only woman in your movie, things can quickly be taken the wrong way. Does that make sense?

I just want to say that I think this is a really really great post. Not just because I agree with it - I think you nailed Whedon's M.O. perfectly - but because your idea was so rationally argued and coherently written.

Whedon is one of the few filmmakers to realize that it's okay for characters (male or female) to be presented as sexy, as long as they're active agents in their own story, and their sexiness is not their defining element.

[AnthonyJ]

I think Natasha has a leg-up on Hawkeye in that her backstory is something that translates pretty well to film.

If they're doing an origin, based on the canon from the Avengers movie, Hawkeye would be in it anyway.

[Shinglepants]

After Iron Man 2 I hated the idea of a Black Widow movie. Then Avengers came along and Scarlett and Joss absolutely nailed Black Widow.

I think I would prefer a Black Widow/Hawkeye team up movie though. Simply because I love Renner and I cannot see him getting his own movie. Plus they had good chemistry.

Whedon to direct please?

[DexterSinister]

I thought Black Widow was easily the worst Avenger in the movie she had the no personality action girl down to a T. Loki would have gained more credibility as a villain and she would have shown more depth as a character if he had genuinely got inside her head and then she got angry at him rather than wasting it showing what a good interrogator she was, shame the information she gained proved no use whatsoever.

Buffy was a fantastic character because she had character after the fight, if Black Widow is portrayed as the stoic badass in the comic books maybe they should have used another hero than the robot we ended up with.

[Frank]

After Iron Man 2 I hated the idea of a Black Widow movie. Then Avengers came along and Scarlett and Joss absolutely nailed Black Widow.

That's down to Joss Whedon, I think. He's a terrific actor's director and it showed. I think most actors were better in Avengers than they were in their own movie, IMO.

I think I would prefer a Black Widow/Hawkeye team up movie though. Simply because I love Renner and I cannot see him getting his own movie. Plus they had good chemistry.

Whedon to direct please?

What they could do is have them appear in a Shield movie first.

[Shinglepants]

That's down to Joss Whedon, I think. He's a terrific actor's director and it showed. I think most actors were better in Avengers than they were in their own movie, IMO.

Yeah, I love Joss Whedon! I think Hiddleston stepped his game up aswell.

What they could do is have them appear in a Shield movie first.

Well they are both agents of Shield so that would make sense. As a simple premise, I think something like the following would work. Shield get intel on Hydra. Fury dispatches Black Widow and Hawkeye to deal with threat. Black Widow and Hawkeye travel to various exotic locations and end up in Madripoor where they face off against Madame Hydra?

[Frank]

Yeah, I love Joss Whedon! I think Hiddleston stepped his game up aswell.





Well they are both agents of Shield so that would make sense. As a simple premise, I think something like the following would work. Shield get intel on Hydra. Fury dispatches Black Widow and Hawkeye to deal with threat. Black Widow and Hawkeye travel to various exotic locations and end up in Madripoor where they face off against Madame Hydra?

In Madripoor? That would be awesome, they should make it the worst city on Earth with all the most vile people. Then Shield could form new super-spies, etc...

[Red Mask]

When I look at Widow in IM2 and Avengers, I see an extremely dangerous person who only happens to be beautiful. Honestly, she was a scary, intimidating person. "Don't f--- with her" doesn't even begin to describe it.

Yeah, her fight scene in Iron Man 2 was great. But if she used a bit of Russian Sambo instead of jiujitsu I'd be more scared of her.

[Corey W]

Coming out of IM 2, I had no interest in a Scar Jo led BW movie. Now, I would see it in a heart beat. I suppose that IM 2 didn't give her that much screen time, but I found it hard to believe it was the same actress and the same character. She really nailed the role in every way possible.

[lilyinblue]

Coming out of IM 2, I had no interest in a Scar Jo led BW movie. Now, I would see it in a heart beat. I suppose that IM 2 didn't give her that much screen time, but I found it hard to believe it was the same actress and the same character. She really nailed the role in every way possible.

That. Plus... I always thought that one of the other problems with Black Widow in IM2 is that she spent the majority of her screentime pretending to be Natalie Rushman from legal. There were very few scenes of Black Widow actually being Black Widow, so we never really got to know her.

[Monty_Cristo]

who would they even use as a villain? is there room for Yelena?

[tg1982]

I would love a Black Widow film. Especially after seeing the Avengers. However, I don't want it because she is a woman I want it because she has proven to be a good/interesting character. On page and on screen.

Exactly. I agree, completely.

[frostfalls]

who would they even use as a villain? is there room for Yelena?

Hrist suggested the Red Guardian which, like she said would be great for exploring Natasha's backstory without doing a full fledged origin film, but even something like Madame Hydra could conceivably work. Yelena could probably also work for moving forward while still exploring her past.

[Bamf25]

I can just so easily see a James Bond Sytle spy flick here. Set up something with Yelena, or Hawkeye that allows for origin flashbacks, but set the main plot in the present. Take advantage that with IM2 and Avengers that the character is now established, and do not wast to much time setting her up.

I did also see a few articles today that ScarJo is interested in doing a BW solo film , and she went as far as saying she has talked about it with the Marvel people. She seemed to imply that she wanted an origin type film. I did also see a reviewer in teh New Jersey Star Ledger agreeing, and almost begging for a BW film. Seems we may get some star as wellas critical support for her own movie.

[Professor Moriarty]

with a shower scene.