Black Widow’s name may be on the title, but the true heroes of the 24th entry in the MCU mega-franchise are her supporting characters — a pack of gonzo Russkie faux relatives.
The film opens on an undercover mission from Natasha’s youth. She’s playing the 10-year-old daughter in an all-American family living the dream in suburban Ohio. The rest of her nuclear unit are mom Melina (Rachel Weisz), dad Alexei (David Harbour), and little sister, Yelena (who will grow into Florence Pugh). One of the film’s charms is how this time becomes an idyllic touchstone in all their lives — a perfect summer globe of fireflies, family dinners, and Fourths of July — taunting them with the good life they might have had but for the accident of being born Soviets.
.png)
.png)
