FINALLY

After months of delays and fan grumblings, Marvel’s long-awaited Action blockbuster “Black Widow” is finally ready for its moment as the most anticipated summer release since 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.”

The action-packed spy thriller follows Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow as she confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.

Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.

Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina in the buzzy movie-of-the-moment directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige.

We caught up with ScarJo and emerging MCU star (and Oscar-winner) Florence Pugh who opened up about their lovable (and meme-able) chemistry in our interview below:

For over a decade, Black Widow fans have waited for this moment that represents more than just the final chapter of a beloved character’s story.

“We had to comment on what is this incredible movement of women supporting other women, and coming through these shared experiences of trauma on the other side by really coming forward and supporting one another,” said Johannsson about the film that draws comparisons between Natasha Romanoff’s story and women who experienced abuse by men of power in real life.

“At the very beginning of really seriously talking about what this could be about, it was right during the beginning of the #MeToo movement and felt like, you cannot miss the opportunity to draw the comparison between these two things.”

As Executive Producer, ScarJo played a key role in shaping the soon-to-be smash into a summer blockbuster with heart.

“She’s been the victim of childhood trauma and exploitation and it’s a past that she doesn’t want to face that she’s running away from,” she continued. “And then her sister, who’s this very self-possessed kind of firecracker liability in some ways, but person who is fiercely independent, basically forcing her to come to terms with that, forcing her to face it.”

“It felt very much like what is happening now. It was amazing to have the platform to be able to comment on that.”

And, while you’re here, check out this Featurette with Scarlett Johansson, Rachel Weisz and Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios and chief creative officer of Marvel, weighing in on the the role the film plays in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Black Widow”—the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—launches simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 9, 2021.