Overview
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 — Black Widow has moved its release date again, and will now hit cinemas on Thursday, April 29, 2021. This article has been updated to reflect that change.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Disney has announced a new release date for Black Widow, with the film now hitting cinemas on November 5, 2020.
UPDATE, MARCH 18: Due to concerns around COVID-19, Disney has announced that Black Widow will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, April 30, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed.
To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Over the course of 23 films in 12 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into a big-screen behemoth. Just this year, Avengers: Endgame became the biggest worldwide box office hit of all time — and all three other Avengers films also sit in the global top ten, with Black Panther coming in at number 11. Basically, the MCU has become the Thanos of the cinema world, decimating its competition with ease. But, over all that time, all those movies and all that success, it has taken nearly a decade to give Black Widow her own standalone film.
When it comes to pushing women to the front, the MCU's track record isn't great. As everyone knows, Captain Marvel, the Disney-owned company's first movie solely focused on a female character, only came out this year. Now Marvel is following that up with a film that really should've eventuated years ago — Natasha Romanoff, the highly trained ex-KGB assassin known as Black Widow and played in the MCU by Scarlett Johansson, first debuted on-screen in 2010's Iron Man 2 after all.
Perhaps it's a case of better late than never. Perhaps, if Black Widow had been made earlier, it mightn't have attracted the extra scrutiny that's certain to follow given Johansson's track record when it comes to misguided public comments of late. Either way, thanks to Endgame, the film is obviously a prequel — as the just-dropped first teaser trailer makes plain.
Also starring Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Fighting with My Family), Rachel Weisz and Stranger Things' favourite David Harbour, Black Widow jumps back a few years, setting the bulk of its story just after the events of 2016's Captain America: Civil War. On the run, Romanoff is forced to face her complicated (and violent) past, as well as a new masked opponent. We're sure a few familiar MCU faces will also show up.
When it hits cinemas Down Under at the end of April 2021 — after a year delay due to COVID-19 — Black Widow will close a considerable gap for the MCU in more ways than one — not only will it finally give one the Avengers figure a solo moment to shine, but it'll mark the first Marvel film since mid-2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Behind the scenes, the movie boasts another reason to get excited, with Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome, Lore, Somersault) in the director's chair. And, she's actually the first female filmmaker to helm a Marvel flick solo (after Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck co-helmed Captain Marvel).
Check out the Black Widow trailer below:
After being delayed from its original release date of April 30, 2020, Black Widow will now open in Australian cinemas on April 29, 2021.