'Black Widow' Cast Adds Rachel Weisz, David Harbour Alongside Scarlett Johansson And Florence Pugh

Marvel's Black Widow movie is slowly coming together. After promising to make the standalone film for years, Marvel Studios is forging ahead, picking up exciting cast members as they go. The latest: Rachel Weisz, who is good in just about everything, and Stranger Things and Hellboy actor David Harbour, will now both appear alongside mainstay player Scarlett Johansson and recent cast addition Florence Pugh.

Variety has the scoop regarding Rachel Weisz's addition to the Black Widow cast. Their report says a deal isn't finalized yet, but "talks are headed in that direction, with strong interest from both sides of negotiations." Variety doesn't specify who Weisz is playing, but we've heard through sources that there are two villain roles – one male, and one female. I wouldn't be surprised if Weisz is up for the female villain – and I'd be thrilled if that were the case. The Favourite recently proved she can really sink her teeth into antagonistic characters. Weisz has dabbled in comic book movies before, appearing in the criminally underrated Constantine.

Meanwhile, THR broke the news regarding David Harbour joining the Black Widow cast. And who is the Stranger Things actor playing? Don't ask, because Marvel isn't saying. I can easily picture him as some sort of government agent, or even some sort of villain. He's versatile, he'll make it work. Harbour has been a dependable character actor for years, but he blew up in a big way thanks to his major role on Netflix's Stranger Things. Now, he's landing bigger, steadier film work on top of all that. Good for him.

This won't be Harbour's first superhero/comic book project. This year, he stars in the Hellboy reboot. He also had a small role in Suicide Squad, which I'm betting you forgot about. I sure did! In fact, I'd wager Harbour himself probably forget as well. But here's the proof.

Black Widow is described as "an internationally-set story centering on Natasha Romanoff, a spy and assassin who grew up being trained by the KGB before breaking from their grasp and becoming an agent of SHIELD and Avenger."

Beyond that, we don't know much, although rumors persist the film will be a prequel, set when Natasha was just getting started in her spy career. Scarlett Johansson will once again reprise the role she's been playing since Iron Man 2, while Florence Pugh is also part of the cast in an undisclosed role, but we hear she's playing another spy. Cate Shortland is directing from a script by Jac Schaeffer.

Marvel has been giving wishy-washy promises on a stand-alone Black Widow movie for years, and now that it's finally happen, it feels slightly too late. Don't get me wrong – I'm still hoping for something entertaining, and I think Johansson brings a lot to this part when she's given the right material to work with. But I can't help but feel Marvel should've made this movie at least five or six years ago. But hey, adding Rachel Weisz to your cast is a surefire way to get me to pay attention.

Johansson's Black Widow will next appear in a little indie film called Avengers: Endgame, hitting theaters April 26, 2019. There's no release date set yet for Black Widow.