Marvel Studios “Committing” To BLACK WIDOW For “A Stand-Alone Franchise”

As Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins, fans begin to wonder what Phase Four will entail. Well, Kevin Feige teases that the Phase will feature a solo Black Widow film, one that will lead to its own franchise.

Feige has told Mike Fleming over at Deadline that the one supporting character from Captain America: Civil War that Marvel is “creatively and emotionally” invested in spinning off into their own film franchise is the Russian spy played by Scarlet Johansson.

While this seems like exciting news, it’s not really news. Savvy film goers like me kind of figured out that Marvel had long range plans for the character when Julie Delpy was cast as Madame B in Avengers: Age of Ultron. You don’t cast an actress of that caliber in a role that amounted to just a cameo without intending to use her at some point in the future. That is what they in the poker industry calls a “tell.”

All the same, I wouldn’t get too excited about this news just yet. No dates were announced yet and nothing is set in stone. Logic dictates that if it will happen, it will probably happen in the next Phase. Especially if they are planning a franchise around it. However, a lot of things could happen between now and when the next round of films will be announced, things that could bump plans for a Black Widow film to sideline. It all bears watching.