Black Widow's New MCU Universe Is The Only One That Won't Face Ultron

Warning: SPOILERS for Marvel's What If...? Season 1 Finale - "What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?"

At the end of Marvel's What If...? episode 9, the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) transported Natasha Romanoff (Lake Bell) to a new universe, which is the only one in the Multiverse that won't face Ultron (Ross Marquand). Black Widow was a late addition to the Guardians of the Multiverse team the Watcher assembled and Romanoff proved to be the difference-maker who led the heroes to defeat Ultron. Fittingly, Nat's reward is going to a new universe where the murderous android likely won't be created.

The Black Widow who saved the Multiverse is from What If...? episode 8's "What If... Ultron Won" universe. In that reality, the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron happened differently because Ultron took over the Vibranium body of the Vision, killed most of the Avengers, and launched a nuclear strike that wiped out Earth's population. Romanoff and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) were the planet's lone survivors and they desperately fought legions of Ultron drones as they attempted to infect the android with the A.I. of Arnim Zola (Toby Jones). However, Ultron acquired the Infinity Stones and decided to wipe out the Multiverse. Black Widow and the Guardians of the Multiverse finally defeated Ultron with the Zola A.I. and the Watcher returned everyone to their proper universe—except Black Widow, who understandably didn't want to return to a dead world.

Instead, the Watcher mercifully brought Natasha to the universe seen in What If...? episode 3, entitled "What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes." In that reality, an insane Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) killed Tony Stark (Mick Wingert), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor, Clint Barton, and that timeline's Natasha Romanoff before the Avengers could assemble. As a result, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) led an Asgardian invasion of Earth that actually succeeded. When Black Widow arrived in her new universe, she was immediately dropped in the midst of Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) replacement Avengers, fighting off Loki's army aboard a SHIELD Helicarrier. Even though this universe is "a mess," the grateful Natasha sprung to action and immediately defeated Loki. Even better for Black Widow, this is a universe that won't have to deal with Ultron because his creator, Tony Stark, is already dead.

Tony Stark's misplaced desire to build "a suit of armor around the world" is the key to Ultron's creation since Iron Man dreamed of an A.I. that could anticipate and repel alien invasions. Without Stark's misguided genius, What If...? episode 3's universe will have no cause to build Ultron. But, even if Ultron proves to be inevitable and rises by some other means, Black Widow already knows how to defeat the formidable android. Crucially, Natasha also knows that Ultron must never acquire the Infinity Stones.

Natasha Romanoff also has other advantages in her new universe. Avengers: Age of Ultron happened in 2015 but the Watcher transported Black Widow to a universe where it was still 2012 since the replacement Avengers were still fighting Loki. This means Romanoff has foreknowledge of how the next few years will go. Nat already knows Hydra infiltrated SHIELD, for example, so she can help this world's Steve Rogers head off the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Romanoff can also get a head start on acquiring Arnim Zola's A.I. in case Ultron ever gets built. Plus, with Bruce Banner already dead, Natasha won't have the romance with the Hulk that proved problematic for fans.

Finally, Black Widow also has cosmic knowledge since she's now aware of the Watcher and the existence of the Multiverse. All of this makes this version of Natasha Romanoff one of the most pivotal heroes in the Multiverse. Considering everything Black Widow suffered after everyone in her world was murdered by Ultron, the Watcher gave Nat a merciful and hopeful ending. When he met the new Black Widow, Nick Fury told her, "You're not my Natasha but something tells me you have her spirit." Fury had no idea a superior version of Black Widow who saved the Multiverse from Ultron just made his universe better.

Next: The MCU Just Did A Better Black Widow Sequel Than Endgame

Marvel's What If...? season 1 is streaming on Disney+.