Will ‘Black Widow’ Explore This Significant Part of Natasha’s Past: The MCU Could Make It Work?

Black Widow will be the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) installment released as part of Phase 4. The movie will take fans into Natasha’s other life — separate from the Avengers — and occur between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War. However, based on recently released trailers, flashbacks to her time in the Red Room will also be present, and fans may get a little more detail surrounding what happened in Budapest with Clint Barton (Hawkeye). 

While Black Widow may be premiering a little too late to gratify fans who feel Scarlett Johansson should have received a standalone installment way before Spidey or Captain Marvel, it’s better late than never. And, based on the spy thriller vibe the trailers keep putting forth, the movie may be the perfect mix of an old-school James Bond-esque film and an MCU spectacle. However, will the MCU finally choose to explore how Natasha is seemingly so impermeable? 

Will the filmic landscape finally provide the explanation that exists in the comic books? Or, will Kevin Feige and Co. choose to ignore an aspect integral to Natasha’s origin story, in favor of emphasizing other arcs? 

Will Natasha receive the Red Room’s variant of the Super-Soldier Serum that was given to Captain America? 

In the comics, Black Widow is virtually the female, Russian counterpart to Captain America. Though not as enhanced as Steve Rogers — when accounting for resilience to disease, strength, impermeability, and slowed aging — she still possesses all of these genetic enhancements.

Black Widow, during her time in the Red Room, receives a variation of the Super-Soldier Serum, making her one of the best combatants in existence. In the MCU, the writers retain her bravery, her combat skills, and her marksmanship, but sort of avoid diving into her origin story, especially concerning any genetic alterations. 

Fans have witnessed Natasha survive events that would kill any ordinary human…no matter how many times he/she went to the gym. However, the film narratives — up to this point — have not confirmed whether Natasha has received the serum. From jumping onto flying chariots to taking hits from some of the strongest beings known to man, it seems that Natasha Romanoff has been enhanced. However, will the MCU choose to confirm such?

As of now, it looks like the movie will hone in on Nat’s deduction skills — her detective capabilities, emotional manipulation skills, and tactical processing capabilities (in addition to her fighting competence). Nat, in the comics, is a fierce spy, to begin with; yet, without some serum, it seems unrealistic that she would have survived — and emerged unscathed — many of the challenges the MCU has put before her. 

Evidence suggests that the movie will portray her receiving the serum to justify some of the previously-made decisions. However, in order to avoid implying that she should have been equal to Captain America, the movie may make it known that the serum is “not quite” the same.