Some fans think that the mysterious red vials in the Black Widow trailer are Pym Particles like those seen in Ant-Man and Avengers: Endgame, but this isn’t actually the case. In a brief shot in the trailer for Marvel’s Black Widow movie, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) can be seen holding vials of bright red liquid. More of these vials can be spotted on a counter.

The inclusion of the red vials has spawned theories that the red vials are actually the MCU’s Pym Particles. Since they were introduced as inventions of Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) in Ant-Man, the Pym Particles have been depicted as a red serum, so the similarities between them and Black Widow’s red vials are certainly there. In the comic books, the Pym Particles are typically used for shrinking and growing objects and people, and though they share this function in the MCU, Avengers: Endgame expanded on the capabilities of the Pym Particles by having the Avengers use them for the purpose of time travel. Pym Particles being a plot device in Avengers: Endgame was a secret – albeit not a very well-kept one – and so now the idea is that Black Widow is hiding them as well.

However, it’s likely that the real purpose of the red vials is actually quite simple, and perhaps a bit less exciting. At the 1:14 mark in the Black Widow trailer, Natasha can be shown blasting an enemy with her Widow’s Sting (or Widow’s Bite) weapon. This classic comic book weapon, which has been utilized in the MCU since Iron Man 2, is seen with a new, red effect in this shot from the trailer. A new Widow’s Sting toy from the Black Widow movie fires red bolts, which provides further evidence for Black Widow getting an upgrade to her signature attack.

It would seem that scientists developed this red liquid as a weapon of some sort, and at a certain point in the movie, Natasha decides to re-purpose it as ammo for her Widow’s Sting, which could make it more powerful than before. This explanation is much more plausible than the Pym Particles theory.

The Pym Particles theory has picked up steam online in part due to what it could mean for Black Widow’s future in the MCU. A belief shared by some fans is that Pym Particles could be the key to bringing Black Widow back to life similar to the way that it was instrumental in restoring the people killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Some are still holding onto hope that Black Widow can still return, but it’s extremely difficult to imagine Black Widow changing MCU history. As one of the MCU’s biggest deaths yet, Black Widow is one character unlikely to ever be resurrected.

More: Why Marvel’s Black Widow Movie Took So Long To Happen

  • Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness Release Date: 2022-05-06 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11