‘Black Widow’ and Widow Maker Black Ale

‘Black Widow’ is the MCU’s best crack yet at a female superhero story! Let’s celebrate with a name-appropriate beer.

The Movie: Superhero action thriller / 2021 / Marvel Studios – Disney

The Beer: Black Ale / 5.2% ABV / Keweenaw Brewing Co. – Houghton, MI

*Mild Spoilers*

I’ve loved the MCU ever since watching Iron Man in theaters back in 2008, and I’m among those who thinks they’ve only gotten better with time (Phase 3 was AMAZING you guys!) But if there’s a single moment in the entire franchise that I absolutely 100 percent LOATHE, it’s this one:

Man oh man do I hate this. First, it logistically doesn’t make any sense. These ladies are all over the battlefield, just as all the men are, and now you’re telling me they’re suddenly all together while the guys get to continue holding their own by themselves? Second, “she’s got help” has to be one of the most pandering, most misguided lines ever given to a Marvel character. If there’s any superhero who really doesn’t actually need help from others, it’s Captain f***ing Marvel. She could blast away the Hulk with a flick of her wrist, if she wanted to. Also, why is Mantis next to her? Mantis is cool and all, but the girl’s a feeler, not a fighter.

Gross, Marvel. You had the opportunity to finally show that your female characters were just as awesome as the male ones, and you completely blew it through a gratuitous, cloyingly overdone “girl power” moment that feels like an old timey tampon commercial (with Tampax, you can fight Titanian Eternals with your friends!) I let out an audible groan in the theater when I first saw this display of disingenuous feminism, and I’ve done so every time I’ve re-watched the movie since (which is a lot. My boyfriend and I are nerds).

Okay, end of rant. Thankfully, Black Widow actually gets things right.

Overall, the MCU’s latest movie feels way more like a Jason Bourne / James Bond-esque spy thriller rather than its usual superhero faire. Now on the run following the events of Civil War, Black Widow / Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) finds herself reunited with her sister, Yelena (Florence Pugh), and the folks who kind of raised them, Alexei and Melina (David Harbour and Rachel Weisz). Turns out, the Widow program that created Natasha into the fighting machine / super spy we’ve known her as forever is still in existence, and now she’s on a mission to bring it down. We get to learn a lot more about Natasha’s origins and upbringing in this movie, which I’ve been waiting for literally since her onscreen debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2.

The bulk of the cast is female, and for a moment I was concerned that Marvel was going for a repeat of its Endgame blunder. But ultimately, it didn’t feel any different from other action movies with predominantly male casts. There’s no big misguided spectacle portrayed as feminism, no awkward “your emotions make you weak, but oh wait, they actually make you stronger!” plot-line that followed Captain Marvel‘s otherwise pretty awesome narrative around. Black Widow simply feels like an exciting action-thriller that happens to feature primarily women, and that’s the way it should be.

Also, Florence Pugh is a marvelous addition to the franchise. So far, I haven’t seen a single performance of hers I haven’t liked (if you’re unfamiliar, check out Midsommar, Little Women or Fighting with my Family), and she’s just delightful as Scar-Jo’s onscreen sister. If I had to pick a favorite moment between the two of them, it’s Pugh’s character blatantly calling out Black Widow for appearing to do model-like poses while she fights. Yep, this movie might just be one of the more self-aware MCU flicks to date.

Speaking of fighting, the sequences in Black Widow are easily among the most brutal, most realistic yet in an MCU movie. Just like Disney+’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier, you can really feel that damage is being done — these are not gods among men fighting. These are humans fighting. I felt myself actually cringing during some of the rougher stuff, and I loved every second of the realness.

If there’s any real complaint I actually have about this movie, it’s that it didn’t come out sooner. I’m not just talking about the fact that Natasha Romanoff deserved to helm her own movie over a decade ago. This one would have been more powerful if it came out either right after Civil War (when it actually takes place), or even right after Endgame (when Natasha tragically dies and seems to get all forgotten about by the living once Tony Stark joins her).

But oh well, at least she finally did get her own movie. And all things said and done, that movie was pretty awesome. Natasha — you badass Black Widow and Avenger — we’ll miss you.

Since we go into this movie knowing full well that this is likely the last we’ll see of the character, might as well pair it with a good beer! I’ll admit that I chose my beer pairing for this movie pretty much on name alone (we find out who “makes” the widows in the movie! ‘Widow Maker’ works so well!) But man, is this stuff stunningly drinkable.

At a glance, the brew looks like it’s going to be heavy and really boozy, but it’s super smooth and light-bodied. Flavor-wise, this one carries hints of dark fruit and very mild hop bitterness. There’s also an interesting whisper of smoky molasses. Like its own kind of super spy, there’s definitely a lot more to this beer than meets the eye.

Plus it’s only 5.2%, so you could even have two if you’re feeling daring during Black Widow’s 2+ hour runtime. Whether or not you’re still sipping by the end of the movie though, be sure to stay for the end credits scene.

*Bonus Brews*

• Black Widow / Cider / 6% ABV / Original Sin – New York, NY
• Spyglass / Fruited Berliner Weisse / 4.7% ABV / Urban Artifact – Cincinnati, OH
• Superhero Sidekicks / IPA / 6.9% ABV / Kings County Brewers Collective (KCBC) – Brooklyn, NY

And if you’re overseas…

• Red Spider Rye / Rye Ale / 4.8% ABV / Pig & Porter – Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England