MCU Fans Think They’ve Discovered Black Widow’s Hidden Superpower
One of the reasons Black Widow gained such a following in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was that she was like Batman. Unlike many of her co-workers, Black Widow was not blessed with superhuman abilities like being a god, transforming into a rage monster, or having the technical knowledge to build a super techno suit.
On the other hand, ever-watchful fans think Black Widow does have a superpower – that she’s at least somewhat crazy. That may be true for some degree for every superhero, but it’s precisely because Black Widow has no powers that her derring-do stands out all the more.
How did fans spot Black Widow’s power?
The discussion of Black Widow’s abilities took place in this Reddit thread, kicked off by a video compilation of some of her more foolhardy stunts, such as fighting a villain in mid-air without the benefit of a parachute or a Hulk. This part of the clip may or may not be a scene from her forthcoming solo movie.
As one fan explained, “Her superpowers are her unpredictability, you never know what she’s gonna do next. For example, Tony’s team was clearly winning in the Civil war airport battle, if she wanted she and T’Challa could’ve fought Cap and Bucky, but she changed the whole scenario.”
Another fan indicated her power, as it were, is her ability to play with people’s emotions and catch them off guard, as she did with Loki during the first Avengers movie – and that was a feat considering Loki himself was a past master at that very skill.
The fan wrote: “It also shows how much better of a bull——– she is than Loki. The whole movie up until that point is him being a deceptive little snake. He thinks he’s got her all figured out because she’s not special to him. Until she gets him to reveal everything unknowingly, then thanks him lol. How could you not love her after that?”
Perhaps the movie will be the send-off ‘Endgame’ didn’t give Natasha
It was moments like these that made Black Widow a fan favorite from the moment she was introduced in Iron Man 2. Yet no matter how much fans ached for it, that movie took some 10 years before it actually got made. Whatever the merits of Captain Marvel as a movie, some fans considered it unjust that she beat Black Widow to a solo movie.
As loved as Endgame was, one of fans’ chief complaints about it was that Natasha got something of an abrupt send-off, and the people in the movie and in the movie theater didn’t get a chance to mourn her properly. Some fans have said the Avengers’ reactions amounted to the stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
Clever as that theory might be, fans went into Endgame knowing there would be a Black Widow movie, and they were blindsided when Natasha died.
As a fan on Reddit put it: “Natasha has been my favorite since day one, so when (her death happened I made a very audible noise of shock/grief in the silent cinema and cried like a baby. Can’t lie, watching Endgame now fills me with anxiety, knowing what’s to come. Tony’s death was sad too, but expected. Still pissed that Nat doesn’t get a proper funeral or service of any kind.”
Black Widow’s new challenge – bypassing theaters?
Fans hope the movie will serve as the fitting farewell that Natasha didn’t get. Even though the movie is a sequel, taking place in between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, it’s bound to be filled with foreshadowing of her death. Indications are that the franchise will continue with Florence Pugh’s character Yelena, who was another Black Widow in the comics.
Now, ironically, Black Widow’s movie has been further delayed by the pandemic. It was supposed to open this May before getting pushed to November 6. For now, that date stands, but there is not unreasonable speculation that Black Widow will follow Mulan’s lead, skip theaters and debut on Disney+ in America for a $30 fee.
The smart money doesn’t bet on that. Disney has specifically said Mulan is a one-time deal. Mulan and Disney’s other live-action remakes attract audiences of families, who would be saving money with the Disney+ deal. Black Widow is part of the MCU, which is only the biggest cash cow for Disney and for theaters.
Theaters won’t give up Marvel revenue without a fight. But the pandemic’s superpower is its unpredictability. As Natasha has seen more than a few times, anything can happen.
