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Rachel Weisz and David Harbour Are Circling Black Widow

Marvelous news.
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By Dan MacMedan/Getty.

The Black Widow cast is starting to materialize after years (years!) of fans waiting for Marvel to give their biggest non-Captain Marvel female superhero a spinoff of her own. According to Variety, two interesting names have been thrown into the ring: Rachel Weisz and David Harbour.

Fresh off a glorious awards run for The Favourite, Weisz is apparently in talks for a “key” role in the franchise, Variety notes. Harbour is also in talks for a role, though it’s not yet been specified who the actors would play if cast. This would mark Harbour’s second major comic book role in his post–Stranger Things renaissance; he’s set to star as Hellboy in the eponymous reboot later this year.

No deals for Weisz and Harbour have been completed yet, but there’s “strong interest from both sides of negotiations,” per Variety. So, do with that what you will! Marvel reps have not confirmed the talks to Vanity Fair.

If cast, these stars would join a team that thus far includes Scarlett Johansson and maybe Florence Pugh, who was reported to be in talks for the film back in mid-March. The actress has been on the rise in the last few months, starring in the Dwayne Johnson–produced wrestling drama Fighting with My Family and landing a main role in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women adaptation. Next up, she’s got the A24 horror story Midsommar, directed by burgeoning auteur Ari Aster.

The Black Widow spin-off, meanwhile, will be directed by Cate Shortland (Smilf) and written by Jac Schaeffer (The Hustle).

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