Summary
4 years after it was released, one apparent plot hole inBlack Widowhas been explained away by a tragicMCUsuper soldier theory.Black Widowkicked offMCU Phase 4and the Multiverse Saga, though it did not take place after the Infinity Saga chronologically inthe MCU timeline. This was a rather confusing start to the new saga, as it was a prequel starring a character who died inAvengers: Endgame.It did, however, introduce a slew of new characters set to be main players in the Multiverse Saga, including Yelena Belova, Taskmaster, and Alexei Shostakov.
Alexei Shostakov is the Soviet Union’s answer to Captain America, operating under the mantle of Red Guardian in his glory days after receiving an imitation of Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum. To Shostakov, this makes him Captain America’s equal, as he demonstrates a similar set of powers to his red-white-and-blue counterpart. As has been the case for many other super soldier experiments, however, the likelihood is that his serum was not as perfected as Steve’s - which could lead to a tragedy in theupcoming Marvel movieThunderbolts*.
Black Widow: How Did Red Guardian Get His Powers?
Red Guardian has strength to rival Captain America’s, but how did he get it? Here’s how Black Widow’s super soldier could have gotten his powers.
Black Widow’s Red Guardian Theory Makes His Thunderbolts* Story Way More Tragic
According to a theory posted to Reddit byu/grambocrackah,theSuper Soldier Serum given to Red Guardianis killing him slowly. The theory hinges on the plot hole that Shostakov’s incarceration doesn’t make much sense, given that he is seemingly capable of breaking out on a whim with his enhanced physiology. The notion that the prison is too far from civilization to make it viable is contradicted by the fact that a helicopter can seemingly make the trip just outside St. Petersberg on very little fuel. With that in mind, towns would surely litter the countryside surrounding the major city.
This suggests that Shostakov had some kind of incentive to play ball during his incarceration. The notion that he is being kept alive through regular medical intervention is a convincing reason for this, suggesting that Shostakov can see no other recourse for staying alive. This also helps to explain why Shostakov looks more out of shape and disheveled than his super soldier counterpart. His reasons for breaking out are that he wishes to go out in a blaze of glory in his erstwhile guise as a Soviet superhero.
This then leads straight intothe story ofThunderbolts*. The antiheroes that comprise the titular team are presumably going to require some incentive to begin working for a clandestine American government agency, which Shostakov may find in the glory of the mission. Alternatively, he may join up with the Thunderbolts as the US Government exchanges his cooperation for the life-saving drug he was afforded in prison. Either way, tragedy may await Red Guardian, setting up the new Black Widow.
Bucky Barnes
Sebastian Stan
Yelena Belova is the presumed Black Widow successorto Natasha Romanoff in the wake of her death. Both received the same training, after all, and it’s easy to see Romanoff imparting the mantle onto her adoptive sister were she alive. Yelena has yet to officially refer to herself as the new Black Widow, but her adoptive father’s death will no doubt catalyze the process, beginning the transition into a bona fide superhero with an all-too-familiar tragedy.
It is more likely that Yelena will become the White Widow instead, the heroic mantle adopted by the previously villainous Belova in Marvel Comics. This will help to differentiate Belova from her sister while paying tribute to Romanoff’s legacy asBlack Widowall the while. Whatever the case, it remains a concern that Shostakov will not survive the events ofThunderbolts*if there is merit to this convincing theory.
Black Widow
Cast
Black Widow: Released in 2021, Black Widow follows Natasha Romanoff as she faces a conspiracy linked to her past. Pursued relentlessly, Natasha must confront her history as a spy and navigate fractured relationships from her previous life before becoming part of the Avengers.
Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories in order to survive and achieve their goals.
