In a way that directly mirrors the turning point of Avengers: Infinity War, the first real death of Avengers: Endgame comes when Black Widow and Hawkeye have to get the Soul Stone on Vormir. As we know from Thanos’ murder of Gamora, the Infinity Stone requires a sacrifice. Natasha and Clint both attempt to throw themselves down the cliff to protect the other, but eventually Nat’s the one to lose her life to save both Barton and the universe.
Though this is a one of the most key scenes in the movie, it wasn’t always planned to end this way. As you might expect from the way it keeps you guessing, it seems early on writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely weren’t 100% sure which of the heroes should die. The duo revealed to NY Times that Clint almost took Natasha’s place in the story, but they were ultimately convinced by the opinion of a colleague.
McFeely: “There was [a possible outcome where Hawkeye died], for sure. Jen Underdahl, our visual effects producer, read an outline or draft where Hawkeye goes over. And she goes, “Don’t you take this away from her.” I actually get emotional thinking about it.”
Markus: “And it was true, it was him taking the hit for her. It was melodramatic to have him die and not get his family back. And it is only right and proper that she’s done.”
Black Widow’s death is arguably one of the most controversial aspects of Endgame, with fans of the character not just in mourning for their favorite Avenger but also feeling that it was the wrong move, as it means the surviving team is very male-centric. McFeely and Markus admit in this interview that they were worried about the potential implications of killing Natasha as well, saying: “We have this male lens and it’s a lot of guys being sad that a woman died,” McFeely said.
On the plus side, even if this ends up being the chronological end for the character, we’re definitely going to see more of Scarlett Johansson kicking ass and taking names in the future. And that’s because at long last, the Black Widow solo movie is on the way and the events of Endgame seemingly confirms it’ll be a prequel about how she defected from Russia and became a S.H.I.E.L.D. spy in the first place.
Avengers: Endgame might have ended her story, then, but Black Widow will return when her own film hits theaters in 2020.
