The Red Guardian a role David Harbour couldn’t turn down
EVEN before his first Marvel Cinematic Universe script landed in his hands, David Harbour was certain he wanted to be a part of the ‘Black Widow’ movie.
Harbour was blown away by the meet-for-lunch pitch with 'Black Widow' director Cate Shortland, who said she envisioned him as Alexei Shostakov, the shield-wielding Russian version of Captain America also known as the Red Guardian.
Shortland saw the character as a shell of his former self
— a super-soldier who has maintained a paternal bond with the film’s title character but is now in prison, covered in tattoos, telling war stories that don’t quite add up and desperate for everyone to laugh at his overtly macho sense of humour.
The 'Stranger Things' and 'Hellboy' star saw a range he wasn’t expecting in a supporting MCU character.
'Black Widow' is a 'finally' moment for Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, who at long last gets her own solo cinematic story to tell.
Harbour doesn’t steal the spotlight but combines all American dad, Russian spy and former superhero, along with a dash of humor — giving the movie 'an unexpected kick,' as Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday put it. He’s the guy who shouldn’t matter much but manages to anyway.
“I was very excited to join the Marvel universe in general,” Harbour told The Washinton Post.
“To play a guy who was so three-dimensional was such a gift.”
The Red Guardian, created by writer-editor Roy Thomas and the late, legendary artist John Buscema, first appeared in 'The Avengers' No. 43, published by Marvel Comics in 1967.
Harbour says he flipped through a few of the character’s comic-book appearances but knew the 'Black Widow' movie would not lean in to those tales too heavily. In the comics, the Red Guardian is the Black Widow’s husband. Harbour’s version would be a reluctant father figure.
“The fun thing about this character is that he’s not that well-known,” Harbour said.
“The problem with Thor, Iron Man or Captain America is that they are so well-known and beloved in the comics that you really have to keep within a mold to a certain degree. Whereas Red Guardian, he had a beard, we had tattoos, we were able to play with him a lot more.”
Harbour said there were brief discussions about Chris Evans making a cameo as Captain America in “Black Widow,” to explore the Red Guardian’s complicated relationship with his star-spangled US counterpart. The idea never got off the ground because this is not the Red Guardian’s show.
Harbour welcomed what he saw as subtle-but-noticeable differences in the filmmaking process, given that Shortland is the MCU’s first solo female director.
“It’s hard to make generalizations about men and women because human beings are so different, but I did find that the vibe on the set [had] more questioning and was more collaborative,” Harbour said.
“A lot of times with strong male directors you can get into a vibe of, c’mon, let’s shoot. . .
. I did find that there was more exploration happening.
“I also like being the nondominant voice. I like being the only guy in the room. It actually felt liberating in a strange way. It’s nice to sit back and have these four very strong, very intelligent women in charge and sort of let the boat carry you down the river.”
As an actor, Harbour has been a part of both sides of the comicbook movie coin.
His “Hellboy” reboot was not a critical or commercial success, but he said that it was a role he wanted and that he enjoyed making the film. He said a Marvel Studios movie is a much different experience, one that feels like you already know you’re going to hit a home run.