We are just a few weeks away from Black Widow finally reaching theaters after multiple delays, and critical reactions have begun dropping for the latest film from Marvel Studios. This movie has been a long time coming, as Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff was only the third original member of The Avengers that we met when she debuted in Iron Man 2 way back in 2010.
It's been over two years since we last saw a Marvel movie hit theaters, which means the anticipation couldn't be higher for Black Widow. The film is directed by Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome) and takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil War, as Natasha is forced to confront her past and fight the evil organization that built her as an assassin. Jac Schaeffer (WandaVision) and Ned Benson (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby) wrote the story, while Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) penned the script. In addition to Johansson, the film also stars Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour and O-T Fagbenle. The film is set to hit theaters and Disney+ Premier Access on July 9.
With only mere days left before Black Widow gets released, it's time to find out what the critics thought. Has Black Widow been worth the wait? Or is 2021 simply too late for Natasha Romanoff to get a solo film? Check out some of the early critical reactions below — we'll keep updating as more continue to come in. In case you need a reminder, this is not the only MCU chapter to premiere this year, as we're also set to see Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as Eternals premiere later this year.
The first social media reactions call Black Widow "a solid addition to the MCU," and most critics seem to agree that this movie should have come a long time ago. Here's what Collider's own Steve Weintraub and Perri Nemiroff had to say:
Another common consensus is that the stunts in this movie look particularly bruising, and the ensemble cast absolutely shines around Johansson, particularly Harbour and Pugh.
The thread of these reviews, mostly, is that Black Widow should have gotten her solo movie a long time before this, but watching the character come into her own was ultimately worth the wait and it's best viewed on the big screen: