The Main Issue With Each MCU Phase 4 Entry (So Far)
8. Black Widow - The Film's Antagonists Are Woefully Underdeveloped
One of Phase 4’s most anticipated entries back in the before times, fans had hoped that Natasha Romanoff’s first (and frustratingly only) solo story would fill in certain gaps in the Avenger’s life before she began saving the world alongside her teammates.
To its credit, the film gave audiences a glimpse into Natasha’s family dynamic and the ramifications of her early days in S.H.I.E.L.D and how these experiences forged the assassin into the hero she became. Characters such as Red Guardian (David Harbour) and especially Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) instantly became scene-stealing favourites due to their colorful personalities and complex backstories.
It is a shame that the antagonists lack such narrative depth, or any kind of depth for that matter. Taskmaster, while fun to watch in the film's action scenes, lacks any personality and the twist behind her true identity is not captivating in any way and raised questions on why the character's backstory was changed for the film. The less said about Dreykov and his questionable Russian accent, the better.