The first reaction to Black Widow has allegedly landed online. One fan claims to have attended an early test screening of the movie and has now shared a detailed plot breakdown of Scarlett Johansson’s first solo outing in the MCU on 4Chan. Given the unreliable nature of leaks on that site, feel free to take all this with a pinch of salt, but it’s important to note that much of the user’s info lines up with what else is being said in other reports. Given that, we may wish to pay it some attention.
So, what does this person make of the film? Well, according to their post, they describe Black Widow as a “pleasant surprise” as it seems they went in with lowered expectations but their reaction was more positive than they anticipated. They state that the movie owes a lot to the Mission: Impossible template as well, hitting many of the same story beats as your classic spy thriller. That said, this tactic “works better than you’d expect,” according to the user.
As for the broad structure of the story, the individual gives a brief summary – spoilers incoming – writing: “Excommunicated, hunted by the government, get this thing so life can go back to normal, oh no there’s a grander conspiracy, save the world, give the thing to your sister, deal with the consequences, peace out.” As per the leaker, ScarJo’s Natasha Romanoff makes for a good stand-in for Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and the whole thing’s an enjoyable ride.
Assuming we can trust this reaction, it’s largely encouraging. With the many spy movies out there and the way the genre relies on certain tropes, it’s not surprising that Black Widow may end up feeling pretty familiar, but as long as it manages to keep its own story entertaining, that’s all that matters. Some of what else the leaker said is more worrisome, though, including that David Harbour’s Red Guardian is apparently “super cheesy,” but then again, that’s just their opinion and no doubt many will disagree.