David Harbour Makes a Startling Revelation About Scarlett Johansson’s Final MCU Movie Before Her Retirement
Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson in a solo role, has faced criticism since its debut. As the opening film of Phase Four, it occupies a unique place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Positioned between Civil War and the Infinity Saga, the movie serves as a prequel, delving into the backstory of the main character. Some of the critics felt that the resolution part of the movie almost lacked the emotional impact that it could have achieved.
David Harbour reveals Black Widow’s finale was rewritten
In the Happy Sad Podcast, the Red Guardian actor, David Harbour, revealed that the third act of Black Widow was rewritten during the shoot. The Stranger Things actor opened up during a discussion on his new upcoming film, Thunderbolt. In the Phase Five saga, he would reunite with Black Widow co-star Florence Pugh alongside a number of other MCU adversaries. When asked about the script, he replied that Marvel would rework it even for a big production, including Black Widow, where the third act is reworked as they shoot.
“Yeah, I mean, we were, I think, going to go, and then I think they did want the opportunity to change some stuff. The interesting thing about Marvel that’s so great about them is that they rework stuff. Even big productions. Like ‘Black Widow,’ the entire third act was reworked as we were shooting, which is incredible. And so, they just want that freedom.
He also added that, following the end of the movie, the conclusion part failed in its way to create an emotional impact rather was a CGI festival. The Red Room sequence and Dreykov as the significant threats left the resolution completely underwhelming, falling into the wreckage. It was a superhero action sequence with characters lacking futuristic gear or superhuman abilities, which made it worse and even less credible.
Black Widow’s disappointing ending disrupts the MCU’s chronology and essence.
The Black Widow is set during the time of the Infinity Saga and released after Avengers: Endgame, where fans witnessed her awful death. Considering the events in mind, fans would expect a perfect ending for Scarlet Johansson’s final appearance in MCU. Natasha Romanoff’s personality and her fights were important to the Infinity Saga. But in her own movie, her character was fated to conform to a conventional ending, which failed to capture the essence of her persona. The movie was initially slated for May 2020, but due to multiple delays, it was eventually let out during the 2021 pandemic, disrupting the MCU’s chronological timeline. Besides, the hybrid release strategy also resulted in Black Widow’s trajectory at the box office.
A report from 2023 suggested that Marvel Studios intentionally chose directors who lacked CGI and special effects. This might be why Black Widow had problems in its last part, as the ending was changed while they were filming. Black Widow nails from the spy genre, filled with action and powerful feats from the entire cast. But at the end of the day, it ranks low on the list of MCU films and becomes another forgettable film like Thor: The Dark World.
Black Widow co-stars are set to run for Thunderbolts.
Thunderbolts is the story of a team of antiheroes and reformed villains who turn into heroes after their villainous pasts. The Thunderbolts are speculated to follow the events that are described in the Marvel Comics of the same name. Directed by Jake Schreier, the production, initially expected to commence in the summer, was delayed due to the Hollywood strike.
Harrison Ford will play Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross in the movie alongside Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Val, Ayo Edebiri, and Steven Yeun.
Thunderbolts is slated to hit theaters on December 20, 2024.
Source: The Direct
