Finally, Marvel has offered good news for fans of the often-snubbed Avenger, Black Widow: the black-clad spy-turned-hero will get a solo outing in a new young adult fiction book written by Margaret Stohl.
Black Widow: Forever Red will not just delve into Romanoff's backstory, but will also focus on present-day events that have affected the character.
Stohl, who co-wrote the popular Beautiful Creatures young adult novel, spoke about Black Widow: Forever Red recently at Women in Marvel Bookcon. What she had to say about the character showed a conviction and commitment to get the character right in the new novel.
"What is most compelling to me is her psyche, however messed up," says Stohl to Entertainment Weekly. "Her iron will and her unrelenting strength. The price she's had to pay in two countries. And of course, her backstory and her secrets."
Considering that Black Widow is the sole female Avenger and the one most often mistreated and snubbed by Marvel and the Avengers franchise, a solo book sounds promising. Of course, it's interesting that Marvel chose to make it a young adult piece, but perhaps the company hopes to inspire younger girls to become their own kind of heroes.
Stohl certainly agrees. The author mentioned how her daughter loves Black Widow and discussed the importance of raising all three of her daughters to stand up for what's right when injustice presents itself, much like Romanoff would.
"If we care about the girls in our lives, we need to empower them to speak up and demand more, demand better," says Stohl. "We need to reinforce that they do not have to put up with things that make them feel uncomfortable or sexualized or stereotyped or small."
Let's hope Marvel pays attention, too. The company found itself under fire recently for its lack of merchandise featuring the popular Black Widow character, including replacing the character with her male counterparts for the movie's toyline.
Not only that, but when promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron, two of the actors that play Avengers along with Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, called the character a "slut" and a "whore."
Although the real demand from Black Widow fans is a standalone film, it's likely that won't happen, so for now, those fans must settle for a book written for young girls. It's a step forward in the right direction, and we hope this means that Marvel has finally decided to pay attention to its female fanbase and those who want more of Romanoff's character.
Black Widow: Forever Red released in October, 2015.
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