The release of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has introduced Jennifer Walters and Nikki Ramos, a new pair of best friends to join the ranks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their bond is already evident but they have a long way to go to top the best friendship in the history of the franchise, which might be between Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton.
Even before they shared the screen in 2012's The Avengers, fans were already clued into how close they were. From that point until Natasha's death and beyond, their tight friendship has been a focal point of the MCU.
“I’m Sorry I Couldn’t Give It To You Sooner.”
Natasha - Avengers: Endgame
The Blip hit everyone in the universe hard but not many had it worse than Clint. Unlike his fellow Avengers, he had no idea what Thanos was planning and had to watch his wife and all three of his children vanish without a trace. He lost everything and it sent him over the edge.
Despite him going on a vigilante killing spree, Natasha never gave up on him. During those five years, she checked in on him often and tried to reach out to him even when James Rhodes suggested it was a lost cause. Upon finding him, Natasha gave him hope and wished she could've done it earlier.
“Love Is For Children, I Owe Him A Debt.”
Natasha - The Avengers
Clint was the hero who fans were given the least reason to like in The Avengers as he spent most of the first half of the film under Loki's mind control and working for the villain. As she went on to prove over and over, Natasha wasn't about to give up on her best friend.
Loki questioned her loyalty and suggested it was about love. Nat responded with this line that it was about a debt, which doesn't seem like a sign of friendship. However, knowing that Clint helped get her recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D. and changed her life for the better, it means a lot more.
"Under Different Circumstances, This Would Be Totally Awesome."
Clint - Avengers: Endgame
Like most members of the Avengers, Clint and Natasha have been through so much together. As the series progressed, things got wilder to the point where they traveled into space together in an attempt to find the Soul Stone.
While traveling there, Clint pointed out how this would be really cool if the situation wasn't so dire. It's a simple quote but one that just shows their kinship. Even at a time when everything was on the line, the two found a way to have a good time together.
“We’re Still Friends Right?”
Natasha - Captain America: Civil War
It was rather surprising to learn that Natasha and Clint were on opposite sides during Captain America: Civil War. Clint aligned himself with Steve Rogers and given Natasha's bond with both, you'd think they would agree. Alas, they had to end up fighting when the teams clashed at the airport.
Of course, given their relationship, Clint and Nat weren't going to actually battle. Nat asked if they were still friends in the middle of the fight and Clint responded with, "That depends on how hard you hit me." Wanda even had to intervene because these two were pulling their punches.
“This Is Monsters And Magic And Nothing We Were Ever Trained For.”
Natasha - The Avengers
After Clint was freed from Loki's control, he still wasn't having a good time. The things that he was forced to do and what he helped Loki do weighed heavily on him and the guilt was almost too much. Thankfully, Natasha was there for him like a good friend.
She told him not to be too hard on himself because they were never prepared for this. At this point, it was the first case of these two humans without superpowers having to deal with something otherworldly. In fact, Clint took this to heart and the next time he faced someone with mind control (Wanda), he stopped them before he could be controlled again.
“She Was The Best There Was.”
Clint - Hawkeye
Although Natasha was unfortunately dead by the time the events of Hawkeye unfolded, she still played a major role in the series. Her relationship with both Clint and her sister Yelena drove a lot of what happened. Clint really got the chance to open up about her when he bonded with Kate at Christmas.
Clint laid out the origins of how he met Natasha and his heart was clearly broken over how he had lost someone who meant so much to him. When Kate realized that his words were about Natasha, a tearful Clint simply said, "She was the best there was," showing the respect he had for her.
“You And I Remember Budapest Very Differently.”
Clint - The Avengers
It's the line that sparked theories, rumors, and tons of fan fiction. While in the middle of an unheard-of fight with aliens, Clint and Natasha had a simple exchange where Natasha compared it to their time together in Budapest.
The response from Clint was to comically note that fighting beings from another planet was nothing like Budapest. Fans everywhere wanted a film or at least a flashback that showed just what Budapest was like. Thankfully, they got word of it in Black Widow and a callback to the line in Avengers: Endgame.
“Did You Bring Auntie Nat?”
Lila - Avengers: Age of Ultron
In a lot of ways, Avengers: Age of Ultron was basically Hawkeye's movie as a lot of the story centered around him. That included the reveal that he had a wife, Laura and children that Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Hulk knew nothing about.
However, when his daughter Lila stepped out and asked this question, it was clear that Natasha knew all about them. This was Clint's biggest secret, yet his friendship with Natasha was so true that she not only knew about his family but was clearly an important enough part of it to be called "Auntie Nat."
“The One I Didn’t Take.”
Clint - Hawkeye
As mentioned, Clint had a major bonding session with Kate when they hung out to celebrate Christmas. During that time, Kate asked him what his greatest shot ever was and this was his surprising response.
Clint went on to explain that he was tasked with taking out Natasha but something told him that she wanted out of her assassin life. So, he didn't take the shot and became her ally and best friend. The fact that he views this as his greatest shot is proof that this bond meant everything to him.
“I’m Trying To Save Your Life You Idiot.”
Natasha - Avengers: Endgame
Knowing that a soul had to be given up to retrieve the Soul Stone on Vormir, Clint and Natasha clashed over who would be the one to make the sacrifice. Their conversation is heartbreaking as both mention all the red in their ledgers and how much bad they've done.
In the midst of that talk, Natasha says this line which again showcases how light their friendship was. Even at the darkest of times, she could poke fun at her friend. Natasha sacrificed herself to save Clint and billions of others and cracked a couple of jokes while doing it.