What is the song in the intro of Black Widow?

Warning: This article contains Black Widow spoilers.

Black Widow opens in the year 1995, so it's rather appropriate that the movie's opening credits feature a cover of a '90s grunge classic: Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow is set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, with Natasha Romanoff's past catching up to her as she once again finds herself on the run from the authorities.

The opening sequence of Black Widow is set during a chapter of Natasha's unusual childhood when she was being raised by Soviet sleeper agents Milena Shostakov and Alexei Shostakov (a.k.a. Red Guardian) while they were undercover as an all-American family. Having already been subjected to training at the Red Room, Natasha was aware of the true nature of their family, but her 6 year-old adoptive sister Yelena Belova was not.

As Milena and Alexei's three-year operation comes to a sudden and violent end, the family flees to Cuba and Natasha and Yelena are taken away from their adoptive parents and split up. 21 years later, they're reunited and team up to take down the Red Room once and for all.

Malia J Sings Black Widow's Smells Like Teen Spirit Cover

Malia J and Think Up Anger release the opening credits song for Black Widow, an emotional cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 4 is set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. The story explores Natasha Romanoff's time on the run as well as her origin with the KGB-sponsored Red Room and her found family.

Attempts at getting a solo Black Widow film have been in the works long before the launch of the MCU, with David Hayter originally being set to write and direct a film adaptation for Lionsgate in 2004 with Marvel Studios' Avi Arad producing. Due to Lionsgate dropping the project and a failure to find a new studio, the rights reverted back to Marvel and the character was eventually introduced to the MCU with Scarlett Johansson in Iron Man 2 after Emily Blunt passed on the role due to a scheduling conflict. Despite the rave reception to her portrayal, it still took three years after the introduction of the character's backstory in Avengers: Age of Ultron before Marvel finally committed to a film.

With just a week left until the film arrives in theaters and on Disney+, artist Malia J. and producer Think Up Anger have revealed the song crafted for the opening credits of Black Widow. The credits will feature an emotional and chilling cover of Nirvana's Grammy-nominated rock hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Check out the song below:

Click here to listen to the opening credits song

Many fans have been gearing up for the heartbreaking fact that Black Widow will likely mark the end of the road for Johansson in the role after her emotional sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. With the film exploring Natasha's past a little deeper, namely her teenage years and protection of her sister Yelena, the cover song seems like the perfect fit to include in the opening credits for the film. Though it's unclear whether this flashback will start the film or appear later in the story, the early 90s song could point toward the flashback being early in the movie.

Given this is seemingly Johansson's final outing in the role and the flashback will likely lead into how the character is put into the Red Room program, Malia J.'s cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" feels like the right emotional tone-setter. Audiences will now draw their attention toward the first MCU film in two years and see if the story can deliver the same emotional closure as the rest of Phase 4 thus far with the Disney+ series. Black Widow will finally arrive in theaters and on Disney+ on July 9.

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Source: Malia J.