Scarlett Johansson, star of Marvel Studios' Black Widow, revealed why the standalone film wouldn't have been the same if it was made 10 years ago.
On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Johansson said the movie couldn't have been made when this franchise first launched because Natasha's character singularly informed the upcoming film and that her journey with the character is what caused it to be what it is today. She went on to characterize Natasha as a "fully recognized woman," calling her complexity, "delicious" and saying the film is a definite "homecoming."
Colbert, who isn't shy about his nerdiness for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also used this opportunity to float a theory he has about the future of the franchise. He posited that this might be the last of eight appearances for Black Widow in the MCU because "Black Widow is a spider, spiders have eight legs, and that's got to mean something."
Johansson feigned panic at the theory, joking that there's someone from Marvel waiting to shoot her with a "dart gun" if she reveals any spoilers about the upcoming movie. She then protested giving a direct answer, claiming her palms were sweaty from nervousness.
Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour as Alexei aka The Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz as Melina. The film opens May 1, 2020.