Photo: Marvel Studios
Families chosen, biological, and whatever it’s called when gods are related to one another abound in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Black Widow, the long-awaited solo outing for Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, introduces a new variation on the theme, one that doesn’t really fit into any of the above categories. In the extended prologue that opens the film, we’re introduced to a foursome of undercover Russian spies straight out of
The Americans: Mom (Rachel Weisz), Dad (David Harbour), and their two daughters blue-haired, scrappy Natasha (Ever Anderson) and innocent, Americanized Yelena (Violet McGraw). By the time the title card appears and the music starts to swell, they’ve been separated. But the psychological impact of playacting as a happy family reverberates through the film.