Black Widow was supposed to be the first film to kick off Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been pushed back all the way to May 7th of this year. This meant that Disney Plus' WandaVision had to carry the torch of getting people hyped for more Marvel content, and it's done a pretty swell job of it, all things considered.
That said, there are thousands of people hungry and eager for the first big Marvel film to hit theaters since everyone had to lock themselves in their houses, and the hype machine is starting to ramp up again. Black Widow is also in an unusual position of being a prequel, showcasing Natasha Romanoff before she died in Avengers: Endgame, and it features a few new faces who may be primed for future MCU appearances as well.
When the first Black Widow trailer dropped, one of the instant fan-favorites was David Harbour as Red Guardian: a soviet Captain America knock-off with everything that implies. While the first trailer played him off as more of a comedic character, a washed-up super-soldier with a big personality, a recent behind-the-scenes image shows that Red Guardian still isn't someone to mess with.
Harbour posted an image of himself in the Red Guardian suit looking mighty intimidating and it seems as though he's in the middle of throwing a hefty punch at the camera. The image was posted to Instagram with the caption: "This rhinoceros is headed to a theater near you May 7th." Certainly seems like the advertising push for Black Widow is ramping up yet again, and while Red Guardian may not be the star, it definitely seems like he may steal the spotlight.
Not much is known about the overall plot of the film, and how exactly it will play into the future of the MCU. However, the rumor is that the film will have Black Widow pass the torch onto a younger protégé who can carry on the Black Widow name now that Natasha Romanoff herself is dead, but the film hasn't seemed to have any kind of broad strokes story or multiverse teases that have come from projects like WandaVision.
It seems that Black Widow may be a more straightforward, contained story within the MCU, which may actually make a nice break from all the building of myth arcs in other MCU projects. Thankfully fans won't have to wait much longer to see it in theaters.
Black Widow arrives in theaters on May 7th, 2021.
Source: David Harbour/Instagram