Natasha Romanoff has made an appearance in eight of the films that make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far - including her character's solo movie. Throughout those eight movies, she’s had a lot of memorable moments, both in uniform as the Black Widow, and while trying to live her life.
Many of those memorable moments are thanks to Scarlett Johansson’s delivery of her lines. She has made Natasha equally tough, sarcastic, and vulnerable at different points in her character’s journey. Some of her best quotes in the MCU showcase that best.
Updated on Nov 5th, 2021 by Amanda Bruce: Though Black Widow's solo movie has faced many delays, fans were eager for her big-screen adventure to finally land in theaters and on Disney Plus in 2021. They can still rewatch Natasha Romanoff's many adventures with the rest of the MCU heroes - and quote her lines right along with her, even if the character is no longer present in the MCU.
"I Know You Know I'm Out Here, So Are We Gonna Talk Like Grownups?" (Black Widow)
The Black Widow audience gets to see Yelena Belova in action before she and Natasha Romanoff are reunited in an old safe house. The two spy sisters don't exactly start talking about their lives right away. Instead, Natasha stealthily enters the building and tosses out this line to preface their scuffle.
It's a Black Widow quote that's indicative of her wry sense of humor, something the audience doesn't get to see a lot of since she's often in the middle of life and death situations. Natasha knows that after over a decade apart, she and Yelena aren't just going to hug and make up, especially when they're both trained to be lethal. It's an opening to a great fight sequence that eventually gets the two on the same side.
"Let Me Put You On Hold." (The Avengers)
Though she's introduced before the heroes team up, Natasha makes a huge impression without the MCU audience knowing her backstory when she's reintroduced in The Avengers. Tied to a chair with several criminals around her, the group has to stop their interrogation when one of them gets a call from Phil Coulson for Natasha.
She takes the call, of course, and throws this line to Coulson after he reveals that Clint Barton has been taken. The line is accompanied by a nod to the man who thinks he's interrogating her, and Natasha proves just why she's so highly valued by SHIELD. She takes out everyone in the room in a matter of seconds and retrieves her shoes and phone to take on the mission.
"I Don't Judge People On Their Worst Mistakes." (Avengers: Endgame)
Natasha has a dark past, one that's slightly expanded on in her solo movie. She knows what it means to do horrible things that people will judge her for, which is why she tries not to judge other people who have already proven themselves over and over when they make their "worst mistakes."
She still takes Wanda Maximoff under her wing despite her leading to Ultron terrorizing Sokovia. When Natasha says this line, it's to Clint after he's gone on a rampage killing criminals all over the world. He might think he's a horrible person who can't be pulled back from the edge, but Natasha knows better.
"You Made A Scene, Didn't You?" (Black Widow)
While much of Natasha's time in the MCU reminds the audience that she didn't have much of a family life until meeting the Avengers, that isn't entirely true. She did have a spy family for a mission in her childhood, and that family dynamic doesn't take much time to pick back up as an adult.
Part of that dynamic is Natasha and Yelena always being exasperated with Alexei Shostakov, or the Red Guardian. When the two women break him out of prison, he's warned to keep a low profile so they can easily get to him. Instead, he's destructive, starting a riot, and his actions lead to this Black Widow quote. Natasha isn't amused by his antics, and that's part of the core of the conflict in their relationship. It's interesting to watch her soften toward him since they are all a product of the Red Room's manipulation.
"I'm Always Picking Up After You Boys..." (Avengers: Age Of Ultron)
Said with a wry smile while she picks up Captain America's shield from the street, this is one of the Natasha Romanoff quotes that's played for laughs. It's a pretty true sentiment for her in the films.
Natasha is introduced as an undercover agent with SHIELD working at Tony Stark's company. She's employed to keep an eye on him and diffuse his volatile situations by Nick Fury. In The Avengers, she's tasked with getting Bruce Banner on board for the team up and tracking down Hawkeye. Natasha doesn't just literally pick Steve's shield up from the road, she also figuratively picks him up and keeps him going when everyone turns on him. Natasha is the one who is always picking up after her teammates as the first female on the team.
"Even If There's A Small Chance We Can Undo This, I Mean, We Owe It To Everyone Not In This Room To Try." (Avengers: Endgame)
When what's left of the team gets back together in Avengers: Endgame, it's the end of an era. They're missing half of the teammates they've come to know, and after years of trying to find a solution to defeating Thanos, they find an incredibly risky route to take.
Natasha, just like all of the Avengers left, knows the risks. They are all willing to put their lives on the line to get those people lost back to them; she just happens to be the one to voice that fact.
You Get To Make Your Own Choices Now." (Black Widow)
While there's a sense of duty and responsibility amongst all of the Avengers, choice is a big theme for Natasha. Her formative years were spent with her believing she had no choice as she worked for the MCU version of the Red Room. When she finally chose to get out, she thought she dismantled it, only to find a whole new generation of Widows being raised in it.
Of the numerous Black Widow quotes, this one might be one of the simplest lines, but it's certainly one of the most impactful. She and Yelena spend the movie trying to free other women from the control of the Red Room, and though they take a lot of hits to make it happen, they get a large number of women out, allowing the former Red Room inhabitants to make their own decisions about their lives.
"This Is Just Like Budapest All Over Again." (The Avengers)
It was a long-running mystery in the MCU: just what happened in Budapest? Hawkeye and Black Widow have a long history that predates their teaming up in the MCU, and they reference it while battling the Chitauri in New York. One of the most often discussed Natasha Romanoff quotes was this one until her solo movie premiered.
The duo have very different perspectives on just what happened in Budapest. So many theories existed about the Budapest mission. The audience finally got their answer in the Black Widow movie as Natasha revealed that Budapest is where she formally got out of the Red Room and allied with SHIELD. It's also where she and Clint Barton became friends, so it's entirely possible that her quote really speaks to battling the Chitauri as a bonding experience for the Avengers.
“Either One Of You Know Where The Smithsonian Is? I’m Here To Pick Up A Fossil.” (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
When Natasha teams up with Steve Rogers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, audiences really get to know her for the first time. She shows who she is outside of her uniform - and not while playing a part undercover.
Early in the film, Natasha meets up with Steve while he’s chatting with Sam Wilson. Demonstrating her wry sense of humor, she calls him a “fossil” before taking him into SHIELD for a mission. It’s one of the first times the audience sees she’s genuinely funny.
"Thank You For Your Cooperation." (Black Widow)
Natasha proves herself to be one of the most capable fighters without super powers over and over again. She also, however, proves herself to be a disarming interrogator in many of her movie appearances. The audience sees that in her manipulation of Loki in The Avengers, but also in her confrontation with Dreykov in Black Widow.
This particular line is one of the best Black Widow quotes because it's so unexpected. The audience spends the confrontation scene watching as Natasha is seemingly presented with new information and Dreykov has the upper hand - until she says this line. It's clear then that, as usual, Natasha is prepared to take a few hits as part of her plan, and that Dreykov never had the advantage at all.
“Love Is For Children. I Owe Him A Debt.” (The Avengers)
When Natasha has a conversation with Loki in The Avengers, she drops a lot of gems. Nearly her entire conversation with him while SHIELD holds Loki captive made a big impression on MCU fans.
When the conversation turns to Clint Barton, Loki is quick to insinuate something romantic between them. At the time, the audience doesn’t know he has a wife and children, so Natasha’s statement about love being for children could be taken in a variety of ways. This, however, is the first hint of how close she is to Hawkeye and his family. Additionally, her debt to Hawkeye is a hallmark of Natasha’s character. She never wants to feel like she owes anyone. Anytime someone saves her life, she makes sure to repay the favor.
“Steve, You Know What’s About To Happen. Do You Really Want To Punch Your Way Out Of This?” (Captain America: Civil War)
Natasha and Steve have very different styles in combat. While Steve prefers to take everything head-on, Natasha prefers to sneak around a problem to find a quiet solution. This exchange between the two in Captain America: Civil War reminds audiences of that.
Natasha tries to warn him against conflict with the government and his team, but his stubborn fixation on the best friend he grew up with prevents him from heeding her warning. Natasha sees that coming, and she tries to do the things that will result in the least amount of damage to the people she’s become friends with.
“You Want To Help? Keep The Car Running.” (Iron Man 2)
Natasha is first introduced into the MCU in Iron Man 2 as a SHIELD “shadow operative.” As Natalie Rushman, she spends a lot of her time helping Tony Stark and Pepper Potts out of messes. Happy Hogan, on the other hand, doesn’t see how capable she is - even after she takes him down in a boxing ring 30 seconds after meeting him.
This line comes from Natasha as she prepares to infiltrate Hammer Industries. Happy drives her to the building and insists on coming in with her, still not realizing that she’s perfectly capable of handling herself. Natasha’s job as a spy means she’s used to being underestimated, but she’s clearly tired of it.
“I Only Act Like I Know Everything.” (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
There’s no question that Natasha is an incredibly capable spy. She’s more observant than most, can handle herself in a fight, can lie better than anyone else on the planet, and has a lot of technical knowledge that puts her on par with some of the best hackers. Despite all of those skills, she’s not all-knowing.
It’s something she points out to Steve Rogers when he doesn’t quite trust her yet in The Winter Soldier. He continually pushes for answers that she doesn’t have. It’s a prelude to the reveal that Nick Fury doesn’t tell her everything because even he isn’t completely sure he can trust her.
"It Was Real To Me To." (Black Widow)
While the Black Widow movie is great for fans who have wanted more backstory on the character since her debut, it's also a great vehicle to introduce Yelena to the MCU. Yelena and Natasha have one of the best sibling relationships in the MCU, as demonstrated by Yelena and Natasha's running gag surrounding her vest, but also by this line.
Of Natasha Romanoff's quotes in the movie, this is one where she demonstrates more vulnerability than usual. She spends much of the movie denying the family connection between her and Yelena, only admitting that she sees their spy family as real when she almost loses Yelena.
“We Have What We Have When We Have It.” (Captain America: Civil War)
Civil War comes at a time when Natasha and Steve have already developed a pretty firm friendship. She tries to be there for him when Peggy Carter succumbs to age and illness.
Natasha is someone who has learned that you can’t dwell on the past. She enjoys what she has at the moment, and if it doesn't work out, she keeps going. That sentiment isn’t one she’s able to hold on to in future movies, but it’s one she tries to impress the importance of at the time.
“I Get Emails From A Raccoon. Nothing Sounds Crazy Anymore.” (Avengers: Endgame)
While this line is played for laughs in Avengers: Endgame, it’s really a sign of just how far Natasha and the other Avengers have come over the course of the decade.
At the start of the franchise, she’s a spy - a spy conditioned in a secret Soviet program, but a spy nonetheless. By the end of the franchise, she’s one of the leaders of a group of super-powered people and aliens trying to save all worlds. She gets to travel to space and see seemingly impossible things in her line of work, so, really, nothing is off-limits.
“I’ve Got Red In My Ledger. I’d Like To Wipe It Out.” (The Avengers)
This one is another piece of information Natasha drops during her conversation with Loki in Avengers. Despite her focus on enjoying what you’ve got, she does dwell on some of the worst parts of her past. Natasha knows all of the bad things she’s done, and no matter how much good she does, it seems like she just can’t make up for it.
Black Widow’s superhero life is really a redemption arc for her time in Russia. Does she ever feel like she’s balanced the scales? Viewers might never know.
“She’s Not Alone.” (Avengers: Infinity War)
This small line has a big impact on Natasha - and on the women that she fights alongside. When Wanda Maximoff joins the fight in Avengers: Infinity War, Proxima Midnight thinks she’ll have the upper hand. She’s wrong.
Natasha reveals that Wanda isn’t alone as she, Okoye, and Wanda take the woman down in one of the first moments where multiple women in the Avengers get to team up in live-action. The line, and the experience, stays with Wanda. Even when Natasha is gone in Endgame, she remembers the backup she received and stands with the other women in the battle against Thanos to keep Captain Marvel safe.
“At Some Point, We All Have To Choose Between What The World Wants You To Be And Who You Are.” (Black Widow Trailer)
This line comes to fans out of context mostly out of context. It’s featured in the trailer for the Black Widow movie.
This line contrasts with Natasha’s frequent reminder to her colleagues that she can be whoever they want her to be in her early MCU appearances. By the time of her solo movie, she's spent years helping fix other people's mistakes and fighting other people's battles. She’s done allowing perception to dictate who she is, and instead, is embracing who she truly believes herself to be by going back and trying to help fix one of her own mistakes.