After over a year of postponement, Black Widow finally arrived and it marked another success for the MCU. It was praised for the characters, drama, and comedy elements among other things. Those main three aspects come through clearly when looking at the best quotes from the long-awaited film.
These lines do a great job of shedding more light on the characters introduced in this movie, further fleshing out Natasha Romanoff, being filled with emotion, or even just making the audience laugh. Regardless of who delivered the quote, fans will likely be talking about them for years to come.
Updated on January 28th, 2022, by Kevin Pantoja: Giving a bigger platform to the iconic hero meant that audiences got some of the best Natasha Romanoff quotes in the entire MCU. Of course, she was far from the only character to get moments like that with Alexei, Melina, and certainly Yelena all having moments in the sun. Each of them got to deliver some truly memorable lines that could rank among the top ones in the entire franchise. The best Black Widow quotes include everything from emotional hits to comedic beats to ones that really add to a character's personality.
The Delusional Red Guardian
"I Could Have Been More Famous Than Captain America."
Although there are plenty of trademark comedic MCU bits throughout Black Widow, it could be argued that Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) is the funniest part. A super soldier known as the Red Guardian, he spends his time yearning for the glory days he feels he deserved.
After his daughters break him out of prison, he explains his feelings about his life to them. He calls their time as a family together in Ohio tedious and drops this line about comparing himself to Captain America. It showcases how highly he thinks of himself and how disappointing he finds his entire existence.
Yelena Explains The Difference Between Natasha & Thor
"I Doubt The God From Space Has To Take Ibuprofen After A Fight."
The high point of the film according to most reviews is Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). One reason why is that Yelena gets some of the most hilarious Phase 4 lines, especially when she calls out Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) for various things. It happens when they're at the store after escaping the Taskmaster.
While discussing the Red Room, Yelena notes that they stayed a secret because they avoid the Avengers. Killing Natasha would bring one of the "big ones" to avenge her. When her sister questions who the "big ones" were, Yelena responds with this line, referencing how someone like Thor has an advantage over a human like Natasha.
Natasha Got Him
"Thank You For Your Cooperation."
The antagonist of the film is Dreykov (Ray Winstone) and the way he subjugates women is truly sickening. When Natasha finally confronts him in the Red Room, she ends up being controlled by him and it seems like she has truly met her match. The audience is livid about it.
However, after he goes on his overly long villain monologue and explains his entire plan, Natasha gains confidence and says the above line. She knew how to break his power and this was all part of her plan, proving that she was a step ahead of him. It was also a great callback to when she outsmarted Loki in The Avengers.
Yelena Disses Nat's Pose
"It's A Fighting Pose. You're A Poser."
Whenever you hear that someone is a poser, it typically means that they're being fake. However, Yelena calls her sister a poser because she literally spends her time posing while on the battlefield. She does this in public while they're at the store together.
You can tell that the exploits of the Avengers were world-famous as Yelena knew the iconic pose that her sister would bust out during a fight. What truly made this hilarious was that Yelena made sure to mock the pose physically, topping it off.
Alexei Does Love His Daughters
"My Girls Are The Toughest Girls In The World."
The opening scene in Ohio sees the film's core family just barely getting out of the country. Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) pilots them away to Cuba but is injured when they land. As Alexei speaks with the higher-ups, young Natasha protects Yelena from being taken to the Red Room.
Alexei gets the gun from her and tries to talk her down, explaining that they'll be okay because he believes they're the toughest girls. Although letting them go to the Red Room was a terrible decision, there's some earnestness here and you can see how Alexei feels about his daughters.
The Reunion They've Needed
"Family. Back Together Again."
This is a quote that was heard pretty often during the trailers for the film. It's Alexei saying something so simple but it actually means so much to him and is a key part of what drives the film forward. At the end of the day, it's all about family.
Natasha's only families in life were the Avengers and the short couple of years she had with Alexei, Melina, and Yelena. However, they were reunited at an unexpected time here and though things didn't go smoothly, they were what mattered to her after it all. Clearly, it meant something to Alexei as well.
"You Get To Make Your Own Choices Now"
The final confrontation between Natasha Romanoff and General Dreykov is filled with great lines delivered by the former. She calls him pathetic, says he's nothing and tells him that he'll never harm another girl because she was going to end him. The true highlight comes right after he seemingly escapes though.
The Black Widows attack Natasha and have her beaten until they're cured of their mind control. The poor girls turn to Natasha for guidance on what to do now that they're free. She advises them to get as far away as possible and lets them know that they can make their own decisions for the first time.
Finally Getting Approval From Your Big Sister
"I Knew It! I Knew You Did, It's So Cool, Right?"
The bond between Natasha and Yelena is the driving force of the film. They almost immediately begin bickering like siblings and that carries on throughout the story. Their first real moment of friendly banter comes after they agree to take down the Red Room together.
While in the car, Yelena talks about her vest, which is the first piece of clothing she bought for herself. She loves how many pockets it has and Natasha disses her for it. However, Natasha ultimately admits that she likes the vest, prompting this response from Yelena. The excited delivery from Pugh is what makes this so great.
Natasha's Ultimate Goal
"I Was Trying To Do Something Good. Be More Than Just A Trained Killer."
The verbal back and forth between Natasha and Yelena is all over the place in a good way. There are comedic elements, discussion of their history, and some serious bits of looking inward. At one point, Natasha responds to something Yelena said with this deep line.
She was raised as a trained killer but the world views her as a hero. Natasha admits that this wasn't a case of her trying to hide from her past but really just her doing her best to be better and bring some good into the world. It couldn't make up for her past but it was something.
Yelena's Not Wrong
"This Would Be A Cool Way To Die."
Sometimes, the best quotes are the ones that get referenced again later in the film. That happened with a seemingly throwaway line by Yelena while she's piloting the helicopter as they break Alexei out of prison. She accidentally causes an avalanche and looks on in awe of what is heading towards them.
Yelena says that dying in an avalanche would be pretty cool and it's another look at how she is seeing the world now that she's free. It's called back when she's later held captive on a table as she says, "This is a much less cool way to die."
A Heavy Line From Yelena
"I'm Not The Killer That Little Girls Call Their Hero."
Once again, it's another quote delivered by Yelena. At the store with Natasha, the two discuss the differences in where their lives went, with Yelena showing some anger towards Natasha considering the Avengers as her real family and Natasha suggesting she was trying to be more than a trained killer.
Yelena responds by saying that they're both trained killers and her heroic efforts didn't make up for the pain and suffering caused everywhere. She ends the conversation with this scathing line, saying that though Natasha is viewed as a hero, it's a lot darker than it seems on the surface.
Going Back To The Beginning
"We Have Unfinished Business. We Have To Go Back To Where It All Started."
It's kind of a trope in the MCU that characters return to where things began for them. It happened again in Black Widow and though this line on its own doesn't feel like anything that would be iconic or something to remember, it's important.
The quote is something of a moment for fans to get excited as it sends the characters on their mission. They are going back to the Red Room to end the thing that set them all on the course they have been on for years. That's a moment to cheer.
Yelena Is Not A Poser
"That Was Disgusting."
A popular running gag from the film begins when Yelena asks Natasha why she does her signature pose and hair flip during fights. She calls her sister a poser and does so again during the prison break because Natasha does the superhero landing.
It all comes full circle exceptionally during the climactic battle. Yelena gets out of a duct and drops to the ground with her sister's trademark pose. She holds it for a second before shaking it off and calling it disgusting, showing that it's certainly not Yelena's style.
A Heartbroken Yelena
"The Best Part Of My Life Was Fake And None Of You Told Me."
Her quips are certainly funny but Yelena also gets some of the most emotional lines of the film. During the scene where the family is back together again at the dinner table, Natasha points out that they were only together for three years and that it wasn't real, which breaks Yelena's heart.
She goes into a monologue where she says that the family was real to her and that Melina was as close to a real mother as she got. The true kicker comes when she says the above line because not only is it sad but Yelena stops to take a deep breath before the second half because of how much it hurt. Her entire life was tragic and the one good part seemingly meant nothing to those around her.
The Bond Between Sisters
"It Was Real To Me Too."
During that emotional speech from Yelena at dinner, she says, "It was real to me," when it comes to the family the four main characters shared. At that moment, none of them seemed to agree with her, including Natasha. However, Natasha came clean at the end of the film.
After saving Yelena's life with a parachute, the two spoke on the ground. Natasha apologized for leaving her all those years ago and said the above line, confirming that the family was real for her as well. It led to an embrace between sisters, solidifying their bond.