Fans have been pleading for a Black Widow movie for many years now, demands that were first cast as she made her butt-kicking debut during Iron Man 2, and recent rumblings in Hollywood confirm that the Marvel head-honchos are finally warming up to the idea. With several solid performances under her belt to date, and Captain America: Civil War directors Anthony and Joe Russo confirming that the film is a “no-brainer” during an interview with Collider, it’s surely only a matter of time until Scarlett Johansson gets her own solo movie. Right?

Studio head Kevin Feige all but confirmed the movie when he revealed his thoughts to Deadline, stating that the team behind the movies are creatively and emotionally committed to a Black Widow film. Where this is good news for Black Widow fans, another Avenger has thrown his hat into the ring, hinting that the film might actually be closer to development than first thought: Anthony Mackie, who plays Sam “the Falcon” Wilson, has declared his interest in featuring in the movie, should it ever see the light of day.

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During an interview with Hitfix, Anthony Mackie told them that a Black Widow movie would be perfect for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and revealed his thoughts on the potential plot.

“If they made a Black Widow movie, it would be more of a spy espionage-type movie, which would be great, to see a female James Bond or something like that.”

Asked whether he would want to reprise his role of the Falcon in the spin-off, Mackie only had one answer.

“I would love, in any capacity, to be a part of that. I’ve always been a huge fan of Scarlett’s, and I’ve always, since I met her, just really admired her as a person. So in whatever capacity I would be used — Falcon would fly for Black Widow.”

Mackie certainly has a point. Seeing Black Widow, a.k.a Natasha Romanoff, as a “female James Bond” is not a difficult sell, truth be told, and you can bet that many Marvel fans already see the Russian superspy as such. Despite being featured in multiple ensemble castings since her debut, Romanoff has more than held her own despite a lack of advantageous superpowers, stealing several scenes from the more popular Marvel characters in the process. Let’s not forget the emotional, mysterious tumult that exists deep in her character too, one that is perfect fodder for a solo movie.

The character really came into her own during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier — the one MCU movie often referred to as a ’70s spy thriller — and continued as such during the Avenger movies and Civil War, so pulling the trigger on her spin-off makes perfect sense. Marvel sure aren’t short of a few movies coming into Phase 3 of their Hollywood superhero domination, but with several popular characters still unexplored — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and The Hulk, to name a few — and fans asking for more, surely they can slot the film in at a later phase, maybe 4 or 5? With Mackie eager to be involved — the Falcon has certainly shone in his previous MCU appearances — and the fans demanding it, Marvel certainly has something to think about.

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And let’s not forget that Scarlett Johansson is a box-office draw in her own right. In 2014’s Lucy, the actress proved just how impressive she can be given the time, space, and script to punch, kick, and shoot her way out of trouble — sounds a lot like Black Widow to me. The film grossed $463.4 million on a $40 million budget, and many fans thought the film was one of the primary catalysts during the first mentions of a Black Widow movie. If you add this to the evidence pool, one that contains each of her solid MCU appearances, you have a pretty solid foundation for a great spin-off movie.

Will we see Black Widow stand alone? Will Sam Wilson make an appearance? Only time will tell. Until then, you can catch the Russian super-spy and Falcon himself in Captain America: Civil War, which is showing in theatres now.

[Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]