Marvel doesn’t want the stars of Black Widow discussing Melina Vostokoff’s last name. After a year-long delay, Black Widow is finally set to open in theatres and on Dinsey+ Premier Access on July 9. Despite the delay, the film has kept many of its key plot details from leaking online, with the biggest question going in being the identity of the villain, Taskmaster.

The film will see Black Widow (Scarlett Johanson) joined by a number of characters from Marvel Comics, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), who is described as another Black Widow. While Marvel has yet to officially reveal Melina’s last name, it was leaked last year thanks to a Twitter emoji. In the comics, Vostokoff is the villain Iron Maiden, leading many to speculate about Weisz’s role in the film.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Even though Melina Vostokoff’s name is an open secret by now, Marvel still doesn’t want their stars acknowledging it. During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel introduced Weisz’s character as Melina Vostokoff. Weisz quickly told Kimmel she doesn’t think they are allowed to discuss her character’s last name. Weisz said it was a Marvel Cinematic Universe secret and seemed nervous when Kimmel let the name slip.

“I think we’re not allowed to say Melina’s second name though, right? I think we’re prohibited from saying Melina’s second name. I think it’s a Marvel Cinematic Universe secret.”

Jimmy Kimmell Live! broadcast on ABC, which is owned by Disney, who also owns Marvel Studios. The late-night talk show has become a prominent spot for the various stars of the MCU to promote their upcoming films there, so Disney likely didn’t expect a slip-up like this from one of their own subsidiaries. However, given that the character’s name was leaked more than a year ago and has become common knowledge since, Kimmel can be forgiven for not realizing he wasn’t supposed to talk about it.

Marvel keeping the identity of Melina a secret raises some interesting questions for Black Widow. While all eyes are on Taskmaster, it could be that Melina is the real villain of the film. Given the nature of Black Widow as a spy property, having a higher-up trusted hero turning out to be the secret villain is a staple of the spy genre that has been featured in films like Mission: Impossible and the recent Charlie’s Angels. Marvel Studios themselves have a history of secret villains, like Iron Man 3’s marketing focusing solely on the Mandarin while the real villain Aldrich Killian was saved for the film’s reveal. It could also all be clever marketing to get fans discussing Black Widow before the film’s upcoming release.

Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live! (via Uproxx)

Key Release Dates
See also  Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster Release Date Set For September 8
  • Black Widow (2021)Release date: Jul 09, 2021
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
Fantastic Beasts 3: Every Harry Potter Easter Egg, Reference & Call-Back

About The Author


Richard Fink
(532 Articles Published)

Richard Fink is a news writer for Screen Rant. He graduated from Arizona State University in 2016 with a degree in Film and Media Production. He loves the finer things in life, like cold Diet Coke on a hot summer day. Richard is a fan of all things Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and Film History.

More From Richard Fink