The rumors are true: Scarlett Johansson will reprise her role as Black Widow in a standalone film, while a slew of other female celebs will portray prominent characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And she says, it's about time.
On Saturday at Marvel Studio' presentation at Comic-Con 2019, it was confirmed that a standalone Black Widow movie is in the works, and will see the actress reprise the role of her Avengers character. Cate Shortland is directing the new film, which also stars Stranger Things' David Harbour, plus Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle, and Rachel Weisz.
"I'm very excited about it, and I have to say, I was nervous coming here because we're in the middle of shooting right now, so it's not a time that you could ever share anything with anybody on any side of the movie, particularly in this universe, where everything is just so huge and the pressure's on. But I'm really, really proud of what we showed today."
The new film is set before the first Avengers film and offers insights into Johansson's character Natasha Romanoff's past in Budapest.
Black Widow is part of Marvel's new slate of films, where the girl power is strong; Angelina Jolie made a surprise appearance at Marvel Studio's Comic-Con panel to confirm she has joined the MCU, and will star in the studio's upcoming ensemble film The Eternals. Salma Hayek is also starring in the movie.
In addition, it was revealed that Natalie Portman, who played Thor's love interest Jane Foster in the first two Thor films, will star as a female Thor in the upcoming fourth film, Thor: Love and Thunder. The movie will also see the return of Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, now confirmed to be the MCU's first LGBTQ superhero.
"It was amazing. I mean, there's a lot of women up there that I hugely admire—Angelina, Salma...Rachel, Tessa...Natalie," Johansson told E! News. "It's bananas. I think it's very exciting. I think it grounds the presence of the MCU in a way. It's very exciting to see such a diverse group of people. It's awesome. And it's about time."
The confirmed Black Widow film and the addition of more female superheroes to the MCU follows the massive box office successes of Marvel's first female-led superhero film, Captain Marvel, which was released in March, and competitor DC Entertainment's 2017 film Wonder Woman.
Black Widow is set for release in May 2020.