Is Black Widow Gay, Bisexual or Straight? All Her Relatnships

Contents:

• IS BLACK WIDOW GAY, BISEXUAL OR STRAIGHT? ALL HER RELATNSHIPS
• THE RSO BROTHERS SAY A CURRENT MARVEL CHARACTER IS SECRETLY GAY
• ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN BETA(FUNCTN(){FOR(VAR G="FUNCTN"==TYPEOF FEPROPERTI?FEPROPERTY:FUNCTN(B,C,A){IF(||)THROW NEW TYPEERROR("ES3 DO NOT SUPPORT GETTERS AND SETTERS.");B!=ARRAY.PROTOTYPE&&B!=OBJECT.PROTOTYPE&&(B[C])},H="UNFED"!=TYPEOF WDOW&&WDOW===THIS?THIS:"UNFED"!=TYPEOF GLOBAL&&NULL!=GLOBAL?GLOBAL:THIS,K=["STRG","PROTOTYPE","REPEAT"],L=0;LB||1342177279>>=1)C+=C;RETURN A};Q!=P&&NULL!=Q&&G(H,N,{NFIGURABLE:!0,WRABLE:!0,VALUE:Q});VAR T=THIS;FUNCTN U(B,C){VAR ("."),D=T;A[0] D||!D.EXECSCRIPT||D.EXECSCRIPT("VAR "+A[0]);FOR(VAR E;(());)||VOID 0===C?D[E]?D=D[E]:D=D[E]={}:D[E]=C};FUNCTN V(B){VAR ;IF(0=C.OFFSETWIDTH&&0>=C.OFFSETHEIGHT)A=!1;ELSE{D=C.GETBOUNDGCLIENTRECT();VAR ;("PAGEYOFFSET" WDOW?WDOW.PAGEYOFFSET:(DOCUMENT.DOCUMENTELEMENT||F.PARENTNO||F).SCROLLTOP);("PAGEXOFFSET" WDOW?WDOW.PAGEXOFFSET:(DOCUMENT.DOCUMENTELEMENT||F.PARENTNO||F).SCROLLLEFT);F=A.TOSTRG()+","+D;B.B.HASOWNPROPERTY(F)?A=!1:(B.B[F]=!0,A=(A+=E)}B.I&&(E="&RD="+ENURICOMPONENT(JSON.STRGIFY(B())),131072>(A+=E),C=!0);C=A;IF(C){D=B.H;B=B.J;VAR F;IF(WDOW.XMLHTTPREQUT)F=NEW XMLHTTPREQUT;ELSE IF(WDOW.ACTIVEXOBJECT)TRY{F=NEW ACTIVEXOBJECT("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")}TCH(R){TRY{F=NEW ACTIVEXOBJECT("MICROSOFT.XMLHTTP")}TCH(D){}}F&&(("POST",D+(-1==XOF("?")?"?":"&")+"URL="+ENURICOMPONENT(B)),F.SETREQUTHEAR("CONTENT-TYPE","APPLITN/X-WWW-FORM-URLEND"),(A))}}}FUNCTN B(){VAR B={},C;C=DOCUMENT.GETELEMENTSBYTAGNAME("IMG");IF(!)RETURN{};VAR A=C[0];IF(!("NATURALWIDTH" A&&"NATURALHEIGHT" A))RETURN{};FOR(VAR D=0;A=C[D];++D){VAR E=A.GETATTRIBUTE("DATA-PAGPEED-URL-HASH");E&&(!(E B)&&0=B[E].O&&>=B[E].M)&&(B[E]={,,OW:A.NATURALWIDTH,OH:A.NATURALHEIGHT})}RETURN B}VAR C="";U("PAGPEED.CRILIMAG.GETBEANDATA",FUNCTN(){RETURN C});U("",FUNCTN(B,C,A,D,E,F){VAR R=NEW Y(B,C,A,E,F);X=R;D&&W(FUNCTN(){WDOW.SETTIMEOUT(FUNCTN(){A(R)},0)})});})();('/NGX_PAGPEED_BEAN','(MARVEL)/WORKS','EVFAZEUQGZ',TE,FALSE,'SY6ZTGG94MQ');
• MARVEL’S ‘BLACK WIDOW’ MOVIE IS ONE LAST INSULT TO NATASHA ROMANOFFNOT SO MARVELOUSCOURTY MARVEL/DISNEY+IT’S A FUN PNAGE THRILLER AND FLORENCE PUGH IS A MARVEL. (SORRY.) BUT DIDN’T ALSO FEEL EXTREMELY PHONED ?LRA BRADLEYSENR ENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED JUL. 10, 2021 9:49AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 09, 2021 11:46PM EDT THIS POST NTAS SPOILERS FOR BLACK WIDOW.FOR THE SUAL VIEWER, BLACK WIDOW WILL LIKELY PROVE ALL KDS OF NFG. BUT ’S HARD TO BLAME ANYONE WHO’S NFED AS TO WHY MARVEL IS JT NOW RELEASG S FIRST STANDALONE FILM DITED TO NATASHA ROMANOFF. AFTER ALL, SHE IS TECHNILLY AD.BLACK WIDOW, WHICH JOED PHASE FOUR OF MARVEL’S SPRAWLG CEMATIC UNIVERSE FRIDAY, TAK PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS OF CAPTA AMERI: CIVIL WAR AND AVENGERS: INFY WAR. (THE FORMER BUTED 2016; THE LATTER, 2018.) NATASHA DIED 2019’S ENDGAME AFTER SACRIFICG HER LIFE TO SECURE THE SOUL STONE, WHICH THE AVENGERS NEED TO FEAT THANOS.NOW—MEANG, THIS NEW FILM, WHICH IS THE PAST—WE FD BLACK WIDOW ON THE N OM THORI AFTER HELPG CAPTA AMERI EE BUCKY BARN. SHE RETURNS TO HER SAFE HOE BUDAPT AFTER RECEIVG A MYSTER PACKAGE OM HER “SISTER,” YELENA (FLORENCE PUGH), WHO GREW UP BY HER SI OH UNR THE RE OF RSIAN OPERATIV. ALEXEI (DAVID HARBOUR) AND MELA (RACHEL WEISZ) ED THEIR FAKE FAY AS A VER WHILE THEY WORKED TO STEAL A CHEMIL THAT SOMEHOW SEPARAT PEOPLE OM THEIR EE WILL. (YEAH, I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT, EHER.) AFTER A SISTERLY RNN-FISTFIGHT, NATASHA AND YELENA SET OUT TO KILL THE CREATOR AND LER OF THE RED ROOM AND THE WIDOWS, DREYKOV (RAY WSTONE)—WHO HAS ABDUCTED UNTLS YOUNG GIRLS ACROSS THE WORLD TO DO HIS BIDDG. MARVEL RELEASED 20 FILMS BEFORE THEY FALLY BUTED THEIR FIRST ABOUT A WOMAN, CAPTA MARVEL, 2019. THROUGHOUT HER REER THE MCU, NATASHA ROMANOFF HAS LARGELY EXISTED TO SUPPORT THE STORY ARCS OF MEN AROUND HER, WHETHER BY HELPG CAPTA AMERI NONT HIS PAST OR LENDG BCE BANNER A SHOULR TO CRY ON THROUGH HIS HULKY INTY CRISIS. NOW, AFTER 13 YEARS OF CLAMORG OM FANS AND CRICS, SHE FALLY HAS HER OWN FILM—AFTER SHE’S ALREADY AD THE MA NTUY. (IN FAIRNS, THE ORIGAL PLAN WAS TO RELEASE BLACK WIDOW LAST SPRG—BUT EVEN BARRG THE COVID DISPTN, THE FILM HAD ALWAYS BEEN PLANNED TO BUT AFTER ENDGAME.)THIS WOULD ALL BE LS TRATG IF BLACK WIDOW SELF WEREN’T SO PHONED , BUT EVEN A STELLAR PERFORMANCE OM FLORENCE PUGH N’T SAVE THIS EMPTY PLOT VEHICLE MASQUERADG AS A QUIPPY PNAGE THRILLER.BLACK WIDOW MIGHT HAVE LARGELY STEPPED AWAY OM THE AVENGERS WORLD TO SEND OFF OUR FAVORE RED-HEAD ASSASS, BUT EVEN SO, ’S IMPOSSIBLE TO FET THAT THIS ENTRY, LIKE ALL THE OTHERS, IS JT ONE PIECE OF A LARGER PUZZLE. EVERY MENTN OF CLT BARTON—AND THERE ARE A FEW—IS A REMR THAT THE CHARACTER’S TV SERI, HAWKEYE, IS G SOON ON DISNEY+. JULIA LOUIS-DREYF’ APPEARANCE THE POST-CREDS SCENE AS CONTSA VALENTA ALLEGRA FONTAE TETHERS THE FILM TO THE FALN AND THE WTER SOLDIER, WHERE SHE ALSO APPEARS. HELL, THE ENTIRE FILM ONLY MAK SENSE IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TWO OTHERS THAT ME OUT THREE YEARS AGO.WHATEVER PROBLEMS BLACK WIDOW HAS, HOWEVER, THE PERFORMANC ARE ALMOST UNIFORMLY SPECTACULAR. SRLETT JOHANSSON AND PUGH’S CHEMISTRY CRACKL EVERY SCENE THEY SHARE. YELENA GOADS HER SISTER FOR BEG ONE OF THE AVENGERS BUT NOT “ONE OF THE BIG ON,” AND LOV TO MAKE FUN OF THE HAIR-FLIPPG FIGHTG STANC THAT HAVE BEE THE CHARACTER’S SIGNATURE. (“I MEAN, THEY’RE GREAT POS, BUT DO LOOK LIKE YOU THK EVERYONE’S LOOKG AT YOU ALL THE TIME.”) DAVID HARBOUR, MEANWHILE, WAS THE PERFECT CHOICE TO PLAY THEIR “FATHER,” ALEXEI—A SOVIET SUPERSOLDIER WHOSE TIME PRISON HAS LEFT HIM A B STY. ADVERTISEMENT WHEN BLACK WIDOW MOV LIKE A SPY THRILLER, MOSTLY STRIK A SATISFYG BLEND OF SPENSE AND EDY, BOTH EXEMPLIFYG AND SATIRIZG THE GENRE AND S MANY GIMMICKS. (A CCIAL DOUBLE-REVEAL TOWARD THE END WAS BASILLY RIPPED OM THE MISSN: IMPOSSIBLE PLAYBOOK.) BUT THE FILM ALSO SEEMS EAGER TO HIGHLIGHT A EPER, DARKER MOTIF ABOUT THE SUBJUGATN OF WOMEN, AND THE ATTEMPTS ARE OFTEN MORE GRATG THAN ILLUMATG.THIS MIGHT BE NATASHA ROMANOFF’S MOVIE, BUT YELENA’S FEELGS OF BETRAYAL AND ISOLATN PROVI THE EMOTNAL SFFOLDG. YELENA WAS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD WHEN HER ILLN OF FAY FELL APART; THE THREE YEARS SHE HAD SPENT WH NATASHA, ALEXEI, AND MELA WERE THE HAPPIT HER LIFE, SHE SAYS AT ONE POT, BUT EVERYONE AROUND HER WAS SIMPLY PLAYG A PART.BUT BLACK WIDOW’S EXPLORATN OF BOTH YELENA AND NATASHA’S PA FEELS ABSURDLY SHALLOW GIVEN EVERYTHG WE KNOW THEY’VE ENDURED: THEY WERE ABDUCTED AS CHILDREN, BRAWASHED, FORCIBLY STERILIZED, AND TRAED TO BEE CHILD ASSASSS. YELENA WAS ALSO DGGED.AS ONE MIGHT EXPECT OM A FILM ABOUT A WORK OF DOCTRATED KILLERS, EE WILL UP OFTEN BLACK WIDOW—AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, ONE WORD IS ED TO EXPRS THAT VIRTUE. WHEN MELA EXPLAS HER ROLE NATASHA AND YELENA’S ABE, SHE SAYS THAT AS A WIDOW HERSELF, “I WAS NEVER GIVEN A CHOICE.” DURG HER NONTATN WH DREYKOV, NATASHA TELLS HIM, “YOU TOOK MY CHOIC AND TRIED TO BREAK ME—BUT NEVER AGA.” AND WHEN THE SISTERS CURE THE WIDOWS OM THEIR BRAWASHG AND SET THEM EE, NATASHA TELLS THEM, “YOU GET TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHOIC NOW.”GIVEN THAT BLACK WIDOW BEGS WH A THREE-MUTE MONTAGE FEATURG STOCK IMAG OF WORLD LEARS SET TO A SLOWED-DOWN VER OF “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIR,” WOULD BE FOOLISH TO EXPECT MUCH SUBTLETY OM S MSAGG. STILL, SOMEWHERE AROUND THE LE WHERE SOMEONE UTTERED THE WORDS, “TO HIM WE ARE JT THGS” TO SCRIBE DREYKOV, I FOUND MYSELF GETTG CRANKY. “STILL, SOMEWHERE AROUND THE LE WHERE SOMEONE UTTERED THE WORDS “TO HIM WE ARE JT THGS” TO SCRIBE DREYKOV, I FOUND MYSELF GETTG CRANKY. ” ADVERTISEMENT THE LE FEELS LIKE A DIRECT REFERENCE TO MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, A FEMALE-LED ACTN MOVIE THAT FEATURED THE VIRAL LE, “WE ARE NOT THGS!” WHEN DREYKOV TELLS NATASHA THAT YOUNG GIRLS ARE “THE ONLY NATURAL ROURCE THE WORLD HAS TOO MUCH OF,” ’S HARD NOT TO THK OF IMMORTAN JOE. FURY ROAD BUTED 2015, THE SAME YEAR THAT STAR WARS RELEASED THE FORCE AWAKENS WH DAISY RIDLEY ONT AND CENTER. BOTH FILMS, ALONG WH THE RECENTLY RELEASED WONR WOMAN, RE-IGNED CRI FOR A BLACK WIDOW MOVIE AFTER YEARS OF STAED NAGGG.WHETHER OR NOT THE FURY ROAD ECHO WAS TENTNAL, ’S A REMR OF JT HOW LONG BLACK WIDOW TOOK TO ARRIVE, AND HOW ABSURD THAT REALY IS.THE LATE ARRIVAL ULD BE FIVEN IF BLACK WIDOW ACTUALLY ELEVATED BLACK WIDOW’S STORY TO SOMETHG MEANGFUL, BUT THE FILM’S MOST DIRECT REFERENCE TO THE TRMA NATASHA AND YELENA ENDURED ARRIV THROUGH THE FILTER OF MARVEL BANTER. WHEN THE TWO BT ALEXEI OUT OF PRISON TO HELP THEM FD AND KILL DREYKOV, HE SLDS YELENA’S SOUR MEANOR BY ASKG, “IS YOUR TIME OF THE MONTH?” HER RPONSE: “I DON’T GET MY PERD, DIPSH. I DON’T HAVE A UTES… THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE RED ROOM GIV YOU AN VOLUNTARY HYSTERECTOMY. THEY KD OF JT GO , AND THEY RIP OUT ALL OF YOUR REPRODUCTIVE ANS. THEY JT GET THERE AND THEY CHOP THEM ALL AWAY, EVERYTHG OUT, SO YOU N’T HAVE BABI…”BEG THAT THIS IS A MARVEL MOVIE AND NOT A NFERENCE ON REPRODUCTIVE EEDOM, WOULD BE FOOLISH TO EXPECT AN -PTH DISCSN OF THE TRMATIC EFFECTS OF FORCED STERILIZATN. STILL, THE MOMENT CHARACTERIZ THE BROAR ISSUE WH BLACK WIDOW, AND PERHAPS BLACK WIDOW GENERAL: THE FILM VOK A GOME ABE OF CIVIL LIBERTI THAT AFFECTS REAL WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD BUT AVOIDS ANY EMOTNAL OR TELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT BEYOND THAT. COURTY MARVEL/DISNEY+ EVERYONE RPONDS TO TRMA DIFFERENTLY, BUT YELENA AND NATASHA’S CLOSED-OFF MEANOR FEELS MORE LIKE A BYPRODUCT OF HOLLYWOOD’S REFAL TO LET S “STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS” EXPERIENCE THE FULL SPECTM OF HUMAN EMOTNS—AND, IF WE’RE BEG HONT WH OURSELV, MARVEL’S ALLERGY TO MOST HUMAN, NON-WORLD-SAVG EMOTNS GENERAL. (WH THE EXCEPTN OF WANDA MAXIMOFF, WHO EXPERIENC MORE EP EMOTNS THAN PRETTY MUCH ALL OF HER PEERS BED.) BEE OF THIS, THE FILM’S REPEATED SISTENCE ON VAGUELY, GLANCGLY VOKG THE FIGHT FOR REPRODUCTIVE EEDOM FEELS MORE LIKE A CYNIL GTURE TOWARD MEANG THAN A FULLY-VELOPED THEME. ADVERTISEMENT I PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE SO PICKY ABOUT THIS IF MARVEL AND S RPORATE OVERLORD, DISNEY, HADN’T MA THIS MANVER THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER FOR SO LONG. BUT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” 2017’S BETY AND THE BEAST AND THE UNEARNED “GIRL POWER” SCENE AVENGERS: ENDGAME, MY PATIENCE RAN OUT. MY TRATN WH BLACK WIDOW PROBABLY HAS LS TO DO WH THE FILM SELF THAN WH THE LARGER MACHE THAT NTAS —WH THE FACT THAT EVERY TIME TWO MEN KISS A STAR WARS FILM WE SOMEHOW WD UP TALKG ABOUT LIKE ’S GROUNDBREAKG, AND WH THE FACT THAT BLACK WIDOW STARTED THIS ANCHISE WH JON FAVRE DROOLG OVER HER AND STILL N’T MAKE THROUGH EVEN HER OWN STANDALONE FILM WHOUT AT LEAST ONE ASS SHOT. AND THE FACT THAT EVEN SPE THIS, THE FILM WILL LIKELY RECEIVE WISPREAD PRAISE FOR S “SELF-AWARE” TAKE ON THE CHARACTER—AS THOUGH AWARENS OF A PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS SOLVG .YELENA’S NON-STOP TEASG ABOUT BLACK WIDOW’S POS FEELS LIKE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HOW THIS CHARACTER HAS BEEN TREATED LIKE A RATIVE OBJECT THE PAST—BUT THE REAL PUNCHLE IS THE FUTILY OF LIVERG SUCH A JOKE AFTER NATASHA IS ALREADY AD. AND FOR THOSE WHO FOT, A GENTLE REMR: ENDGAME HEAVILY IMPLIED THAT SHE DID SO BEE SHE’D CID THAT AS A SGLE WOMAN WH NO CHILDREN, SHE HAD LS TO LIVE FOR THAN CLT BARTON, WHO HAS A FAY. THROUGHOUT THIS CLUTTERED NTUY, CHARACTERS LIKE TONY STARK AND STEVE ROGERS AND THOR—THE “BIG ON”—ALL WENT ON TE HERO’S JOURNEYS. BLACK WIDOW ONLY EVER GOT TO CHEER OM THE SIL, HER POTENTIAL NSTANTLY TEASED BUT NEVER REALLY LIVERED. IF THE POWERS THAT BE AT MARVEL WANT TO TALK ABOUT “CHOIC,” THEY WOULD DO WELL TO NSIR WHY THAT IS. WE’VE HAD ENOUGH SELF-AWARE JOK TO LAST AN IMMORTAL MIGOD’S LIFETIME. LET’S JT TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT NEXT TIME SOMEONE LNCH A MULTI-BILLN DOLLAR ACTN ANCHISE, AT LEAST ONE OF THE “BIG ON” IS A WOMAN. LRA BRADLEY

IS BLACK WIDOW GAY, BISEXUAL OR STRAIGHT? ALL HER RELATNSHIPS

RELATED | 15 Gay Marvel Ships the Stans Go Crazy For. Zoe is gay the ics, and the show has hted that she is as well.

THE RSO BROTHERS SAY A CURRENT MARVEL CHARACTER IS SECRETLY GAY

Iceman (Gay). While most Marvel hero are secure their own inti, took Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, a long time to e to his own as a gay man.

ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN BETA(FUNCTN(){FOR(VAR G="FUNCTN"==TYPEOF FEPROPERTI?FEPROPERTY:FUNCTN(B,C,A){IF(||)THROW NEW TYPEERROR("ES3 DO NOT SUPPORT GETTERS AND SETTERS.");B!=ARRAY.PROTOTYPE&&B!=OBJECT.PROTOTYPE&&(B[C])},H="UNFED"!=TYPEOF WDOW&&WDOW===THIS?THIS:"UNFED"!=TYPEOF GLOBAL&&NULL!=GLOBAL?GLOBAL:THIS,K=["STRG","PROTOTYPE","REPEAT"],L=0;LB||1342177279>>=1)C+=C;RETURN A};Q!=P&&NULL!=Q&&G(H,N,{NFIGURABLE:!0,WRABLE:!0,VALUE:Q});VAR T=THIS;FUNCTN U(B,C){VAR ("."),D=T;A[0] D||!D.EXECSCRIPT||D.EXECSCRIPT("VAR "+A[0]);FOR(VAR E;(());)||VOID 0===C?D[E]?D=D[E]:D=D[E]={}:D[E]=C};FUNCTN V(B){VAR ;IF(0=C.OFFSETWIDTH&&0>=C.OFFSETHEIGHT)A=!1;ELSE{D=C.GETBOUNDGCLIENTRECT();VAR ;("PAGEYOFFSET" WDOW?WDOW.PAGEYOFFSET:(DOCUMENT.DOCUMENTELEMENT||F.PARENTNO||F).SCROLLTOP);("PAGEXOFFSET" WDOW?WDOW.PAGEXOFFSET:(DOCUMENT.DOCUMENTELEMENT||F.PARENTNO||F).SCROLLLEFT);F=A.TOSTRG()+","+D;B.B.HASOWNPROPERTY(F)?A=!1:(B.B[F]=!0,A=(A+=E)}B.I&&(E="&RD="+ENURICOMPONENT(JSON.STRGIFY(B())),131072>(A+=E),C=!0);C=A;IF(C){D=B.H;B=B.J;VAR F;IF(WDOW.XMLHTTPREQUT)F=NEW XMLHTTPREQUT;ELSE IF(WDOW.ACTIVEXOBJECT)TRY{F=NEW ACTIVEXOBJECT("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")}TCH(R){TRY{F=NEW ACTIVEXOBJECT("MICROSOFT.XMLHTTP")}TCH(D){}}F&&(("POST",D+(-1==XOF("?")?"?":"&")+"URL="+ENURICOMPONENT(B)),F.SETREQUTHEAR("CONTENT-TYPE","APPLITN/X-WWW-FORM-URLEND"),(A))}}}FUNCTN B(){VAR B={},C;C=DOCUMENT.GETELEMENTSBYTAGNAME("IMG");IF(!)RETURN{};VAR A=C[0];IF(!("NATURALWIDTH" A&&"NATURALHEIGHT" A))RETURN{};FOR(VAR D=0;A=C[D];++D){VAR E=A.GETATTRIBUTE("DATA-PAGPEED-URL-HASH");E&&(!(E B)&&0=B[E].O&&>=B[E].M)&&(B[E]={,,OW:A.NATURALWIDTH,OH:A.NATURALHEIGHT})}RETURN B}VAR C="";U("PAGPEED.CRILIMAG.GETBEANDATA",FUNCTN(){RETURN C});U("",FUNCTN(B,C,A,D,E,F){VAR R=NEW Y(B,C,A,E,F);X=R;D&&W(FUNCTN(){WDOW.SETTIMEOUT(FUNCTN(){A(R)},0)})});})();('/NGX_PAGPEED_BEAN','(MARVEL)/WORKS','EVFAZEUQGZ',TE,FALSE,'SY6ZTGG94MQ');

K (Gay). While his brother Wicn is one of the most well-known gay characters Marvel, Speed himself is also a member of the LGBTQ+ muny.

So ’s only natural to wonr if she’s gay, bisexual, or straight.

MARVEL’S ‘BLACK WIDOW’ MOVIE IS ONE LAST INSULT TO NATASHA ROMANOFFNOT SO MARVELOUSCOURTY MARVEL/DISNEY+IT’S A FUN PNAGE THRILLER AND FLORENCE PUGH IS A MARVEL. (SORRY.) BUT DIDN’T ALSO FEEL EXTREMELY PHONED ?LRA BRADLEYSENR ENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED JUL. 10, 2021 9:49AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 09, 2021 11:46PM EDT THIS POST NTAS SPOILERS FOR BLACK WIDOW.FOR THE SUAL VIEWER, BLACK WIDOW WILL LIKELY PROVE ALL KDS OF NFG. BUT ’S HARD TO BLAME ANYONE WHO’S NFED AS TO WHY MARVEL IS JT NOW RELEASG S FIRST STANDALONE FILM DITED TO NATASHA ROMANOFF. AFTER ALL, SHE IS TECHNILLY AD.BLACK WIDOW, WHICH JOED PHASE FOUR OF MARVEL’S SPRAWLG CEMATIC UNIVERSE FRIDAY, TAK PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS OF CAPTA AMERI: CIVIL WAR AND AVENGERS: INFY WAR. (THE FORMER BUTED 2016; THE LATTER, 2018.) NATASHA DIED 2019’S ENDGAME AFTER SACRIFICG HER LIFE TO SECURE THE SOUL STONE, WHICH THE AVENGERS NEED TO FEAT THANOS.NOW—MEANG, THIS NEW FILM, WHICH IS THE PAST—WE FD BLACK WIDOW ON THE N OM THORI AFTER HELPG CAPTA AMERI EE BUCKY BARN. SHE RETURNS TO HER SAFE HOE BUDAPT AFTER RECEIVG A MYSTER PACKAGE OM HER “SISTER,” YELENA (FLORENCE PUGH), WHO GREW UP BY HER SI OH UNR THE RE OF RSIAN OPERATIV. ALEXEI (DAVID HARBOUR) AND MELA (RACHEL WEISZ) ED THEIR FAKE FAY AS A VER WHILE THEY WORKED TO STEAL A CHEMIL THAT SOMEHOW SEPARAT PEOPLE OM THEIR EE WILL. (YEAH, I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT, EHER.) AFTER A SISTERLY RNN-FISTFIGHT, NATASHA AND YELENA SET OUT TO KILL THE CREATOR AND LER OF THE RED ROOM AND THE WIDOWS, DREYKOV (RAY WSTONE)—WHO HAS ABDUCTED UNTLS YOUNG GIRLS ACROSS THE WORLD TO DO HIS BIDDG. MARVEL RELEASED 20 FILMS BEFORE THEY FALLY BUTED THEIR FIRST ABOUT A WOMAN, CAPTA MARVEL, 2019. THROUGHOUT HER REER THE MCU, NATASHA ROMANOFF HAS LARGELY EXISTED TO SUPPORT THE STORY ARCS OF MEN AROUND HER, WHETHER BY HELPG CAPTA AMERI NONT HIS PAST OR LENDG BCE BANNER A SHOULR TO CRY ON THROUGH HIS HULKY INTY CRISIS. NOW, AFTER 13 YEARS OF CLAMORG OM FANS AND CRICS, SHE FALLY HAS HER OWN FILM—AFTER SHE’S ALREADY AD THE MA NTUY. (IN FAIRNS, THE ORIGAL PLAN WAS TO RELEASE BLACK WIDOW LAST SPRG—BUT EVEN BARRG THE COVID DISPTN, THE FILM HAD ALWAYS BEEN PLANNED TO BUT AFTER ENDGAME.)THIS WOULD ALL BE LS TRATG IF BLACK WIDOW SELF WEREN’T SO PHONED , BUT EVEN A STELLAR PERFORMANCE OM FLORENCE PUGH N’T SAVE THIS EMPTY PLOT VEHICLE MASQUERADG AS A QUIPPY PNAGE THRILLER.BLACK WIDOW MIGHT HAVE LARGELY STEPPED AWAY OM THE AVENGERS WORLD TO SEND OFF OUR FAVORE RED-HEAD ASSASS, BUT EVEN SO, ’S IMPOSSIBLE TO FET THAT THIS ENTRY, LIKE ALL THE OTHERS, IS JT ONE PIECE OF A LARGER PUZZLE. EVERY MENTN OF CLT BARTON—AND THERE ARE A FEW—IS A REMR THAT THE CHARACTER’S TV SERI, HAWKEYE, IS G SOON ON DISNEY+. JULIA LOUIS-DREYF’ APPEARANCE THE POST-CREDS SCENE AS CONTSA VALENTA ALLEGRA FONTAE TETHERS THE FILM TO THE FALN AND THE WTER SOLDIER, WHERE SHE ALSO APPEARS. HELL, THE ENTIRE FILM ONLY MAK SENSE IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TWO OTHERS THAT ME OUT THREE YEARS AGO.WHATEVER PROBLEMS BLACK WIDOW HAS, HOWEVER, THE PERFORMANC ARE ALMOST UNIFORMLY SPECTACULAR. SRLETT JOHANSSON AND PUGH’S CHEMISTRY CRACKL EVERY SCENE THEY SHARE. YELENA GOADS HER SISTER FOR BEG ONE OF THE AVENGERS BUT NOT “ONE OF THE BIG ON,” AND LOV TO MAKE FUN OF THE HAIR-FLIPPG FIGHTG STANC THAT HAVE BEE THE CHARACTER’S SIGNATURE. (“I MEAN, THEY’RE GREAT POS, BUT DO LOOK LIKE YOU THK EVERYONE’S LOOKG AT YOU ALL THE TIME.”) DAVID HARBOUR, MEANWHILE, WAS THE PERFECT CHOICE TO PLAY THEIR “FATHER,” ALEXEI—A SOVIET SUPERSOLDIER WHOSE TIME PRISON HAS LEFT HIM A B STY. ADVERTISEMENT WHEN BLACK WIDOW MOV LIKE A SPY THRILLER, MOSTLY STRIK A SATISFYG BLEND OF SPENSE AND EDY, BOTH EXEMPLIFYG AND SATIRIZG THE GENRE AND S MANY GIMMICKS. (A CCIAL DOUBLE-REVEAL TOWARD THE END WAS BASILLY RIPPED OM THE MISSN: IMPOSSIBLE PLAYBOOK.) BUT THE FILM ALSO SEEMS EAGER TO HIGHLIGHT A EPER, DARKER MOTIF ABOUT THE SUBJUGATN OF WOMEN, AND THE ATTEMPTS ARE OFTEN MORE GRATG THAN ILLUMATG.THIS MIGHT BE NATASHA ROMANOFF’S MOVIE, BUT YELENA’S FEELGS OF BETRAYAL AND ISOLATN PROVI THE EMOTNAL SFFOLDG. YELENA WAS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD WHEN HER ILLN OF FAY FELL APART; THE THREE YEARS SHE HAD SPENT WH NATASHA, ALEXEI, AND MELA WERE THE HAPPIT HER LIFE, SHE SAYS AT ONE POT, BUT EVERYONE AROUND HER WAS SIMPLY PLAYG A PART.BUT BLACK WIDOW’S EXPLORATN OF BOTH YELENA AND NATASHA’S PA FEELS ABSURDLY SHALLOW GIVEN EVERYTHG WE KNOW THEY’VE ENDURED: THEY WERE ABDUCTED AS CHILDREN, BRAWASHED, FORCIBLY STERILIZED, AND TRAED TO BEE CHILD ASSASSS. YELENA WAS ALSO DGGED.AS ONE MIGHT EXPECT OM A FILM ABOUT A WORK OF DOCTRATED KILLERS, EE WILL UP OFTEN BLACK WIDOW—AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, ONE WORD IS ED TO EXPRS THAT VIRTUE. WHEN MELA EXPLAS HER ROLE NATASHA AND YELENA’S ABE, SHE SAYS THAT AS A WIDOW HERSELF, “I WAS NEVER GIVEN A CHOICE.” DURG HER NONTATN WH DREYKOV, NATASHA TELLS HIM, “YOU TOOK MY CHOIC AND TRIED TO BREAK ME—BUT NEVER AGA.” AND WHEN THE SISTERS CURE THE WIDOWS OM THEIR BRAWASHG AND SET THEM EE, NATASHA TELLS THEM, “YOU GET TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHOIC NOW.”GIVEN THAT BLACK WIDOW BEGS WH A THREE-MUTE MONTAGE FEATURG STOCK IMAG OF WORLD LEARS SET TO A SLOWED-DOWN VER OF “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIR,” WOULD BE FOOLISH TO EXPECT MUCH SUBTLETY OM S MSAGG. STILL, SOMEWHERE AROUND THE LE WHERE SOMEONE UTTERED THE WORDS, “TO HIM WE ARE JT THGS” TO SCRIBE DREYKOV, I FOUND MYSELF GETTG CRANKY. “STILL, SOMEWHERE AROUND THE LE WHERE SOMEONE UTTERED THE WORDS “TO HIM WE ARE JT THGS” TO SCRIBE DREYKOV, I FOUND MYSELF GETTG CRANKY. ” ADVERTISEMENT THE LE FEELS LIKE A DIRECT REFERENCE TO MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, A FEMALE-LED ACTN MOVIE THAT FEATURED THE VIRAL LE, “WE ARE NOT THGS!” WHEN DREYKOV TELLS NATASHA THAT YOUNG GIRLS ARE “THE ONLY NATURAL ROURCE THE WORLD HAS TOO MUCH OF,” ’S HARD NOT TO THK OF IMMORTAN JOE. FURY ROAD BUTED 2015, THE SAME YEAR THAT STAR WARS RELEASED THE FORCE AWAKENS WH DAISY RIDLEY ONT AND CENTER. BOTH FILMS, ALONG WH THE RECENTLY RELEASED WONR WOMAN, RE-IGNED CRI FOR A BLACK WIDOW MOVIE AFTER YEARS OF STAED NAGGG.WHETHER OR NOT THE FURY ROAD ECHO WAS TENTNAL, ’S A REMR OF JT HOW LONG BLACK WIDOW TOOK TO ARRIVE, AND HOW ABSURD THAT REALY IS.THE LATE ARRIVAL ULD BE FIVEN IF BLACK WIDOW ACTUALLY ELEVATED BLACK WIDOW’S STORY TO SOMETHG MEANGFUL, BUT THE FILM’S MOST DIRECT REFERENCE TO THE TRMA NATASHA AND YELENA ENDURED ARRIV THROUGH THE FILTER OF MARVEL BANTER. WHEN THE TWO BT ALEXEI OUT OF PRISON TO HELP THEM FD AND KILL DREYKOV, HE SLDS YELENA’S SOUR MEANOR BY ASKG, “IS YOUR TIME OF THE MONTH?” HER RPONSE: “I DON’T GET MY PERD, DIPSH. I DON’T HAVE A UTES… THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE RED ROOM GIV YOU AN VOLUNTARY HYSTERECTOMY. THEY KD OF JT GO , AND THEY RIP OUT ALL OF YOUR REPRODUCTIVE ANS. THEY JT GET THERE AND THEY CHOP THEM ALL AWAY, EVERYTHG OUT, SO YOU N’T HAVE BABI…”BEG THAT THIS IS A MARVEL MOVIE AND NOT A NFERENCE ON REPRODUCTIVE EEDOM, WOULD BE FOOLISH TO EXPECT AN -PTH DISCSN OF THE TRMATIC EFFECTS OF FORCED STERILIZATN. STILL, THE MOMENT CHARACTERIZ THE BROAR ISSUE WH BLACK WIDOW, AND PERHAPS BLACK WIDOW GENERAL: THE FILM VOK A GOME ABE OF CIVIL LIBERTI THAT AFFECTS REAL WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD BUT AVOIDS ANY EMOTNAL OR TELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT BEYOND THAT. COURTY MARVEL/DISNEY+ EVERYONE RPONDS TO TRMA DIFFERENTLY, BUT YELENA AND NATASHA’S CLOSED-OFF MEANOR FEELS MORE LIKE A BYPRODUCT OF HOLLYWOOD’S REFAL TO LET S “STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS” EXPERIENCE THE FULL SPECTM OF HUMAN EMOTNS—AND, IF WE’RE BEG HONT WH OURSELV, MARVEL’S ALLERGY TO MOST HUMAN, NON-WORLD-SAVG EMOTNS GENERAL. (WH THE EXCEPTN OF WANDA MAXIMOFF, WHO EXPERIENC MORE EP EMOTNS THAN PRETTY MUCH ALL OF HER PEERS BED.) BEE OF THIS, THE FILM’S REPEATED SISTENCE ON VAGUELY, GLANCGLY VOKG THE FIGHT FOR REPRODUCTIVE EEDOM FEELS MORE LIKE A CYNIL GTURE TOWARD MEANG THAN A FULLY-VELOPED THEME. ADVERTISEMENT I PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE SO PICKY ABOUT THIS IF MARVEL AND S RPORATE OVERLORD, DISNEY, HADN’T MA THIS MANVER THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER FOR SO LONG. BUT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” 2017’S BETY AND THE BEAST AND THE UNEARNED “GIRL POWER” SCENE AVENGERS: ENDGAME, MY PATIENCE RAN OUT. MY TRATN WH BLACK WIDOW PROBABLY HAS LS TO DO WH THE FILM SELF THAN WH THE LARGER MACHE THAT NTAS —WH THE FACT THAT EVERY TIME TWO MEN KISS A STAR WARS FILM WE SOMEHOW WD UP TALKG ABOUT LIKE ’S GROUNDBREAKG, AND WH THE FACT THAT BLACK WIDOW STARTED THIS ANCHISE WH JON FAVRE DROOLG OVER HER AND STILL N’T MAKE THROUGH EVEN HER OWN STANDALONE FILM WHOUT AT LEAST ONE ASS SHOT. AND THE FACT THAT EVEN SPE THIS, THE FILM WILL LIKELY RECEIVE WISPREAD PRAISE FOR S “SELF-AWARE” TAKE ON THE CHARACTER—AS THOUGH AWARENS OF A PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS SOLVG .YELENA’S NON-STOP TEASG ABOUT BLACK WIDOW’S POS FEELS LIKE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HOW THIS CHARACTER HAS BEEN TREATED LIKE A RATIVE OBJECT THE PAST—BUT THE REAL PUNCHLE IS THE FUTILY OF LIVERG SUCH A JOKE AFTER NATASHA IS ALREADY AD. AND FOR THOSE WHO FOT, A GENTLE REMR: ENDGAME HEAVILY IMPLIED THAT SHE DID SO BEE SHE’D CID THAT AS A SGLE WOMAN WH NO CHILDREN, SHE HAD LS TO LIVE FOR THAN CLT BARTON, WHO HAS A FAY. THROUGHOUT THIS CLUTTERED NTUY, CHARACTERS LIKE TONY STARK AND STEVE ROGERS AND THOR—THE “BIG ON”—ALL WENT ON TE HERO’S JOURNEYS. BLACK WIDOW ONLY EVER GOT TO CHEER OM THE SIL, HER POTENTIAL NSTANTLY TEASED BUT NEVER REALLY LIVERED. IF THE POWERS THAT BE AT MARVEL WANT TO TALK ABOUT “CHOIC,” THEY WOULD DO WELL TO NSIR WHY THAT IS. WE’VE HAD ENOUGH SELF-AWARE JOK TO LAST AN IMMORTAL MIGOD’S LIFETIME. LET’S JT TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT NEXT TIME SOMEONE LNCH A MULTI-BILLN DOLLAR ACTN ANCHISE, AT LEAST ONE OF THE “BIG ON” IS A WOMAN. LRA BRADLEY

Kev Feige wh Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Srlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo (Cred: Willy Sanjuan/Invisn/AP)Avengers: Endgame directors the Rso brothers have revealed that Marvel Studs will soon reveal that one of the current MCU characters is secretly gay. Dpe some sexual tensn between Mark Ruffalo's Bce Banner and Srlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff (and Steve Rogers pg over Peggy Carter) the Avengers films are largely sexls 's perhaps no great surprise that if one of them is gay, 's not really figured the overall story more: Eight new Marvel movi datedHowever, that's soon to change. Speakg to Entertament Weekly's EW Morng Live, director Joe Rso was discsg his meo Avengers: appears the scene which Steve Rogers is – for reasons entirely unexplaed – sudnly employed a group therapist to a bunch of 's the guy who speaks about losg his partner, but has sce been on a date, though 's one that volved cryg a he's gay is – pleasgly – not picked up on the slightt, and the terview wh EW, Rso explas that this guy is the first 'openly gay' character the seri (though that's pretty shabby self, nsirg the st of thoands over 22 movi).