Every Marvel Superhero You Can Expect To See In Black Widow
The MCU has taken an almost yearlong break, staying out of theaters since Spider-Man: Far from Home swung into the box office and wrapped up the Infinity Saga in mid-2019. For a fanbase that has grown accustomed to two to three movies per year, the ten-month lull has felt like an eternity.
Fortunately, the Black Widow movie that is set to release on May 1 is fast approaching. The film will kick off an insanely busy next few years for Marvel's cinematic universe, including a plethora of Disney+ shows set to come out alongside a string of cinematic films that include The Eternals, Shang-Chi, and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
But first, Black Widow's long overdue first MCU solo adventure will arrive in theaters — and there are quite a few other familiar faces that may accompany Natasha Romanoff's return to the silver screen after her unexpected demise in Avengers: Endgame. So, without further ado, let's break down some of those well-known characters and consider just who we might expect to see in Black Widow's long-awaited MCU adventure.
The many faces of "cameo"
As long as the Marvel multiverse is in play and Kevin Feige is in charge of a project, it's a fairly safe bet that nearly any Marvel story — whether it's already in existence or it's yet to be told — has a fair shot at somehow getting its wires crossed with Black Widow's story.
That said, we're not about to list a thousand characters and break down if and how each one could end up getting a little face time in the film. We'll start with the more heavily rumored or reported heroes and villains and then slip our way further down the slope into speculation as we go along.
It's also important to point out that we're going to define "cameo" as any form of visual involvement in the film. In other words, if we think someone might merely mention "Bruce Banner" in passing, we'll leave that one out. However, if there's a chance that someone will show up via new footage, unused footage, or even reused footage, we're going to count it as a legitimate appearance.
When is the Black Widow story set?
In order to provide a little context, it's worth making sure that we're all on the same page regarding the setting of the story. We're not talking about a post-Endgame world here. If we were, it'd be difficult to incorporate the title character without resurrecting her from the grave or bringing her in from another timeline, which would be about as lame as it gets.
No, Black Widow is reportedly a prequel. Rather than propelling the MCU forward in time, the story will play out at some point between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. This opens up a whole new world of cameo possibilities, as we're talking about a period of time when half of the Avengers were in hiding, others were coming into their own, and still others were off in distant parts of the galaxy.
'Nuff said about that, though. Let's dig into the nitty-gritty and parse through some of the possible cameos that could find their way into Black Widow's adventures after joining Team Cap during the fight at the airport in Germany.
Iron Man
First up we have another deceased hero from Endgame, none other than Mr. Tony Stark himself. It took all of two seconds after Iron Man's onscreen death for rumors to start circulating about when, where, and why the hero would somehow find his way back into the MCU. However, at this point, one rumor that does seem to be holding up is the notion that we'll get a brief glimpse of the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist in Black Widow.
It's worth noting that the rumors seem to point to a Stark cameo that everyone is all too familiar with by now: specifically, one incorporating unused footage from other MCU films. With Nat's story taking place so close to Civil War, it's only natural that there might be opportunities to insert an unused shot of Robert Downey Jr. in Tony Stark mode. It's a savvy move by Marvel that will likely have fans tripping over themselves to go see Tony hit the big screen one last time... for now, anyway.
Hawkeye
Natasha Romanoff's past SHIELD comrade, Clint Barton, is one of the most obvious candidates to show up in Black Widow. The fella known as Hawkeye (and eventually Ronin) has a long rapport with Natasha that stretches far back to before the MCU came into being. The pair spend plenty of time ribbing as they relive memories and ultimately help each other overcome their own inner demons. In fact, they're so close that it's their truly genuine bond of friendship that enables Nat to sacrifice herself and save the universe in Endgame.
So it's a no-brainer that Barton should show up in here at some point. The question is, how? After Civil War, the sharp-eyed Avenger ends up back on his family farm under house arrest — a situation that doesn't change until his family is snapped away a few years later.
However, there have already been a couple of signs that Barton may at least be alluded to in the story, and may even find his way into the action. First off, the Black Widow trailer opens up on a shot of Budapest, which any avid fan will recognize as the place where the pair of spies formed some of their fondest memories. On top of that, the trailer shows a quick glimpse of the villain Taskmaster channeling Barton's archery skills, indicating that at some point along the way he's had a chance to see the sharpshooter in action. Will it be in the movie itself? Only time will tell.
Captain America
Once Natasha opts for Team Cap in the airport hangar in Civil War, her life turns upside down for a couple of years. She finds herself on the run with half of the Avengers, led by Steve Rogers. He has a stellar leadership track record, and it's no surprise that Captain America manages to hold his half of the Avengers together during their time on the lam — even if Black Widow does find a little time for her side adventures along the way.
Considering the fact that she goes into exile alongside Rogers, it makes perfect sense that Cap could make some kind of appearance in the film. The hero could pop up on the screen through more unused footage or even a surprise cameo made up of completely new shots. At any rate, like Barton, he's already been (sort of) seen in the trailers in the form of Taskmaster.
The villain can be seen in multiple shots throughout the promotional footage flipping with a purposeful agility that we've seen Rogers use many times. On top of that, he can be seen fighting with a shield that he even kicks up onto his arm in a very Captain America-esque style. While this doesn't guarantee anything, once again, there's little doubt that those shots have been placed in the trailers for a reason. The question is, will we see an actual appearance of the First Avenger or are we just being suckered into snapping up tickets as soon as they become available?
Thunderbolt Ross
One character that we can certainly expect to see in the film is Thunderbolt Ross. The hell-raising Secretary of State seems to always be snooping around where he's not wanted, and it's his controlling concerns that ultimately force the Avengers come to blows in Civil War.
Up until now, Ross's character has primarily been focused on two things: controlling the Hulk and reining in the Avengers. However, in the trailer footage for Black Widow, he shows up looking ready to cause some trouble. While Ross has always had an antagonistic flair in the MCU, he isn't a straight-up villain, and it will be interesting to see his part in the film play out.
After all, the Black Widow story is taking place right after half of the superhero squad, including Romanoff, has just thumbed their collective noses at the Secretary of State's authority, deliberately ignored his attempts to control them, and ultimately run away from him when push quite literally came to shove. The question is, does the powerful bureaucrat want to find Nat to put her behind bars, to use her to get to her Avenging friends, or a little bit of both?
Nick Fury
Nicholas Joseph Fury is in almost everything. Full stop. The one-eyed Flerken fan had a grand total of 11 major and minor roles throughout the entire Infinity Saga. Whether he's reportedly alive or dead, the acting head of S.H.I.E.L.D., or busy planning a new initiative in deep space, the dude is somehow always involved in the action.
Naturally, then, we're expecting some Fury in Nat's film before the credits roll. He could briefly show up in a perfunctory role such as an end-credits scene in order to help set up the next stage of the MCU, or he could just as easily have a more integral role within the storyline, as was the case in Spider-Man: Far from Home and Captain America: Winter Soldier. One can never really tell what's in store when Fury's involved, and we like it that way. Just please, pretty please, fit him in there somewhere — even if it's just another shot of Talos masquerading around Earth in a Skrull-ish Fury suit.
Sonny Burch
Black Widow is getting her own movie? Well then, of course, San Fransisco's dorkiest-looking crime lord is going to be involved... right? Wait. What? No joke, black market aficionado Sonny Burch has actually been rumored to somehow be involved in Black Widow. How? We have absolutely no idea.
All we know is that the infamous pot-stirring leakmonger 4Chan has reported (via We Got This Covered) that Burch could find his way into the Black Widow film. If one were to guess how the tech titan wannabe gets involved, the primary possible connection that seems to stand out is Mr. Burch's intimate association with the tech black market.
Perhaps some piece of tech could entice him to leave the Golden City and head half a world away, where he could cross paths with Romanoff in what appears to be an incredibly intricate web of espionage and back-room dealing. That said, we obviously will have little to no idea of his involvement — or even a basic confirmation that he's actually in the movie — until more information surfaces.
Black Panther
While we're starting to get into real speculation territory at this point, another name that at least has the potential for a tie-in with the Black Widow storyline is Black Panther. The King of Wakanda patches things up with Steve Rogers over the course of Captain America: Civil War, and ultimately offers Rogers and Bucky asylum in Wakanda.
While the specifics may need some fleshing out, a story that takes place after Civil War could technically have a Wakandan element, as the African superpower offers a safe place to stay for the exiled superheroes — including Black Widow. After all, it's hard to imagine T'Challa being selective to the point of being okay with the White Wolf staying in his country but asking the Black Widow to clear out. Besides, he's clearly fine with Nat showing up for battle in Infinity War.
The point is, while he may be on the periphery of the story, T'Challa showing up at some point, however briefly, is still a possibility — especially with the fearless Wakandan figuring to play such an integral role with both the Avengers and the MCU as a whole going forward.
Falcon
Sam Wilson is the new face of the Captain America franchise going into Phase 4 of the MCU, and with good reason. The air force vet has been by Steve Rogers' side ever since the pair linked up in Captain America: Winter Soldier, and now that Rogers has retired, Wilson is set to take up the mantle of Captain America (one way or another) in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
With the character currently in the spotlight, it's only natural that Marvel might try to provide a little screen time to help give him a boost going into the Disney+ show's August release date. In addition, if Steve Rogers could have a cameo in this thing, it's only natural that his most loyal friend and ally could also show up on the scene. In fact, showing the two of them working together side by side could be a great way to encourage the unfolding image of Rogers passing the baton to his protege, especially as Wilson gears up in the red white and blue to help lead the charge into the future.
Scarlet Witch
Finally, we have Scarlet Witch. It's hard to believe that a character that is so powerful she nearly defeated Thanos ever had to go into exile, but at the end of Civil War that's exactly what she does. Wanda drops off the map along with Black Widow and doesn't resurface until we see her chilling with Vision in Scotland at the beginning of Infinity War.
Wanda clearly has a significant future in the MCU at this point, as she's been confirmed to be the most powerful character in the cinematic universe and has her own Diney+ series coming out not long after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier debuts. That said, it would be yet another natural fit to try to incorporate at least a cameo into the events of Black Widow, at the least to give the character a chance to gain a little momentum before her own solo story hits the House of Mouse's streaming service.
Then again, it's also just as likely that Wanda will be busy hanging out with Vision in an undisclosed location, enjoying those precious moments before Infinity War rips the two lovers apart.