‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Directors Hint ‘Black Widow’ Movie May Explore Natasha’s Past

“Avengers: Infinity War” directors Joe and Anthony Russo may have dropped a hint about the upcoming “Black Widow” movie. They seemed to imply that it is going to deal with Natasha Romanoff’s dark past as a KGB spy.

The Russo brothers were on the Happy Sad Confused podcast when they were asked about the film. They shared their excitement, but Joe’s comments focused on the stories that could be told about Black Widow’s (Scarlett Johansson) history.

“It’s crazy exciting,” Anthony said.

“Yeah, we’re very happy for that. I mean, it’s such a rich character,” Joe added. “There’s so much to explore with a character whose history was as a villain, and I think that Scarlett does such a great job of playing that character. And people are so used to that character that they forget the character’s history. So there’s a lot of really compelling stories to tell about someone who has a dark part.”

Does that mean the “Black Widow” movie is an origin story? As directors at Marvel, they likely had to chat with the screenwriter to explain what happens to Widow in the next two “Avengers” movies, and the men have more access to spoilers than most. However, details about the film won’t be confirmed or denied for a while.

Marvel Studios hasn’t even officially announced the flick, but reports have surfaced that Jac Schaeffer will write the movie, which is rumored to hit theaters in 2020.

Some have speculated that the “Black Widow” movie will have to be an origin story taking place entirely in the past. Johansson’s character is one of many superheroes who might die in “Avengers: Infinity War” or its 2019 sequel.

Johansson added fuel to those rumors when she discussed the “bittersweet” feelings that she was having as Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes to an end. “I feel a lot of joy for the next generation,” Johansson told Vanity Fair. “It’s a bittersweet feeling, but a positive one.”

Still, it’s impossible to say what exactly the “Black Widow” solo movie will be about when the script isn’t even finished.

For now, fans will have to focus on speculating about “Avengers: Infinity War” and its sequel. The directors are so concerned about spoilers that they won’t even reveal the title of “Avengers 4” until after “Infinity War” hits theaters.

“Part of the concept of the title is that it’s advancing the narrative,” Joe said during the podcast. “So we’re gonna sit on that until we feel the time is right and when people have absorbed the first movie enough.”

“Avengers: Infinity War” hits theaters May 4.