Who is Red Guardian in Black Widow (2021)?
Black Widow, the first MCU film in Phase 4, is out soon and we’re here to talk about Red Guardian. Who actually is he? Why is he involved with Black Widow’s antics? How do we grow that beard? All the important questions.
By now, you probably know that Stranger Things’ David Harbour is going to portray Alexei Shostakov (also known as the Red Guardian) in Marvel Studios’ Black Widow film, but…
Who actually is Red Guardian? Well, to get you interested… He’s the KGB’s answer to Captain America.
Red Guardian in Black Widow
In the MCU…
Alexei Shostakov is a Soviet super-soldier and the ex-husband of Melina Vostokoff. He’s a father figure to both Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova throughout their formative years and he’s the Soviet-led KGB’s answer to “S.H.I.E.L.D.’s” Captain America.
READ MORE: Black Widow Release Date & Disney Plus Premier Access
Other than this though, we don’t actually know a whole lot about Harbour’s Red Guardian. We do know that he can go toe-to-toe with Taskmaster, though, which means he’s a force to be reckoned with.
In Earth-616…
Alexei Shostakov is one of Soviet Union’s best test pilots and soon becomes the second man to take the mantle of Red Guardian. He also takes the hand of our very-own Natasha Romanova during this part of his life, too! He’s a cruel, ruthless man who, despite his flaws, has a strict honour code.
What Does This Mean?
Well, we know for a fact that he isn’t going to be a love interest for the MCU’s Natasha Romanoff. He’s being pitched as a father figure, alongside Rachel Weisz’ Melina Vostokoff, and we’re fully certain that will stay that way.
READ MORE: Black Widow Cast: Who’s in the next MCU movie?
However, his role as Natasha’s father figure does make us think that he might end up finding a less-than-fortunate end in Black Widow. We don’t want to see David Harbour die, but we reckon this could provide an important emotional note in the movie’s plot which may or may not cause a divide in the “KGB Family” that seem to be coming together.
Black Widow is releasing on July 9th in selected theatres and on Disney Plus via Premier Access.
