Black Widow could fully explain why Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) ultimately reunited with the Avengers in the MCU and came to feel they were her family - because she reunites with her original KGB “family” in her solo film. Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s also unusual because fans saw Natasha die in Avengers: Endgame, but her solo movie takes us back to a pivotal point in MCU Phase 3.

In the MCU timeline, Black Widow takes place in between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, a dangerous time for Nat, who is on the run because she violated the Sokovia Accords and let Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) escape from Germany. Romanoff reunites with her fellow Black Widows whom she trained with to become assassins in Russia’s Red Room, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Melina (Rachel Weisz), and Red Guardian (David Harbour). In the Black Widow trailer, Natasha declares “I’m done running from my past” and this means she has to confront her unresolved issues with her original ‘family’ by going back to “where it all started”. For Black Widow, her solo film looks to be a crucial bridge to how and why Natasha became an Avenger again - first by joining up with Steve Rogers’ “Secret Avengers” before their Infinity War battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin) and the Black Order in Wakanda.

Black Widow is compellingly set during a point where Natasha is alone in the world after becoming “the world’s most wanted woman” and this may be why she has to seek out her old allies from the Red Room. After Captain America: Civil War fractured the Avengers, Steve Rogers became an international fugitive who secretly harbored Bucky in Wakanda and broke Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) out of the Raft (although Scott Lang and Clint Barton cut deals with the FBI so they could return to their families). Meanwhile, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) soldiered on with a depleted Avengers roster consisting of his loyalists War Machine (Don Cheadle), his protege Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Vision (Paul Bettany), who began sneaking away to clandestinely pursue his romance with Wanda Maximoff. This is the lowest point for the Avengers before Thanos erased half of all life in the universe, but this turbulent time is perfect for exploring Black Widow’s journey leading up to her reuniting with Steve Rogers.

Fans have never seen Black Widow on her own before in the MCU; she’s always been part of SHIELD or one of the Avengers. In the five year period after Thanos won in Avengers: Infinity War, Natasha was the one holding the Avengers together and, even though she was despondent and miserable, Nat had ample time to reflect on how the Avengers were essentially her family now. On Vormir, she literally gave up her life to acquire the Soul Stone, not only to save the universe but for the chance for the lost members of her Avengers family to come back. Natasha’s self-sacrificing character arc was powerful but still felt incomplete, which is why Black Widow has the unique opportunity to fill in the gap and depict how Natasha became someone who ultimately cherished her ‘family’ above all in Avengers: Endgame.

The events of Black Widow could be the spark that leads Natasha to accept that she can’t be alone in the world anymore, especially since, as she said in Avengers: Endgame, Nat is trying to be a better person. And, as self-sufficient as Black Widow is, she outed all of SHIELD’s secrets (including her own) in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the world has only grown more hostile and dangerous for the famous ex-Avenger ever since. Further, by facing her past and working alongside (and maybe even against) her ‘original’ family, Natasha could come to realize that the people who will allow her to become the best version of herself are the MCU’s Avengers, starting with Steve Rogers, the finest man she knows, which is why she joins up with Captain America again. By the end of her life, her family - the Avengers - was literally everything to Natasha Romanoff and hopefully, Black Widow will complete her emotional journey to understanding why.

Next: Black Widow Trailer Breakdown: 23 Story Details And Secrets You Missed

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