With the in-person theatric experience now a reality again for many across the U.S., the studios behind would-be 2020 megahits—Black Widow among them—are again deep in the process of rolling out their creations for hungry fans.
Black Widow sees Scarlett Johansson once again taking on the role of Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, and is set after the events of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Joining Johansson in the main cast are Midsommar’s Florence Pugh, Stranger Things’ David Harbour, and The Handmaid’s Tale’s O.T. Fagbenle. Rachel Weisz, William Hurt, and Ray Winstone also star.
Among the newcomers, specific praise among the early reactions has gone to Pugh—who will soon be seen in Olivia Wilde’s thriller Don’t Worry Darling alongside Harry Styles—for her performance as Yelena Belova.
“Yelena is deeply annoying and pretty much takes the mick out of everything Natasha does, but fundamentally they have a very unique and strong relationship that drives them through the film,” Pugh said of her character’s relationship with Johansson’s during an on-set interview with Collider back in 2019.
In addition to the profuse Pugh praise, this week’s wave of pre-release reactions have also seen early viewers getting stoked about a post-credits scene and showing enthusiasm for the film’s blend of impressive action sequences and extended dialogue-heavy scenes. Get a better idea of what critics are saying below.
Originally set for a May 2020 release, Black Widow was pushed back three times due to the pandemic. The Cate Shortland-directed film Marvel film will now hit theaters (and Disney+with Premier Access) on July 9.
