We Deserve a Movie, But Here’s Some Reasons Why a Black Widow Netflix Series Would Actually Work

By Alex Wolf on November 11, 2015

People want a Black Widow movie; that’s not even a question. There have been endless campaigns, with the most recent being fans taking to the streets in Black Widow costumes, using the hashtag #wewantwidow to express their desire for a Black Widow movie and more Black Widow merchandise marketed to young girls. Even some big names are getting in on the action, with Mark Ruffalo tweeting for more Black Widow merchandise. Nicole Perlman, the co-writer for the movie Guardians of The Galaxy, confessed she penned a early script for a Black Widow movie. And Game of Thrones Director Neil Marshal has expressed interest in directing the solo film.

But, for some reason, Marvel just isn’t getting the hint.

Image Source: http://www.disneyeveryday.com/marvels-captain-america-the-winter-soldier-movie-posters-reveled/

Or are they? We can’t really know exactly what goes on behind the closed doors of Marvel studios. We do know however, that there’s been a recent shakeup in the Marvel hierarchy. Isaac Perlmutter, former CEO of Marvel Entertainment, was recently dethroned from his position, allowing Marvel movie producer Kevin Feige to report directly to Disney CEO Alan Horn. Perlmutter, who has helmed Marvel Studios since the release of the first Iron Man in 2008, was notoriously stingy, strictly controlling the budgets of the movies. But he’s most famous for supposedly scrapping ideas that he deemed too expensive, or that he thought wouldn’t make enough money or be popular. But now he’s gone. What does this mean? Well, the movies now have unlimited budgets, and maybe some ideas that were originally rejected are now back on the table to be considered for films.

Does this include a Black Widow movie?

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Don’t do a happy dance just yet. Again, when it comes down to it, we really don’t know what ideas are being tabled over at Marvel Entertainment. But they did announce three untitled films for the year 2020, so you can get your hopes just a little that one of them might be the Black Widow movie we all need and deserve.

But then again, is a movie really the only way we can tell Natasha Romanoff’s story?

In the last few years, Marvel has made the jump from the big screen to the small screen, launching shows like Agents of Shield and Agent Carter. But by far their biggest achievement was breaking into Netflix. Last April, Marvel launched their first Netflix show, adapting their blind vigilante hero Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil, to the small screen. Daredevil was unlike anything

Marvel had attempted before, with a bleak, gritty tone, downright gory death sequences, and one of the best written villains we have seen thus far. This comes as Marvel’s second Netflix series, Jessica Jones, releases in about two weeks. If the trailers are indicators of what the show is like, Jessica Jones will surpass Daredevil in it’s gritty, gory tone, fitting for a show about an alcoholic, PTSD-ridden former superhero. Who, by the way, is Marvel’s first leading-lady the fans haven’t had to beg or campaign for (if you remember, Agent Carter started out as an 8-episode miniseries, and fans had to campaign for months before Marvel would order another season.)

With Netflix, Marvel has opened up a whole new frontier of possibilities in terms of what they could adapt into a series. Daredevil was originally conceived as a full-length feature film before Marvel decided it would work better on Netflix.

So this begs the question: could a Black Widow Netflix series actually work?

The answer is yes . . .and maybe no. I have some reservations, but for now I’ll list the reasons a Black Widow Netflix series, if done right, could be exactly what us fans were hoping for.

1. The gritty, dark tone is the perfect way to explore Natasha’s backstory

Natasha Romanoff’s story is not a lighthearted one. She was basically trained and brainwashed from childhood to be the perfect assassin, and sent on various missions for the KGB. It’s alluded to many times that she has a lot of blood on her hands. In Avengers, we see Natasha reference the “red in her ledger” and Loki threatening her with information about “Drakov’s daughter” and “the hospital fire.” Her training has been briefly explored in the movies, but nowhere as deep and impactful as we would have liked. A Netflix show, with it’s dark, twisted outlook, would give viewers a chance to finally see Natasha’s past, and in a much more startling way. We would actually see bodies dropping as a young Natasha kills people, or the hospital going up in flames. We would see the brutal training and brainwashing she underwent at the hands of the Black Widow program. To me, actually seeing these things is a far cry from the movies merely referencing them, and much different then panning the camera away whenever Natasha is about to shoot someone.

2. It’s a great opportunity to explore Natasha’s psyche

Natasha, much like Marvel’s newest Netflix heroine Jessica Jones, has a lot of inner turmoil. She’s broken in many ways. She doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve, keeping who she truly is locked behind layers of different personas. She want’s to redeem herself for her past misdeeds, but is torn between her need for redemption and her own, more selfish desires. But we’ve only seen her personality play out in big budget movies where she’s surrounded by other characters who also demand screen time, while the movie is also trying to set up four future movies at the same time. And it’s often hard to see her development from movie to movie. Some critics have even gone as far as saying Natasha plays four separate characters in four separate movies (something I disagree with, and will possibly explore in a future article). In order to really explore who Natasha actually is, we need something that’s dedicated entirely to her, whether it be a movie or a Netflix show.

3. There’s a Black Widow comic storyline that could be perfectly adapted into a Netflix Series

I, for one, am a huge fan of Natasha’s most recent comic storyline, written by Nathan Edmondson and illustrated by Phil Noto. This series pulls Natasha out of the limelight of the Avengers, instead having her take on freelance spy and assassin jobs as a way to atone for her past. Some of the big name heroes make appearances (it’s a comic after all), but mostly it’s just Natasha, working alongside a strong supporting cast, just as Matt Murdock and Jessica Jones do. We’ve seen Natasha play the superhero a bunch of times, but what she’s best at is being a spy. And a Netflix series adapted from this comic would be the perfect way to take her back to those roots.

 4. Even without adapting Edmondson’s series, the possibilities are endless

Natasha has an over fifty-year history, so there’s tons of storylines to choose from. A great one is when Yelena Belova, an assassin trained in the same program as Natasha, challenges her for the right to the title of Black Widow. A fight between the hungry, passionate Yelena and the older, tired Natasha is definitely something I would definitely like to see play out onscreen (I would also love to see Yelena played by Natalie Dormer, but that’s just me). There’s also Natasha traveling back to Russia to seek secrets about her past, or being chased down by the government for collecting classified information. Sprinkle in some cameos by recognizable characters, like Bucky Barnes AKA the Winter Soldier (there’s a comic storyline where Barnes was one of her trainers, something I would like to see get adapted to screen), or Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye, and you’ve got one interesting Netflix series. Just have Natasha’s past catch up to her in some way, a things are bound to get interesting.

 

So I’ve made my case for a Netflix series, but let me give you some reasons why I’m not entirely sold on the idea.

1. I’m not entirely certain Scarlett Johansson would be game for making the jump to the small screen. She’s mentioned several times that she’s interested in a solo movie, but I don’t recall her saying anything about whether she’s be up for a Netflix show. But maybe with the right persuasion (and salary), Marvel could get Johansson on board.

2. Many young girls have taken to Natasha, and see her as a personal hero. Given how violent and bloody Daredevil and Jessica Jones have proven to be, Black Widow adapted for Netflix would really not be something children should watch, and I would hate to deprive them of seeing more of a character they love.

3. This one is entirely personal. I have a really selfish desire to see Natasha get everything the main male heroes have and more. That includes three movies, a full toy line, and Scarlett getting asked questions during interviews that have to do with her character and not her appearance or her exercise routine. Can you blame me?

Again, I won’t pretend I know what Marvel has in store for our beloved super spy, but I think I speak for all Black Widow fans when I say this: Give us our Black Widow movie. Or Netflix series.

 

Sources:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Game-Thrones-Director-Wants-Helm-Black-Widow-Movie-66914.html

http://www.themarysue.com/marvel-has-too-much-on-their-plates-for-black-widow/

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/09/marvel-studios-ike-perlmutter-kevin-feige

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/90439/20151002/drew-goddard-daredevil-originally-meant-for-the-big-screen-not-netflix.htm

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