Black Widow release date, main cast, trailer, Disney Plus Premier Access and more

The Black Widow movie is actually here, concluding what seems like years of pent-up demand. And the film isn't only in theaters, it's also on Disney Plus. And we've been waiting. It's been over a decade since Scarlett Johannson’s Natasha Romanoff debuted in Iron Man 2 (2010).

That said, you're going to have to pony up, as it's on Disney Plus Premier Access. Some background: During Marvel Studios’ panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, the company announced a Black Widow title movie as the first project of MCU Phase 4. 

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We’ve gathered everything there is to know about the Black Widow movie and organized it below for your convenience. From the release date to the timeline, here's everything we know so far about Black Widow's solo debut.

Black Widow release date

Black Widow came out on July 9, 2021 — it's fourth and final release date. Originally, the movie was set for May 2020, followed by November 2020 and then May 7, 2021. Naturally, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings just got its release date pushed back as well. The rest of the upcoming Marvel Movies also got delays.

News of Black Widow's changing release dates began on March 17, 2020, when ComicBook.com broke the news that Black Widow was joining the ranks to the many movies whose release has been delayed by coronavirus. This likely could have a ripple effect on other MCU Phase 4 projects, since they all intertwine. We will update this story when we learn more. 

Black Widow on Disney Plus Premier Access

Disney Plus subscribers need to pay more than just the monthly subscription fee to see Black Widow. That's because unlike Soul and Luna, Black Widow will be under the Premier Access paywall, where it costs $30, just like Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon each cost $30 extra to buy through Disney Plus Premier Access.

Black Widow trailer

We just got the above trailer, the final full tease for the movie. Much like a Fast & Furious film, this one's all about family, with scenes showing the ties between Natasha and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), as well as a whole family meal scene featuring Natasha and Yelena, along with Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), and Red Guardian aka Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour).

Super Bowl 2020 saw the debut of this new ultra-wide clip:

Marvel released an official teaser trailer for Black Widow on December 3, 2019. Take a look below.

Black Widow main cast

Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Black Widow from the previous MCU films. David Harbour (Stranger Things) joins her, playing Alexei Shoskatov, a.k.a. the Red Guardian. The Red Guardian is the communist response to Captain America.

Florence Pugh (Little Women, Midsommar) is playing Yelena Belova, who Black Widow is seen fighting, then drinking with in the Comic-Con teaser. She’s described as a sister figure to Natasha.

O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale) is Mason, a character from Natasha’s past who Fagbenle describes as “a fixer.” 

Rachel Weisz is Melina, a mysterious spy who underwent the Black Widow training project like Natasha. And also like Natasha, she was cycled through the notorious Red Room where young female recruits are groomed into deadly Russian assassins. Our guess is she’ll double as the Taskmaster, especially after Weisz said her character is “very involved in some scientific research.”

Black Widow director

The Black Widow movie marks the first MCU installment directly solely by a woman, with Cate Shortland at the reigns. Apparently the studio met with more than 70 filmmakers for the job before landing on the esteemed Austrailian director. Known for Berlin Syndrome (2017), Lore (2012), and Somersault (2004), Shortland is working with Blacklist writer Jac Schaeffer’s script to deliver a powerful moment for Natasha Romanoff. 

Black Widow villain

Every superhero movie needs a supervillain. Black Widow’s foil is the Taskmaster, a malicious mime with the power to instantly replicate any physical action they see courtesy of photographic reflexes. So they can shoot arrows like Hawkeye and chuck a shield like Captain America as long as they see them do it first. We still don't yet know who will play the longtime Marvel Comics villain.

Black Widow plot

For now, the plot remains as in the shadows as Black Widow’s backstory. "I think you'll learn about what Natasha is afraid of, and I think you'll learn about what parts of herself she's afraid of," said Johansson at Marvel’s SDCC 2019 Phase 4 event.

We know the film will be a prequel, given Black Widow’s sacrifice in Endgame. President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige confirmed the movie is set between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. It might explore the time when she was on the run following the Sokovia Accords. The Black Widow movie also may shed some light on Natasha’s life before she joined as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. But these are just speculations. While audiences know her journey as a selfless—yet badass— member of the Avengers, very little has been revealed about her KGB history.

Black Widow set photos

In fact, there are. One Twitter user, Thomas Polito, caught Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow garb navigating a BMW X5 SUV.  

The same user spotted the Taskmaster in costume. In the latest trailer, we learned that Taskmaster has vibranium claws, which dots an interesting line from here to Wakanda.

We’re not exactly sure what’s happening in this series of shots, but it looks like an epic on-road battle is in Black Widow’s action scene lineup.  How soon can we pre-order tickets?

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