Marvel didn’t give Black Widow super powers:
If you may have noticed, Marvel Studios has a tendency to bring the power levels of their superheroes down, a phenomenon in literary fiction called ‘nerfing’. Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and a lot of other superheroes were nerfed down in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The practice of bringing the power levels of their flagship characters down in their own productions was baffling to the fans. But amidst all that, the one superhero whose power levels drastically decreased when she was brought for live-action adaptation was Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff. We could finally have an answer to that question that had been ringing in our ears ever since Black Widow debuted in Iron Man 2.
Before we begin, let us tell you about some of the actual superpowers the Black Widow has in the comic books that the movies failed to show in the theatres. As part of her initiation into the Soviet Red Room Program, Black Widow was provided several genetic and biological enhancements. Natasha gained access to a slew of abilities like increased longevity (She is considered to be older than even Captain America), Inhuman Speed (she may not be as fast as Quicksilver but she is fast enough to outrun a jet and can even win a case against the Winter Soldier), a regenerative healing factor (she can heal her-self faster than an average human being but the trade-off is that she cannot have children), Durability (strong enough to withstand falls from high buildings and walk the moment she landed), and her mind is divided into multiple split personalities that have a diverse range of skills for Natasha to access and take advantage of.
None of those abilities of Black Widow found their way into the movies. The diehard comic book fans were a bit disappointed. They expected at least one or two abilities of Natasha to be shown in the movies. The MCU portrayed Black Widow as a super-spy who is only good at manipulating people, martial arts, and firing her tiny looking guns. But she is so much more than just that. Why did Marvel do this??
There might be a very specific reason behind that. And the reason we are talking about is related to a pretty silly mistake that Marvel might have committed a long while ago and are now facing the repercussions. You see the name of Black Widow in the MCU is Natasha Romanoff, which is also the name shared by the Black Widow of the Mainstream Marvel Continuity in the comic books. But the MCU is based out of characters of the Ultimate Universe aka Earth 1610. In that universe, Black Widow’s name is Natalia Romanova and her origin story is different than the one every fan is aware of. She was actually a Russian Royal descendant who was hired by the KGB and trained into becoming an assassin. She was never part of the Soviet Red Room program. The Ultimate Universe’s Black Widow does not possess any superpowers. For a decade, Marvel has kept the fans confused by exchanging the names of two characters from two different realities. Maybe the new Black Widow movie will help dispel the confusion.
The Last Solo Marvel movie to be released under the Disney banner is Spider-Man: Far From Home. The movie is currently in theatres. The official film synopsis for the movie reads:
Peter Parker’s relaxing European vacation takes an unexpected turn when Nick Fury shows up in his hotel room to recruit him for a mission. The world is in danger as four massive elemental creatures — each representing Earth, air, water and fire — emerge from a hole torn in the universe. Parker soon finds himself donning the Spider-Man suit to help Fury and fellow superhero Mysterio stop the evil entities from wreaking havoc across the continent.
Avengers: Endgame released on the 26th of April, 2019. The official film synopsis of the movie has been released and it states:
“After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.”
