Scarlett Johansson returns as Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow super-assassin and conflicted Marvel Avenger. As might be expected for the Marvel films, ‘returns’ is subjective as the film events takes place between earlier films, seemingly contemporaneous with Captain America: Civil War (released 2016).

As a consequence of Civil War, Romanoff is on the run. Events soon cause her face up to her past deeds and seek out a spurious childhood family of equally traumatised individuals. Those past deeds have had consequences for the present and Romanoff sets off to make some amends.

So we have a hybrid film, very much about Romanoff in the here and now, but driven by her origins. It’s a clever take considering the characters appearance in previous Marvel films. A more predictable superhero origins story aka Iron Man (2008) would feel odd - we’ve already seen the entire Black Widow character arc and ending. It’s also good to see an action film that doesn’t require a leading man love interest, perhaps Hollywood is finally getting the Bechdel test memo.

Overall it leaves a rather ‘meh’ aftertaste. The predictable running around blowing things up effects, the athletic gun-foo, the happy redemption. The inability of bad guys to not reveal their plans and have bases that seem to explode at the slightest mishap. Too much predictable cliche. Perhaps 10 years ago this film would have worked better. Perhaps superhero films have just become too formulaic, for me it’s films that deconstruct that formula such as Deadpool and Suicide Squad that show the creativity.

So it’s a perfectly decent Marvel film, fills in the blanks, but feels like a very delayed ‘lets give Black Widow her stand-alone movie’ box-tick.