As confirmed by Kevin Feige himself, the new Disney+ shows are set to intertwine with and influence the future of the MCU movies— and of course, vice versa, with the movies also being influential on the upcoming mini-series. The next movie that is set to hit theatres and be available on Disney+ is Black Widow, where fans can finally watch Scarlett Johansson's character star in her own movie.
While it is set in the past and it isn't exactly the most typical origin story, Black Widow will explore more about Natasha Romanoff's past as a graduate of the Red Room and a Russian spy. But that doesn't mean it won't create some pretty big storylines that are sure to have a major impact on future Marvel projects, especially the Disney+ shows.
10 Latveria May Finally Be Introduced Into The MCU
As with all good spy thrillers, Black Widow is likely to be a globe-trotting movie, full of exciting locations across the globe. But one particular place the film will definitely take place in is Budapest, Hungary. Finally showing fans what happened to Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton in Budapest will hopefully be an awesome moment, but it could also lead to something much bigger.
There has been plenty of rumors that the Fantastic Four could be introduced in one of Marvel's Disney+ shows, and along with that team of heroes comes a key villain: Doctor Doom. One way to introduce him into the MCU could be as the benevolent monarch of Latveria since it is located in Southern Hungary.
9 Taskmaster Could Feature Again In Future Marvel Projects
Marvel has a habit of reusing villains from the past and so far it's been a pretty good technique, especially when the villains are so awesome. Baron Zemo has recently reappeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so it wouldn't be surprising if Marvel planned to revisit an antagonist from the Black Widow movie in future Disney+ shows.
From the trailers, it seems like Taskmaster is set to be the primary villain for Black Widow, and given his powers of imitating any fighting style he pleases, Taskmaster will definitely prove to be a tough opponent and his potential shouldn't be wasted in just a single movie appearance. In the comics, Taskmaster had a complicated history with Moon Knight, so it would be perfect if Taskmaster returned in that character's upcoming series.
8 An Exploration Of Clint Barton's Past Could Be Important For The Hawkeye Series
Black Widow is set to explore the frequently eluded to past between Clint and Natasha, especially concerning that mission in Budapest. Even though Clint Barton has appeared in plenty of movies over the years, his backstory about how he became Hawkeye hasn't been mentioned at all and could take center stage in his upcoming Disney+ series.
Some of this backstory could be explained in the Black Widow movie and may open up some doors for potential storylines in the series. It hasn't yet been confirmed that Jeremy Renner had a role in the Black Widow movie, but there is still a good chance that some light will be shed on the history of Hawkeye.
7 Thunderbolt Ross' Appearance Could Link To She-Hulk
The brilliant lawyer Jennifer Walters turned green giant She-Hulk is set to star in her own series set to be released sometime in 2022. Bruce Banner's cousin will be played by Tatiana Maslany and is also set to star Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner and Tim Roth as Emil Bronsky, with speculation that Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross will be around as well (hopefully still played by William Hurt).
The latter has also been spotted on the set of Black Widow, meaning that the movie might somehow link to the events of She-Hulk. Thunderbolt Ross is always looking to suppress superheroes and get his own super-powered individuals working for the government, and the Black Widow movie may lay the seeds for this future.
6 Her Friendship With Nick Fury Could Play Into Secret Invasion
Nick Fury is set to star in a space-based series exploring the Skrulls called Secret Invasion. So far, only Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos have been confirmed for the cast to star in the series which will be penned by Mr. Robot writer and producer Kyle Bradstreet.
Given the history between Natasha Romanoff and Nick Fury, there is always a possibility that Fury could turn up to help the ex-Russian spy in need of some assistance during the film, or perhaps the film might also hint at the Skrulls invasion already taking place and showing how the alien race may have been infiltrating the Earth for several years.
5 Yelena Belova Is Set To Become The Future Black Widow For Marvel
After Avengers: Endgame, a common theme among the movies and shows has been passing on the torch to the newer, younger generation as the MCU Phase One heroes are either already gone or are on the home stretch of their hero careers. Stark's legacy has been explored with the Spider-Man movies and Steve Rogers' heroic life is causing problems in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so Black Widow is also in need of passing on the torch after her very sad, but heroic, death.
The perfect solution to finding a new Black Widow is Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who, like Romanoff, was trained to become an elite assassin in the Red Room, and they were both raised like sisters. Exploring the new Black Widow working with Natasha's close friend Hawkeye could make for a cool dynamic, and eventually tease a Yelena Belova-Kate Bishop team up replacing the original Black Widow and Hawkeye.
4 The Thunderbolts Are Being Set Up In Multiple Projects
The next big threat for the MCU, or obstacle for the Avengers on Earth, isn't likely to be anything on the level of Thanos, at least not for awhile. Building back up to something on the scale of Infinity War is going to take awhile. Instead, in the meantime, the heroes could deal with the impact of the snap and the blip on the political and social climate on Earth, more specifically the U.S. government's plan to gain control with their own team of heroes. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has begun setting this up with John Walker's Captain America, and Black Widow could play an integral part.
Behind the scenes could be Thunderbolt Ross, who is comprising a team of reformed supervillains like Baron Zemo, Ghost, Abomination, and now potentially Yelena Belova and Taskmaster, meaning Ross' surprise spotting on the set of Black Widow could have a major influence on the future of the MCU.
3 Could Black Widow Give The MCU Its Long-Awaited Link To Mutants?
Since the Disney takeover of 20th Century Fox, fans gave been constantly speculating about how the X-Men will be introduced into the MCU at some point in the future. Some theories have been pretty wild, while others haven't been too bad, with one suggesting it could all start with the Black Widow movie.
David Harbour is set to play Red Guardian, who is almost like a father figure for Natasha but could become a big villain for the movie. Some theories suggest that the Red Guardian might have been a participant in the Weapons Plus program leading him to become Omega Red, and potentially setting up the foundations for Wolverine's MCU origin story.
2 The Mantle Of Captain America Could Be Explored Even More
An integral part of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the exploration of the meaning of Captain America and the impact he had on the world. From imprisoning and experimenting on past heroes like Isaiah Bradley to giving the shield away to a random white guy John Walker, the show is showing the darkness hidden behind the symbol of hope.
Black Widow may even explore this further with the main villain Taskmaster, who could have encountered Steve Rogers before and lost. This theory could explain how Taskmaster is able to use Cap's fighting technique and could be a motive for his revenge on Cap's fellow Avenger Black Widow.
1 The History Of Super-Soldiers Could Be At Large
Another huge theme for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is super-soldiers, and the many attempts to replicate Erskine's formula over the years. From Thunderbolt Ross' desperate hunt to make his own super-soldiers to the potential of Red Guardian being involved in some sort of Weapons Plus program, Black Widow may lay the groundwork for this.
Another interesting part of Black Widow's history that could be explored is her encounter with the Winter Soldier all those years ago as mentioned in Captain America: Civil War. This moment could tie in nicely to Bucky Barnes' mission to complete his long list of amendments, as seen in his own Disney+ show.