In January, word surfaced that Marvel Studios had considered making ‘Black Widow’ its first R-rated picture, but that can be laid to rest, as Kevin Feige has officially shot that idea down. While promoting ‘Captain Marvel’, which opens next week, Feige weighed in on ‘Black Widow’ being for mature audiences only.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, Feige stated:
“It never was going to be. Somebody writes, ‘I hear it’s R-rated!’ And then everybody writes it up.”
To be fair, even at the time that the rumor surfaced, it was stated that a source had revealed that Marvel had only considered the possibility of making this an R-rated movie and that was earlier on. While in the right hands, a deadly, brutal ‘Black Widow’ movie could work, at this point, the character is beloved by a legion of underage superfans and it would just be ridiculous to showcase her in a movie that only a portion of her fanbase could go see.
Cate Shortland is attached to direct ‘Black Widow’, which is expected to be, at least partially, a prequel that delves into her origin, being raised in the Russian Red Room, to be a master spy from childhood. Jac Schaeffer penned one draft of the screenplay, although it was recently rumored that Ned Benson had been brought aboard to polish it. Of course, Scarlett Johansson will be back to star as the titular hero, and she is also being upgraded to executive producer. The film has a release date penciled in for May 1, 2020, which would mean that the film will need to begin filming soon.
Feige and Marvel have been cagey about anything after this year. ‘Captain Marvel’ opens next weekend, on March 8. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (the BIGGIE) opens on April 26, to be followed on July 5, by ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’.
Johanson’s Black Widow will be in at least one of those, ‘Avengers: Endgame’. Beyond that, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a bit of a mystery. But whether or not ‘Black Widow’ arrives on its current release date or later, this is one picture that looks like a guarantee.
Would you prefer an R-rated ‘Black Widow’? Or is PG-13 good enough for you?
