After a lot of waiting, the Black Widow movie looks to finally be getting its release for real, giving Natasha Romanoff her much-deserved first solo movie in the MCU. The movie comes with a bittersweet reaction from fans following Natasha's death in Avengers: Endgame.
After being a huge part of the MCU since its early days and being a beloved member of the original six Avengers, seeing Natasha go was a very sad moment. And after all this time, her death is still a controversial moment for fans. Some feel as though it was a fitting end for the hero while others think her death has more than a few flaws.
Fitting: Natasha And Clint
There are a lot of great friendships within the MCU, but the one between Black Widow and Hawkeye is one of the most underrated. There have been many hints to their long and complex history together that shaped this relationship while their interactions together show a genuine love between them.
If there was any character who Natasha should have been with in the end, it makes perfect sense that it was Clint. Their fight to sacrifice themselves so the other could live shows how much they mean to each other and it gives Natasha's sacrifice a more personal feel.
Makes No Sense: More To Live For
Natasha throwing herself off the cliff was not only a sacrifice to save the world, but also one to save Clint. Each of them is willing to be the one to take the fall for the greater good, but Natasha believes it should be her as Clint has more to live for because of his family.
While it makes sense Natasha would think this, it's a bit of a mean-spirited message for the movie to put out there. It suggests Natasha's life was worth less to live for than Clint's life. Not only that, but Black Widow proves that she does have loved ones even if they aren't blood relations.
Fitting: The Leader
Natasha has always been a team player and one of the more grounded members of the Avengers. In the aftermath of "the Blip", those qualities allow her to step into a leadership role for the Avengers. Tony has retired, Steve is moving on, and Thor has given up. Natasha is the one overseeing things and keeping the world protected.
It is refreshing to see her in this role at center stage after playing second to the male heroes for so long. And to give the sacrificial hero role to one of the other Avengers might have robbed Natasha of her agency as a leader.
Makes No Sense: Why Did She Go Into Space?
In order to reverse the Blip, the Avengers come up with the time heist to retrieve all of the Infinity Stones from the past and bring everyone back. It is a dangerous and complicated mission that forces the Avengers to revisit moments and places throughout the MCU.
However, when it comes to collecting the Soul Stone, the only thing the Avengers know is that it is on the alien planet of Vormir and that is where Gamora died. So given that the Soul Stone is the most dangerous stone to collect, why would they send the two human non-super-powered Avengers to retrieve it? It seems like they were just setting things up to go wrong.
Fitting: Redemption
One of the most exciting aspects of Black Widow is the opportunity to explore Natasha's complex backstory. Unlike some of the more blatantly heroic characters in the MCU, Natasha's past is a dark one as she operated as an assassin for many years. It is clear the experience still haunts her.
In The Avengers, Natasha speaks of "red in her ledger" and wanting to make up for the sins of her past. Her entire arc as a hero has been leading to this moment where her selfless acts allow her to achieve that redemption she has been searching for.
Makes No Sense: The Snap
While the time heist is successful in so much as the Avengers collect all the Infinity Stones, the loss of Natasha is obviously a devastating blow. But then Thor asks the logical question - why can't they just use the stones to bring her back to life?
Hawkeye gives some excuse about how that is not how the Soul Stone works, but he's basing that on an assumption. While they might not have been able to bring her back with the first snap, it has been proven the stones can work more than once. Was no one willing to try bringing Black Widow back?
Fitting: The Sacrifice
Within the MCU, heroes sacrificing themselves to save the day is nothing new. While it might not be the most original display of heroism, it seems like a rite of passage as the likes of Thor, Iron Man and Captain America have all shown they are willing to die in order to save innocent lives.
If Natasha had to go, it's good she had the opportunity to prove herself every bit the hero that those aforementioned Avengers are. While she had put her life on the line countless times before, this was a moment of conscious sacrifice that felt appropriately heroic for her.
Makes No Sense: It Shouldn't Have Worked
Fans were first introduced to the rules of the Soul Stone when Gamora and Thanos went to Vormir in Avengers: Infinity War. There, Thanos learns he must kill his daughter, the only thing he has ever truly cared about in order to fulfill his mission. When Natasha and Clint go to Vormir, fans know they will be faced with a similar choice.
However, the rules state the person must give up something they love in order to get the stone. But in this case, Clint doesn't actually give up Natasha. He tries to save her and she kills herself. By Red Skull's rules, it doesn't make sense that Hawkeye would have gotten the stone.
Fitting: Her Story Isn't Over
While her death might be where the character ends, Natasha's story in the MCU is not over yet. It would have been cruel to kill her off before she had the chance to at her own solo franchise, but a prequel movie gives her that hero's death while ensuring the character can go on.
Indeed, the fact that Black Widow is a prequel suggests there could be more movies that explore Natasha's past and allow her to step into the spotlight in a way she was not able to before.
Makes No Sense: Moved On Too Quickly
Going into Avengers: Endgame, it felt like the end of an era and fans were expecting some of their favorite characters to be killed off. So Natasha's death was not totally unexpected, but it did feel like a disservice how little of an impact her death had within the movie.
Natasha gets her big sacrificial hero moment, but the story is forced to move on so quickly that it feels like she was rushed out the door. It is made even worse by the fact that Tony Stark is given this big mournful epilogue. Being one of the few heroes not present for the final battle, it would have been nice to see more attention paid to Black Widow's passing.