Black Widow: 10 Insanely Dark Moments That Won’t Be Used

Alexi Alanovitch Shostakov - aside from having a name that would be absolutely baller at Scrabble - is significant in the Marvel universe for many reasons. Not only is Alexi essentially Russia's answer to Captain America, but he's also Black Widow's first husband - and, in Black Widow: Deadly Origins, it's revealed why this is less than a happy memory for the assassin.

Namely, that Natasha's wedding with Alexi is a predetermined, forced affair, that she has no say in - and would actively protest, if she could, given it's shown she is clearly in a relationship with the Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes at the time this all takes place.

We know that Alexi is in the film, as it's been announced that David Harbour - known perhaps better as Jim Hopper from Stranger Things - will be playing the Red Guardian in the film. However, it's profoundly unlikely that this storyline will make its way into the film, for a whole host of obvious reasons.