Black Widow gave Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) her own grave, but this highlights one key issue regarding Iron Man's (Robert Downey Jr.) tribute in Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios unconventionally wrapped up Scarlett Johansson's arc in the MCU with a period piece. Set in the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, the Cate Shortland-directed flick follows Nat on her personal journey to reunite with her first family and tackle unfinished business from her past.

However, while the primary events of Black Widow take place before the arrival of Thanos (Josh Brolin) in the MCU, the film jumps forward in time to present-day MCU via its post-credits scene. In it, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) visits her sister's tombstone in an unknown location. Not much is revealed about the site but based on the candles and other trinkets left on the grave, it's either a public funeral that had just taken place or people have been dropping by to pay their respects to Nat. After all, without her sacrifice, Smart Hulk's (Mark Ruffalo) reverse snap wouldn't be possible. 

Related: Black Widow Didn’t Show Natasha's True Endgame Tribute

Regardless of whether or not this is enough for Nat's send-off is still up for debate. There are arguments that neither the tag scene nor the events of Black Widow really justify her death in Endgame. Aside from that, however, the film's post-credits scene also indirectly cites an issue with regard to Tony Stark's farewell service. Iron Man died on the grounds of Avengers HQ; meanwhile, his tribute takes place in the lake house he shared with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Morgan (Lexi Rabe). Yet, the film never showed his body again after he died. They could’ve easily brought him home so he could have a funeral with a proper grave. So, what was the point of setting his original arc reactor to the lake? Granted, it looks more emotional, not to mention symbolic considering that it represented his hero's journey, but it's still curious what happened to his actual remains. 

Black Widow's death on Vormir in Avengers Endgame

Compare this to Nat and it makes much more sense if she's the one who got Iron Man's farewell treatment. The Avenger died in Vormir, in an entirely different time than the present MCU as it happened during the time heist. After she jumped off the cliff and sacrificed herself, there's no clear information about what happened to her remains. Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) just miraculously acquired the Soul Stone and returned to Avengers HQ on his own, which means he never recovered Nat's body. Given this, chances are that the tombstone she has in Black Widow has an empty casket. She could've gotten a statue in her honor and it would've had the same effect. 

With her solo offering, Marvel Studios attempted to retroactively honor Nat after her controversial death in Avengers: Endgame. Yet, it still fell flat on those critics who believe that the only founding female Avenger didn't deserve to wrap up her story the way she did. Aside from the logical issues regarding the difference between her and Iron Man's send-offs in both movies, it's also disappointing the Black Widow post-credits scene took away from Yelena's somber moment at her sister's grave with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) appearance. 

More: How Black Widow Contradicts Nat’s Avengers: Endgame Story

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