The Black Widow Character You Are Based On Your Zodiac Sign

With "Black Widow" Marvel Studios finally gave Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), her own movie and a proper send-off, celebrating her as the fearless hero she is. As reported by Variety, Marvel Studios delayed the release of the film because of the pandemic, eventually releasing it to theaters and streaming on Disney+. While "Black Widow" has plenty of action and a straight-up evil villain to take down, it is a more personal story about the events that shaped Natasha as a person, and her history as a spy for the Red Room.

In the film, we learn Natasha was stationed in Ohio when she was a little girl, posing as the oldest daughter in an all-American family, giving her a taste of both childhood and familial love. We see how much she loved having the freedom of a childhood in Ohio and how devastated she was when they were called home to Mother Russia once the mission was completed. "Black Widow" fills in Natasha's backstory and introduces us to her undercover family and the impact they had on her personality.

While the cast of the film is small, each character has a distinct personality, representing 11 of the zodiac signs. This film is especially fun while viewing it through an astrological lens because we have an opportunity to see some of the signs that are generally regarded as "good" signs, using their inherent abilities for evil ends. It's important to remember, no zodiac sign is all good, or especially evil. Just like people, each sign has strengths and challenges, and how we use our abilities determines what kind of character we have.

Aries, like Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), represents the spirit of battle influenced by the planetary ruler of the sign: Mars, the god of war. To ancient Romans, Mars was also the protector of their city, linking to Alexei's super soldier title, the Red Guardian. This speaks to how Alexei sees himself. He is the Russian counterpoint to Captain America. Alexei views himself as the protector of Mother Russia and the ideals she stood for during the cold war.

Known for being hot-headed, impatient and impulsive, Aries is a cardinal fire sign that loves action. Cardinal signs come at the start of each season, with Aries kicking-off spring (and the entire zodiac) embodying the abundant energy and impatience of youth. As a cardinal sign, Aries are natural leaders who like getting things started. Being ordered to play house in Ohio isn't the best use of Alexei's talents or natural drive, and Aries hates work that doesn't align with their talents.

Aries' element, fire, is seen most clearly in their passion and anger. But fire also brings spontaneity and warmth, making Aries a fun and emotionally honest sign. They say what they mean, and even if it comes across as insensitive, at least you always know you are getting the truth from an Aries. Much like Alexei, they tell it like they see it. Aries' fiery passion is clear when Alexei is reunited with Melina outside St. Petersburg, leading the audience to believe their time as a married couple in Ohio might have not been all for show. Aries are known for their courage, strength, and fiery spirit, and we see all of these traits on display in Alexei.

"Black Widow" introduces a new interpretation of Taskmaster, one that fits into Natasha Romanoff's history and evolution as a person. Those who want the MUC to be taken directly from source materials probably didn't like this departure, but for this film, revealing Taskmaster to be none other than General Dreykov's daughter, Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko), the little girl Natasha sacrificed in a bomb to defect from the Red Room to S.H.E.I.L.D. was brilliant. This twist also sets up Taskmaster as a perfect representation of Gemini, symbolized by the twins. She is two people in one body, highlighting the internal struggle and division Geminis often feel between their dark and light twin.

Gemini is a mutable air sign known for their adaptability. Taskmaster's talent to mimic the fighting style of others hints at her Gemini nature, showing she is adaptable and able to mirror others. Air signs are known for being intellectual. Taskmaster takes the alert, perceptive, and analytical traits of Gemini to a new level, by having a computer chip in her head to synthesize all the information she sees and hears. Another clear connection between Gemini and Taskmaster/Antonia is Gemini's ruling planet, Mercury. Although Geminis are known for being the life of the party, they also have their deep and dark side, linking them to the Underworld. Like Taskmaster is dispatched to eliminate problems for the Red Room, Mercury is a psychopomp bringing souls to the afterlife.

While Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) doesn't have a role in "Black Widow," the after credits scene draws him into the story. His friendship with Natasha, and the role he played, helping her defect from the Red Room, makes him an important part of her Avengers family, and elemental to her life trajectory. Clint's strong familial associations with Natasha are congruent with Clint's fierce devotion to family, clearly marking him as a representation of Cancer.

Cancer is a cardinal water sign ruled by the Moon. Like all water signs, Cancers are emotional people, who seem to carry a well of sadness within them. We can see this in Clint in the films and miniseries this character is part of. He carries the pain of the lives he has taken as an assassin, remembering each one of them. He remembers the loneliness of the five years after his family vanished with half of the world's population during the Blip, and he is haunted by the things he did while they were gone.

Cancer's are the archetypal mothers of the zodiac, and Clint is nurturing in his own cantankerous way. He might not like revealing his feelings and being vulnerable with others, but he has no problem taking responsibility for others, as a mother would. We see this in "Hawkeye" when he takes Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) under his wing. Cancer's homebody vibe is represented by Clint's family home, in the country safe from the outside world, and the threats Clint deals with as an Avenger. Cancers might not wear their hearts on their sleeve, but anyone can easily see the well of emotion under the surface.

Rick Mason (O-T Fagbenle) is a friend of Natasha's from her S.H.I.E.L.D. days. He is her go-to guy for procuring everything she needs while she is on the run. He secures her a helicopter, a trailer to live in while hiding, delivers her mail, and even a jet at the end of the film. His work, procuring weapons and securing transportation, requires Mason to have a vast network of associates who are willing to work with him. Leos are known for being the kind of leader who can bring disparate groups together to attain a common goal.

Leo is a fixed fire sign, ruled by the Sun. As a fire sign, Leos are known for their big hearts, warm personalities and passion. Mason clearly cares about Natasha and is unsuccessful in hiding his crush. The help he provides her showcases his generosity, a trait Leos are known for. Having a fixed modality means Leo was born in the middle of summer, having the dedication and follow-through of those loyal friends everyone knows they can count on, explaining why Natasha doesn't hesitate, repeatedly asking Mason for help when she's on the run.

Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), the black widow assassin who went to Ohio posing as Natasha and Yelena's mom, is the perfect representation of Virgo. Intelligent, analytical, and detail-oriented, Virgo embodies many of the qualities that make Melina an excellent scientist. Virgo is a mutable earth sign, symbolized by the Virgin. Athena, from Greek mythology, is an excellent archetypal representation of a virgin goddess of both wisdom and war. Melina embodies this dichotomy. She is maternal, despite being unable to have children. Trained as an assassin in the Red Room, she was later utilized for her keen mind.

Like other earth signs, Virgos are reliable, practical, and down-to-earth. But Virgo has a mutable modality, introducing an adaptability and intellectual curiosity other earth signs lack. Coming at the end of a season, mutable signs embody transformation and integration. But mutable signs are also known for their intellectual curiosity as we see in Melina's involvement in the mind-control technology Dreykov developed for Yelena's generation of black widows. Virgos are known for their type-A personalities, and we can see this in Melina's no-nonsense attitude, but we also see the sensual nature earth signs are known for in her flirtatious behavior with Alexei.

Like Libra, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), is hard to pin down. What exactly is she up to, anyway? When we meet her in "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" she is recruiting John Walker, the Captain America replacement to take on the role of U.S. Agent, and in the post credit scene of "Black Widow," she is manipulating Yelena into going after Hawkeye. Leading Yelena to believe Natasha's death was murder rather than self-sacrifice. Val is clearly playing on a chess board we haven't seen, hinting to her Libran intelligence.

Libras are a cardinal air sign, ruled by Venus. We see Venus's love of luxury in Valentina, from her expensive clothing to her regal name. Libras are afraid of the unknown, which can manifest as someone who is very strategic and manipulative. To assuage their fear of the unknown, they exert control. This, in part, is due to their cardinal modality. Libras are idea people who lead through influence, rather than brute force, and we see this in the subtle ways Valentina exerts influence and control.

Libras are intelligent and perceptive, like other air signs, and they know how to be diplomatic, working with various groups to achieve a goal, as we see Valentina do. Like Libra, Val is different depending on who she is with and what she is trying to achieve. Although Libras are often described as empathetic, they can use their insights and empathy for dishonest means. Although we don't know what Val is up to yet, it feels like she is a villain in the making.

Like Scorpio, Natasha Romonoff (Scarlett Johansson), aka the Black Widow, is often misunderstood. Some will always believe she is evil, right up till the moment she saves the world. Natasha embodies Scorpio's tenacity, loyalty, intensity, and mysterious nature. Scorpio is a fixed water sign, known for their passion, bravery, and honesty. Having a fixed modality can make Scorpios stubborn and obsessive, but it also makes them the reliable friend you can count on, as we see at the end of "Black Widow," when Natasha sets off to break her Avenger family out of superhero jail.

In "Black Widow" it is easy to forget Natasha doesn't have superpowers. She is fearless, going toe to toe with Taskmaster and taking on a group of black widows, jumping off a falling Red Room with a parachute in her hands to save Yelena. Scorpios aren't afraid of dying, and we see this each time Natasha gives all of herself as an Avenger. The thing Scorpios fear is vulnerability, perfectly expressed in Natasha's reluctance to admit the family she was a part of in Ohio, meant something to her.

This fear of vulnerability comes from being a water sign. Water signs live in the realm of emotion and feel everything intensely. Water signs are known for their compassion and empathy. We see this compassion in the way Natasha frees Taskmaster from the containment cell before fleeing the Red Room and then when Natasha uses the gas to free Antonia from General Dreykov's chemical mind-control. Despite all of their admirable qualities, Scorpios can be relentless and unforgiving, tireless in achieving any goal, as General Dreykov found out. Remember, Scorpions have a poisonous sting, just like the black widow.

Yelena's (Florence Pugh) enthusiasm to experience the world on her own terms after being freed from Dreykov's mind-control embodies Sagittarius' optimistic nature. Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign, known for their wanderlust and need for freedom. Yelena's frustration, a Sagittarian trait, is clear throughout "Black Widow" in her sarcastic sense of humor, impatience, and filterless comments. Sagittarius is known for being funny and for their lack of diplomacy. We definitely see these traits in Yelena. Despite telling it like she sees it, Yelena, like other fire signs, is warm, energetic, and bold.

Having a mutable modality means you are adaptable, a trait that comes in very handy when you might be breaking someone out of prison one day and taking down a maniacal villain the next, as Yelena does in "Black Widow." Curious and spontaneous, Yelena and Sagittarius tend to see life as an adventure, highlighted when Yelena says, "this would be a cool way to die" as the avalanche nearly takes down the helicopter she is flying while breaking Alexei out of a Russian prison. Adaptable, strong, and relentless, Sagittarius can struggle with focus, like many mutable signs; but once they have set their sights on a goal, nothing will get in their way.

Like Capricorn, Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) is all about rules, restrictions, discipline, and tradition. He doggedly pursues Natasha because he believes she is a threat to the rule of law. A cardinal earth sign, Capricorn is driven by duty and a need for respect. Known as workaholics, Ross has risen to the title of Secretary of State, a position that affords Ross both respect and power. As an earth sign, Capricorn is solid, reliable and often conservative, tending to be more cautious than other elements. Capricorns, like Ross, have their feet securely on the ground.

Capricorn's planetary ruler, Saturn, highlights this sign's tendency to take on responsibility, and their willingness to follow rules rather than emotions, respecting boundaries and laws more than feelings and philosophy. As a cardinal sign, Capricorns are natural leaders, as we see from Ross' career in the military and then in politics as Secretary of State. You can count on Capricorn and Thaddeus Ross to be predictable, consistent, and adhere to the rules.

While Aquarians are generally perceived as humanitarians and General Dreykov (Ray Winstone) is straight-up evil, he does embody Aquarius' intellect and revolutionary spirit. Aquarius is a fixed air sign, known for their originality and independence, but also for being temperamental. We see Dreykov's anger management issues when he hits Natasha in the Red Room after he has discovered she was impersonating Melina. Dreykov, like Aquarius, is a world-builder — he's just building a world that serves him rather than humanity.

Like other air signs, it's easy for Aquarius to get caught up in their head, without noticing the emotional impact their plans will have on others' lives. Once you remove morality from the equation, Aquarian's rational nature can easily be used for manipulation and control, especially when they convince themselves that they are helping the many, while harming the few. Dreykov believes he is building a better world by controlling politicians as a shadowy puppet master from the safety of the Red Room. Aquarius is drawn toward political work and activism, but in Dreykov we see these proclivities used for evil rather than good.

As a fixed sign, Aquarians are natural leaders who are comfortable being in charge, and won't relinquish their leadership, as we see in Dreykov. Aquarius' planetary rulers, give us great insight into Dreykov's motivations as well. In ancient astrology, Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, a planet that is all about rules, restrictions, and dedication. While in modern astrology, Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, a transcendental planet, associated with rebellion, revolution and transformation. It makes sense that a man like Dreykov would exert absolute control over others, to give himself absolute freedom.

We only meet Oksana (Michelle Lee), the rogue black widow in possession of the red vials that free widows from chemical mind-control, when Yelena kills her at the beginning of the film. Oksana fights Yelena, but not hard enough to hurt Yelena, ultimately sacrificing herself, with her last breath to free Yelena from chemical mind-control, entrusting Yelena to free the others. 

This is exactly what a Pisces would do. Pisces are a mutable water sign known for their willingness to be a martyr. We don't get the chance to observe Oksana's personality, but in her dedication to freeing her fellow widows, we do know she is compassionate, knowing they deserve the freedom from mind-control she has found. Pisces is the last zodiac sign, the sign that is ready to transcend this physical existence into pure spirit. Perhaps this is why they are willing to sacrifice themselves? They are ready to slip this mortal coil, becoming one with the ocean of the cosmos.