What Happened to Black Widow’s First Solo Film? 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has established a strong foundation for its upcoming ‘Thunderbolts’ film, which includes characters from 2021’s ‘Black Widow’, such as Taskmaster and Red Guardian, alongside Yelena Belova assuming the Black Widow mantle. It’s exciting to see these characters find continued success and evolve within the MCU, especially given the lengthy journey to bring them to the screen. 

Scarlett Johansson’s solo film about Natasha Romanoff was in development for years, and even spent a long period on hold as Marvel searched for an appropriate release window. However, the effort to make a ‘Black Widow’ solo film dates back even further.

Image Courtesy: CBR

In 2004, Lionsgate Entertainment acquired the film rights to ‘Black Widow’ and other Marvel characters. Known for its work on the ‘Saw’ and ‘Hunger Games’ franchises, Lionsgate aimed to expand into superhero films. They brought on David Hayter, renowned for his work on the ‘X-Men’ films and as the voice of Solid Snake in the ‘Metal Gear Solid’ series, to write and direct. Although Hayter was passionate about the project, the film never reached production. 

The details of Hayter’s ‘Black Widow’ film remain largely speculative, but he has shared some insights over the years. The film was intended to be a spy thriller set in post-Soviet Russia, dealing with loose nukes—a reflection of contemporary concerns about nuclear threats. Hayter was set to make his directorial debut with this film, and he even envisioned a memorable scene featuring Rush’s ‘Tom Sawyer.’ Despite his enthusiasm, the project was ultimately shelved, reflecting broader issues with female-led superhero films at the time.

The Lionsgate ‘Black Widow’ film never materialized, and Iron Fist, also part of their acquisition, faced a similarly quiet demise. The eventual release of ‘Black Widow’ in 2021, starring Johansson, offered a long-awaited solo film for the character, though it received mixed reviews and faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its rocky history, the character continues to play a role in the MCU’s evolving story.

–Farheen Ali