Random Fan Theories About How 'Black Widow' Fits Into MCU (14 items)

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  (#1) ‘Black Widow’ Will Give Greater Context To Natasha’s ‘Endgame’ Sacrifice

  2020’s Black Widow will undoubtedly have an impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward, but Kevin Feige has also insinuated that it will retroactively affect previous films in the franchise in some way. A likely way it will accomplish that is by giving greater context to Natasha Romanoff’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, as Redditor /u/Wico90 and others have theorized.

  According to their thoughts, learning about Romanoff’s previously unknown “family” will give greater context to the choices she made in Endgame, and at the very least, make it clear that she had more of a personal stake in returning the snapped than she let on. Perhaps Black Widow will conclude with Yelena Belova being dusted, furthering Natasha’s determination to thwart Thanos.

  This could also set a precedent of future Marvel films adding to the continuity of past ones.
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  (#2) ‘Black Widow’ Will Set Up The ‘Dark Avengers’ As The Next Phase Of The MCU

  There have long been whispers that the next era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will resemble Dark Reign from Marvel Comics - in which Norman Osborn and his team of Dark Avengers briefly held sway over Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. According to a theory by Redditor /u/theincredibleshaq, that arc could be set up as early as 2020’s Black Widow.

  The film is known to feature at least three characters that have been associated with either the Dark Avengers or the similar Thunderbolts - a group of questionably reformed villains playing hero. This list includes Yelena Belova, General Thunderbolt Ross, and Taskmaster, any of whom could move on to bigger and better things following this movie.

  The theorist even goes as far as to predict that the Dark Avengers will closely mirror the original six Avengers, with Yelena Belova covering for Natasha Romanoff and Taskmaster filling in for Clint Barton.
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  (#3) Thunderbolt Ross Will Become The Red Hulk

  One of the oldest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross appears in the trailer for 2020’s Black Widow, but several fans noticed something peculiar about him - he doesn’t look all that old. In fact, Ross appears younger in the trailer than he has in any of his recent MCU appearances, which has led some to speculate that his scenes are set even further in the past than the main plot of the film. Redditor /u/Rhishab, however, has another idea.

  In the pages of Marvel Comics, Thunderbolt Ross eventually becomes the Red Hulk after becoming so desperate to finally defeat Bruce Banner that he starts to experiment on himself. As the theory points out, Ross might not actually be any younger in the Black Widow trailer - he might just be “juicing” on another knockoff form of the Super Soldier Serum. As /u/Rhishab explains:

  It's basically like the time Emil Blonsky was using small doses of the [Super Soldier Serum]. Maybe he made the new batch of the same serum with altered effects. He's got access and motive.

  Ross’s days as the Red Hulk could theoretically start and end within the plot of the film, explaining why he’s back to being a regular old man by the time Endgame rolls around - though he could always revisit the concept in the future.
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  (#4) Clint Barton Will Be Revealed As One Of Many Former Taskmasters, Just Like Natasha Romanoff Is One Of Many Black Widows

  As was made obvious by the trailer for Black Widow - as well as several years of Marvel Comics continuity - Natasha Romanoff isn’t the only graduate to ever come out of the Red Room, nor even the only Black Widow. And according to a theory by Redditor /u/AmIDrJekyll, she’s not the only Avenger to have shared her mantle with a bunch of other people.

  Many fans noticed Taskmaster’s prominent use of a bow in the trailer and aesthetic similarities to the Ronin costume, which has led to some speculation that it’s Clint Barton under the mask. This theory instead claims that the current Hawkeye once operated under the codename “Taskmaster” - and that this new edition is just the latest in a long line of weapons specialists to carry that title. As the original theorist puts it:

  I think the Taskmaster is a program similar to the Red Room or The Winter Soldier where they train mercs to specialize in specific "tasks". Clint Barton is one of them - either a former member (could be where he became proficient with a bow and other ranged projectiles) or an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

  If true, this could greatly inform the future story arc of Barton as he approaches his own Disney Plus series. 
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  (#5) The Film Will Take Place Both Before AND After ‘Endgame’ Via The Soul Stone

  Natasha Romanoff’s first solo film was announced shortly after her sacrificial demise in Avengers: Endgame, which led to no shortage of confusion as to the movie’s place in the MCU timeline. Since then, it has been clarified that Black Widow takes place shortly after Captain America: Civil War - but Redditor /u/Quilled isn’t convinced that’s the whole story.

  Their theory posits that the film will open with Romanoff in an afterlife of sorts created by the Soul Stone, and see her given one last chance to go back and fix something from her life before moving on - a classic fantasy trope. This would lead to Romanoff making one last attempt to save Yelena Belova before returning to the present to finally pass on to the great unknown.

  In this way, Black Widow would turn the rare trick of being both a prequel and a sequel at the same time.
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  (#6) The Film Will Feature The Cameo Debut Of Kraven The Hunter

  It is assumed that the majority of 2020’s Black Widow will take place in Eurasia, with at least some time spent in Natasha Romanoff’s homeland of Russia. It’s already been made clear that a few other Russian characters, including Red Guardian and Yelena Belova, will be introduced in the film - and there may be one more, according to a bit of idle speculation from Redditor /u/MasterBaker54.

  As they astutely point out, Black Widow could make for a perfect debut for Kraven the Hunter, a long-time Spider-Man villain that might just be the antagonist of Spidey’s next solo adventure. Marvel Studios does have a history of previewing vital characters through cameos before bringing them into a more prominent role, so Sergei Kravinoff would only be the latest in a long line.
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  (#7) ‘Black Widow’ Will Introduce Clones To The MCU

  Clones have long played an important role in the pages of Marvel Comics, but thus far, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has stayed far away from the entire concept. That could change as soon as 2020’s Black Widow, as per a fan theory by Redditor /u/Beddick - and the entire MCU would be forever altered as a result.

  This particular bit of speculation posits that Natasha Romanoff will remove Taskmaster’s mask at some point in the film - only to find her own face waiting underneath. This would be in keeping with comic lore, in which the Black Widow has returned to life a handful of times thanks to a series of duplicates kept on hand at all time by the Red Room.

  It would also open up untold possibilities for future MCU storylines. Clone Saga, anyone?
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  (#8) The Graduates Of The Red Room Will Be Revealed As Knockoff Super Soldiers

  The Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Black Widow has always been an ostensibly non-powered character, despite all appearances to the contrary. Given that Alexei Shostakov is being presented as a sort of knockoff Captain America, it could be that he and other Soviet heroes - including Natasha Romanoff - are revealed to be using some variation of the Super Soldier Serum, as theorized by Tea-ory on Youtube.

  Such a revelation would go a long way toward explaining Black Widow’s near-superhuman agility and durability, and it’s not like it would be out of character for her to be keeping such a big secret - it’s kind of her thing. It would also leave the MCU with a few extra super-strong heroes to play around with in Phase 4 and beyond. 
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  (#9) ‘Black Widow’ Will Features A ‘Lost’-Style Limbo Twist

  A fan theory by Redditor /u/Leighgion about the entirety of Black Widow being some limbo-esque rite of passage before Natasha Romanoff enters the afterlife - a twist reminiscent of TV’s Lost - is so out there and specific that it can only be described by the original theorist themselves.

  As /u/Leighgion explains:

  I’ve got my own idea.
  When Natasha finally defeats Taskmaster, she pulls the mask off to reveal... herself. The world crumbles away to reveal an infinite, watery landscape bathed on an orange glow. There is nothing to be seen but a delicate archway.
  Taskmaster/Natasha explains the entire ordeal has been Natasha’s soul coming to terms with itself so it might be prepared to accept the eternal tranquility of the Soul World.
  Familiar figures appear beyond the gate.
  Tony Stark, Vision (in human guise), and Pietro Maximoff lead the way. Behind them are a couple Natasha does not recognize, but feels drawn to.
  “Hey Romanoff,” says Tony, “there’s a couple Russians dying to meet you.”
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  (#10) ‘Black Widow’ Will Launch A Film Trilogy For Yelena Belova

  On the surface, it seems a bit odd for Marvel Studios’ next solo film to star a character that recently perished - it doesn’t exactly make for the sort of forward potential that came with Iron Man or Captain America: The First Avenger. There is, however, a way that 2020’s Black Widow could launch a trilogy of its own, with Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in the lead as the successor to Natasha Romanoff’s mantle. 

  That’s exactly what many, including Redditor /u/cabballer, are predicting will happen by the conclusion of the 2020 film. Romanoff’s story may be over, but that doesn’t mean that the tale of the Black Widow has to end, especially not when Belova is known to have taken on the role in the pages of Marvel Comics. 
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  (#11) Red Guardian Will Become Omega Red

  With Disney’s acquisition of Fox, it’s no longer a question of if the X-Men will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but instead a question of when. There are those who believe that mutants will slowly but surely be added to the MCU mix, with Redditor /u/TheCityOfZinj specifically positing that the first hint could be the appearance of a classic X-Villain in Black Widow.

  David Harbour’s Red Guardian is an existing character in the comics, but he also bears some striking similarities to Omega Red, a long-time Wolverine antagonist. By having Red Guardian transform into Omega Red by the end of the film, Black Widow would mark the introduction of the Weapon X program that created both Wolverine and Deadpool - setting the stage for their eventual arrival alongside several other X-characters.
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  (#12) Natasha Romanoff Will Meet The Skrulls And S.W.O.R.D.

  If the post-credits scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home is to be believed, the Skrulls and their alliance with Nick Fury will play a major role in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that could start as early as 2020’s Black Widow according to a theory by Redditor /u/hockeytalkie.

  As they argue:

  Nick Fury has been working with the Skrulls for a while on something that looks a whole lot like S.W.O.R.D. (S.H.I.E.L.D., but in space.) Given that Black Widow takes place post-Civil War, it's easy to envision a scene in which a disillusioned and friendless Natasha learns of a new sort of secret organization she can get involved in. This would inform the next step in her heroic journey, which fits with her Endgame role as intergalactic head of intelligence after Fury's dusting. She's basically doing the work of S.W.O.R.D. in those scenes when she's communicating with everyone via holograms.

  If Samuel L. Jackson wasn't available for a cameo, Talos the Skrull can fill in as Natasha's introduction to S.W.O.R.D. The scene could be relatively brief, and perhaps result in her obtaining some piece of technology to help her defeat Taskmaster. It could even be revealed that some of her previous tech, especially the face-changing mask, were Skrull inventions.

  The theorist concludes by noting that although “Natasha Romanoff might not be around post-Endgame to continue collaborating with Fury and his secret cabal of Skrulls... her successor, Yelena Belova, will be.”
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  (#13) Taskmaster’s Powers Will Be Derived From Tony Stark’s Combat-Analyzing Technology

  By this point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having a villain base their origins on an abandoned piece of Stark technology is a tired trope - but since Black Widow is a prequel film, perhaps it can get away with one more Iron Man-spawned baddie. That’s exactly what a theory by Redditor /u/Thandorianskiff proposes.

  It certainly seems like Taskmaster’s infamous “photographic reflexes” - an ability that allows them to mimic the movements and skills of anyone they see - will be technology-based rather than a result of a serum as they are in the comics. If this is the case, there may already be a precedent for them in the MCU - the combat-analyzing artificial intelligence that Tony Stark employs to match Captain America blow-for-blow at the end of Civil War. 

  Since Black Widow takes place shortly after that film, it might be as simple as Taskmaster acquiring that tech and employing it for his own antagonistic aims. 
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  (#14) ‘Black Widow’ Will Replace S.H.I.E.L.D. With H.A.M.M.E.R.

  For the most part, the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe exists in a post-S.H.I.E.L.D. world after Natasha Romanoff effectively ended the organization in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. S.H.I.E.L.D. has shut down down a few times in the annals of Marvel Comics, too, with one of those times occurring during the notorious Dark Reign - something that Redditor /u/Danishroyalty thinks might be on the way in the MCU.

  In that arc, an organization known as H.A.M.M.E.R. rises from the ashes of S.H.I.E.L.D., enacting an age of nigh-fascistic government oversight of superhumans. This particular fan theory posits that General Thunderbolt Ross will be depicted as the founder of H.A.M.M.E.R. in Black Widow, noting:

  Circa 2016-17, Ross will be trying to contain threats on Earth and ask Nat to help him, as her knowledge from the days of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be helpful. H.A.M.M.E.R. will increase control over powered people and eventually try to form their own super-powered team to replace the Avengers.

  Of course, there’s always the possibility that the MCU’s version of H.A.M.M.E.R. will be kickstarted by the same individual it was in the comics: Norman Osborn.

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