SALT LAKE CITY — Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ movie is being prepped for production, and we’re getting interesting sneak peeks at what the villain might be like.

Villain hints: Marvel Studios has reportedly been looking for either a black British or African actor 30-45 years old to portray “a tough and dangerous villain,” according toThe Hashtag Show.

  • Last fall, THS reported that Marvel was seeking a male with “open ethnicity” in his 40s to play the villain in the ‘Black Widow’ movie.

Theories: These new details eliminate previous theories about who Black Widow’s nemesis might be. One theory pitted Scarlett Johansson’s character against a Marvel Comics Russian villain like Red Guardian, who has a tragic love story related to Natasha Romanoff, according to ComicBook.com.

  • THS’s report suggests that will not be the case, but instead, the villain may be Taskmaster, an ex-mercenary with the ability to mimic the powers of anyone he comes in contact with, according to Comic Book.
  • Taskmaster was drawn as a middle-aged black man, so the description released by THS fits, according to Comic Book.

Other ‘Black Widow’ characters: Marvel is planning on casting a second female lead slated as a “female bond” type character who speaks different languages, according to THS.

What else we know: Production for the show was pushed back to June, though it was initially expected to begin this month.

  • It was recently reported that the script for the ‘Black Widow’ movie was being rewritten by Ned Benson, best known for writing and directing “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.”
  • Recently, head of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige confirmed the movie would not be R-rated, despite online rumors.
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There is no release date planned for the film, but it is expected to release next Spring.

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