| Natasha Romanoff | |
|---|---|
| Marvel Cinematic Universe character | |
 Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow inThe Avengers (2012) | |
| First appearance | Iron Man 2 (2010) |
| Last appearance | Black Widow (2021) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | Justin Theroux |
| Portrayed by |
|
| Voiced by | Lake Bell (What If...?)[1] |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Natalia Alianovna Romanova |
| Aliases |
|
| Nickname | Nat |
| Occupation | |
| Affiliation |
|
| Weapon |
|
| Family |
|
| Significantother | |
| Origin | Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Russian-American |
Natalia Alianovna Romanova, more commonly known asNatasha Romanoff, is a fictional character primarily portrayed byScarlett Johansson in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)media franchise based on theMarvel Comics characterof the same name. Romanoff is depicted as an expertspy, trained in theRussian-basedRed Room from childhood to become anassassin. She was later recruited byClint Barton to join theUnited States government agencyS.H.I.E.L.D., adopting thealias,Black Widow.
Romanoff is later recruited as a member of theAvengers Initiative where she assists the team in taking down various supervillains includingLoki, andUltron. She has also been a strong ally ofTony Stark andSteve Rogers. Following theAvengers Civil War, Romanoff becomes a fugitive and reunites with her adopted family, including her sisterYelena Belova, to destroyGeneral Dreykov's Red Room program. AfterThanos initiatesthe Blip, Romanoff leads the Avengers for five years until she sacrifices herself to obtain theSoul Stone, successfully helping the team restore everyone.
Johansson first portrayed the character inIron Man 2 (2010) and went on to become a central character in the franchise, appearing in nine films including her finallive-action appearance inBlack Widow (2021). Her portrayal was met with positive reception.Alternate versions of the character also appeared in the animatedDisney+ seriesWhat If...? (2021), voiced byLake Bell. These versions include an incarnation of Romanoff who was recruited into theGuardians of the Multiverse by theWatcher.
In January 2009, Marvel entered early talks withEmily Blunt to play Black Widow inIron Man 2,[4] though she was unable to take the role due to a previous commitment to star inGulliver's Travels.[5] During her interview onThe Howard Stern Show on May 11, 2021, Blunt revealed toHoward Stern that she was forced by contractual obligation to appear in that film, because of a two-picture deal withFox when she starred inThe Devil Wears Prada.[5][6]
In March 2009,Scarlett Johansson signed on to play Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, with her deal including options for multiple films.[7] Johansson then reprised the role inThe Avengers (2012),[8]Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014),[9]Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),[10]Captain America: Civil War (2016),[11][12][13][14]Avengers: Infinity War (2018),[15][16]Captain Marvel (in a brief mid-credits appearance),[17] and in a leading role inAvengers: Endgame (2019).[18][19] After the release ofAge of Ultron, Johansson revealed that the number of films on her contract had been adjusted since she first signed to match the "demand of the character", as Marvel had not anticipated the audience's "great reaction" to the character and her performance.[20]In September 2010, while promoting the home media release ofIron Man 2, Marvel Studios PresidentKevin Feige indicated interest in producing a soloBlack Widow film,[21] and stated that discussions with Johansson had already taken place regarding a Black Widow standalone film, but that Marvel's focus was on 2012'sThe Avengers.[22]
In 2004,Lionsgate acquired the film rights for Black Widow,[23] and in April announced that aBlack Widow motion picture, featuring the Natasha Romanova version, was in the script stage by screenwriter-directorDavid Hayter, withAvi Arad producing.[24][25] By June 2006, Lionsgate had dropped the project, and the rights to the character reverted to Marvel.[26] Hayter and Marvel tried getting another financier to develop the project, but Hayter "never felt comfortable that we had found a place that was willing to take the movie, and the character, seriously." This left Hayter "heartbroken", but he hoped the film would be made "some day".[27]
In February 2014, Feige stated that, after exploring Black Widow's past inAge of Ultron, he would like to see it explored further in a solo film, which already had development work done for it,[28][29] including a "pretty in depth" treatment byNicole Perlman, who co-wrote Marvel'sGuardians of the Galaxy (2014).[30] The following April, Johansson expressed interest in starring in a Black Widow film, and said that it would be driven by demand from the audience.[31] That July, Hayter expressed interest in reviving the project for Marvel,[32] and the following month, directorNeil Marshall stated that he "wouldlove to do a Black Widow film," saying he felt the character was "really interesting [given] she doesn't have any superpowers, she just has extraordinary skills, and the world that she comes from, being this ex-K.G.B. assassin, I find that really fascinating."[33] In April 2015, Johansson spoke more on the possibility of a solo Black Widow film, seeing the potential to explore the different "layers" of her depicted in the different films so far, but also stating that "right now I think this character is used well in this part of the universe".[20] While promotingCaptain America: Civil War the next April, Feige noted that due to the announced schedule of films, any potentialBlack Widow film would be four or five years away.[34] He added that Marvel was "creatively and emotionally" committed to making aBlack Widow film eventually.[35]
In July 2016,Joss Whedon, the director ofThe Avengers andAvengers: Age of Ultron, stated that he was open to directing aBlack Widow film, feeling he could make "a spy thriller. Like really do a good, paranoid, 'John le Carré on crack' sort of thing."[36] In October, Johansson discussed the potential film being a prequel, saying, "you can bring it back to Russia. You could explore the Widow program. There's all kinds of stuff that you could do with it." She did caution she may not want to "wear a skin-tight catsuit" for much longer.[37] The next February, Johansson said that she would dedicate herself to making any potential Black Widow film "amazing. It would have to be the best version that movie could possibly be. Otherwise, I would never do it ... [it would] have to be its own standalone and its own style and its own story."[38] Following the development work done and the public support for a Black Widow film to be made, Marvel ultimately decided that the "best time to move forward with the project" would be at the beginning of the "latest phase" of the MCU in 2020.[39]
In January 2018,Jac Schaeffer was hired to write the script.[40] Marvel sought a female director for the project, part of a priority push by major film studios to hire female directors for franchises.[41][42]Cate Shortland had the backing of Johansson, a fan of the director's previous female-starring filmLore (2012), and was hired in July to directBlack Widow.[42]The Hollywood Reporter reported in October 2018 that Johansson would earn $15 million to appear in the film, an increase from the "low-seven figure salary" she earned for starring inThe Avengers. The $15 million was equal to whatChris Evans andChris Hemsworth each earned inCaptain America: Civil War,Thor: Ragnarok,Avengers: Infinity War, andAvengers: Endgame. DespiteThe Hollywood Reporter confirming the amount from "multiple knowledgable sources", Marvel Studios disputed the accuracy of the numbers while stating that they "never publicly disclose salaries or deal terms."[43] The film was expected to be released in May 2020, but was delayed twice due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[44] with the new release date being July 9, 2021.[45] On July 29, 2021, Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney claiming the company's release of the film simultaneously onDisney+ and in theaters was a breach of contract, as her pay was tied into the box office performance of the film, which was allegedly impacted by its release on Disney+.[46]
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InIron Man 2, Romanoff is introduced as Natalie Rushman, an undercover spy for S.H.I.E.L.D. posing as Stark's new assistant. Johansson dyed her hair red before she landed the part, hoping that it would help convince Favreau that she was right for the role.[47] Johansson said that she chose the role because "the Black Widow character resonated with me... [She] is a superhero, but she's also human. She's small, but she's strong... She is dark and has faced death so many times that she has a deep perspective on the value of life... It's hard not to admire her."[48] She stated that she had "a bit of a freak-out moment" when she first saw the cat-suit.[49] When asked about fighting in the costume, Johansson responded,
"[A] big part of me is like 'can I move in this? Can I run in it? Can I like throw myself over things with this?' And I think just the prep, you just have to put in the hours. That's what I realized is that just putting in the hours and doing the training and repetition and basically just befriending the stunt team and spending all day, every day, just over and over and over and over until you sell it."[49]
InThe Avengers, the character's close friendship with Clint Barton is indicated, about which Johansson said,
"Our characters have a long history. They've fought together for a long time in a lot of battles in many different countries. We're the two members of this avenging group who are skilled warriors – we have no superpowers. Black Widow is definitely one of the team, though. She's not in the cast simply to be a romantic foil or eye candy. She's there to fight, so I never felt like I was the only girl. We all have our various skills and it feels equal".[50]
Regarding her training, Johansson said, "Even thoughIron Man 2 was 'one-for-them,' I'd never done anything like that before. I'd never been physically driven in something, or a part of something so big. ForThe Avengers, I've spent so many months training with our stunt team, and fighting all the other actors, it's crazy. I do nothing but fight—all the time."[51] Johansson earned $4–6 million for the film.[52]InCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, Screenwriter Christopher Markus said that Black Widow was a "great contrast" to Captain America, describing her as "incredibly modern, not very reverent, and just very straightforward whereas Steve is, you know a man from the 40s. He's not a boy scout, but he is reserved and has a moral center, whereas her moral center moves."[53] The Russos added, "She's a character who lies for a living. That's what she does. He's a character who tells the truth. Give them a problem and they'll have different ways of approaching it. She's pushing him to modernize, and he's pushing her to add a certain level of integrity to her life."[54] When asked about Romanoff's relationship with Rogers, Johansson responded,
"By a series of unfortunate encounters, they will be in a situation in which their friendship becomes more intimate. They share many similarities because they live on the defensive without relying on anyone. Also, the two have been working for the government throughout their professional careers. With their friendship they begin to question what they want and what is their true identity."[55]
ProducerKevin Feige stated that more of the character's backstory is explored inAvengers: Age of Ultron.[56] Johansson elaborated, "InAvengers 2 we go back... we definitely learn more about Widow's backstory, and we get to find out how she became the person you see. All of these characters have deep, dark pasts, and I think that the past catches up to some of us a little bit."[57] Regarding where the film picks up Widow's story, Johansson felt it was a continuation of what was seen for her character inThe Winter Soldier, with the fact that "'[Widow] never made an active choice. [She's] a product of other people's imposition.' That's going to catch up with her. That's bound to have a huge effect. There's got to be a result of that realization... You'll see her actively making some choices in her life, for better or worse."[58] A mixture of close-ups, concealing costumes, stunt doubles and visual effects were used to help hide Johansson's pregnancy during filming.[59]
Anthony Russo noted Romanoff's torn allegiances inCaptain America: Civil War, saying "her head is with Tony's side of things, but her heart is with Cap in a lot of ways."[60] Johansson added that Romanoff is "looking to strategize her position, putting herself in a place where she is able to let the powers that be fight it out" in order for her to "have a better perspective of what's really going on".[61] Describing her character's situation after the events ofAvengers: Age of Ultron, Johansson said, "I think that the Widow's past will always haunt her. She's trying to move forward, she's trying to pick up the pieces of her life".[62] She also said that Romanoff is at a point in her life where she can make choices herself, without having others have a hand in the decision process.[63] On the continuation of the relationship between Romanoff and Rogers fromThe Winter Soldier, Joe Russo said that they wanted to "test it" by having Romanoff point out to Rogers the mistakes the team have made and convince him "that it might not be as black and white as he sees it" and that the Avengers must "find a way to work within the system so that [they] aren't disbanded".[60]
I never feel like my work is done... I still think of new ways I could try lines from movies I shot 10 years ago. I really am happy with the work I accomplished in my last decade-plus at Marvel. I feel like I'm going out on a high note with a movie I'm incredibly proud of. I feel like my work with Natasha is complete, if that is such a thing. I've explored many facets of her person, and feel that her choice to sacrifice her life for her best friends was one that she made actively and with resolve.[64]
By the events ofInfinity War, Johansson said that Romanoff's situation followingCaptain America: Civil War has been "a dark time. I wouldn't say that my character has been particularly hopeful, but I think she's hardened even more than she probably was before".[65] At the beginning ofAvengers: Endgame, Romanoff continues to command several teams from around the galaxy in the Avengers headquarters, which Joe Russo explained resulted from her inability to move on from their failure to stop Thanos, saying, "she's doing everything she can to try and hold the community together...She's the watcher on the wall still."[66] On the decision for Romanoff to sacrifice herself for Barton to acquire the Soul Stone to bring back everyone, Joe Russo stated that it was part of a larger theme exploring the desire to sacrifice, compared to the desire to protect inInfinity War; he says, "When she gets to that [Soul Stone] scene, I think she understands that the only way to bring the community back is for her to sacrifice herself."[66] McFeely stated, "Her journey, in our minds, had come to an end if she could get the Avengers back. She comes from such an abusive, terrible, mind-control background, so when she gets to Vormir and she has a chance to get the family back, that's a thing she would trade for."[67] To prepare for the film, Johansson underwent a high-intensity workout regimen, which includedplyometrics,Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics, as well as a time-restricted eating diet; all are under the supervision of her longtime trainer, Eric Johnson, with whom she had worked sinceIron Man 2 (2010), the film which introduced her character.[68]
In 2018, Johansson described the then-forthcoming filmBlack Widow as "an opportunity to explore the Widow as a woman who has come into her own and is making independent and active choices for herself, probably for once in her life",[69] while being in a "dark place where she's got no one to call and nowhere to go".[70] While Romanoff remains a fugitive in the film, she finds herself alone and forced to confront a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past involving thespymaster Dreykov, with the help of Romanoff's "family", Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov and Melinda Vostokoff.[71] Johansson said that she was "going out on a high note with a movie [she was] incredibly proud of", and felt that her work portraying Romanoff was "complete" with the film.[64]Ever Anderson portrays a young Natasha Romanoff.[72][73][74]
Alternate versions of Romanoff are voiced byLake Bell inWhat If...? (2021).[1]
Natasha Romanoff in the MCU is a member of the Avengers founded by Nick Fury since the start, while in the comics she is a much later addition, and initially a villain (named Romanova, rather than Romanoff) who is specifically antagonistic to the team. In fact, the first female Avenger in the original Avengers created byStan Lee andJack Kirby was theWasp. The MCU version also showed a brief romance withBruce Banner inAge of Ultron, also hinted at in later films. No such relationship occurs in the comic books, although the character is shown in the comic books involved with several other characters, including Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes and Hercules. In the films, her relationship with Barton is a close but platonic friendship.[75] The character has also been involved withMatt Murdock in the comics, while the two have never had any interactions during the course of their appearances in the MCU.[76]
Natalia Alianovna Romanova (Russian:Наталья Альяновна Романова) was born on December 3, 1984, in theSoviet Union, and was trained as aKGB spy in a secretive academy called theRed Room which included training as aballerina as a cover,[77] as well as the eventualsterilization of the students.[78] She grew up in a false family withAlexei Shostakov andMelina Vostokoff as her 'parents' andYelena Belova as her younger 'sister'.[79] In 1995, when Shostakov completes his assigned mission to steal intel from S.H.I.E.L.D. inOhio, the family escape toCuba where they rendezvous with their boss,General Dreykov, who has Romanoff and Belova put through the Red Room for further training to become assassins.
Eventually,Clint Barton is sent to kill Romanoff, but instead chooses to spare her life and recruit her to S.H.I.E.L.D., enabling Romanoff to defect from the USSR and escape her previous life.[c] InBudapest, with Barton's help, Romanoff rigs a bomb in an attempt to kill Dreykov, seemingly killing his daughterAntonia in the process.
In 2009, Romanoff was sent on a mission toOdessa to protect a scientist, but was confronted by theWinter Soldier. Romanoff attempted to cover the scientist, but the Winter Soldier killed him by shooting him through Romanoff's stomach.[d]
In 2010, afterTony Stark publicly becomes Iron Man and appoints his personal assistantPepper Potts as CEO of Stark Industries, he hires Romanoff, who is posing as Stark employee Natalie Rushman on behalf ofNick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., to replace Potts as his personal assistant. Fury later reveals this to Stark, and Romanoff then helps Stark to thwart the plans of villainsJustin Hammer andIvan Vanko, the latter of whom has remotely taken control of an army of military drones and the armor of Stark's friendJames Rhodes. Romanoff successfully defeats Hammer's security forces to return control of the Rhodes' armor, allowing Stark and Rhodes to defeat Vanko and the drones.
In 2012, Romanoff is being interrogated by Russian criminals when AgentPhil Coulson contacts her to inform her that Barton has been compromised. Romanoff promptly overcomes the Russians, whom she had only allowed to capture her in order to extract information. After Fury reactivates the "Avengers Initiative", she goes toKolkata and recruitsBruce Banner to use his expertise to track the gamma signature of theTesseract. She is introduced toSteve Rogers by Coulson and pilots a Quinjet toStuttgart where Stark and Rogers have a confrontation withLoki who surrenders. While Loki is held prisoner on a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, Romanoff manipulates him into revealing his plan to cause Banner to become the Hulk. Barton and Loki's other possessed agents attack the Helicarrier and Banner transforms and chases Romanoff until he is stopped byThor. Romanoff fights Barton and knocks him unconscious, breaking Loki's mind control. Rogers, Stark, Romanoff, Barton, Thor, and Hulk assemble as theAvengers in defense of Loki's next target,New York City. There they fight against the alien race called theChitauri and ultimately defeat Loki. Afterwards, she and Barton leave together.
In 2014, Romanoff and Rogers are sent with S.H.I.E.L.D.'scounter-terrorismS.T.R.I.K.E. team to free hostages aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. vessel fromGeorges Batroc and his mercenaries. Mid-mission, Rogers discovers Romanoff has another agenda: to extract data from the ship's computers for Fury. After an attempt on Fury's life, Rogers becomes a fugitive hunted by S.T.R.I.K.E., and meets with Romanoff. Using data in the flash drive, they discover a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. bunker in New Jersey, where they activate a supercomputer containing thepreserved consciousness ofArnim Zola. Zola reveals that ever since S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded afterWorld War II,Hydra has secretly operated within its ranks, sowing global chaos with the objective of making humanity surrender its freedom in exchange for security. The pair narrowly escape death when a S.H.I.E.L.D. missile destroys the bunker, and realize that Secretary of Internal SecurityAlexander Pierce is Hydra's leader within S.H.I.E.L.D. They take shelter with Rogers' new friendSam Wilson, who joins them to stop Hydra. They are attacked by the Winter Soldier and Romanoff is shot through the shoulder but survives. Later, to prevent Hydra from using three Helicarriers to murder millions, Romanoff, disguised as a World Security Council member, disarms Pierce. Fury arrives and forces Pierce to unlock S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database so that Romanoff can leak classified information, exposing Hydra to the public. Romanoff later appears before aU.S. Senate subcommittee to defend her and Rogers' actions. Soon after, Romanoff recovers a Hydra file on the Winter Soldier (who is revealed to beBucky Barnes) and gives it to Rogers and Wilson before leaving.
In 2015, Romanoff and the other Avengers attack a Hydra facility inSokovia where they recover Loki's scepter and encounterWanda Maximoff and her twin brotherPietro. At the Avengers Tower, Romanoff attends the celebratory party and witnessesUltron's first attack. She and the team go toJohannesburg to stop Ultron, but Maximoff subdues Romanoff, causing her to see visions of her time at the Red Room. Afterwards, she and the others find refuge at Barton's home, where she is greeted by his children who call her "Aunty Nat". She and Banner discuss their romantic feelings toward one another and consider going into hiding together. She, Rogers, and Barton travel toSeoul to stop Ultron from transferring his network into avibranium body powered by theMind Stone. They succeed but she is taken hostage by Ultron and held in Sokovia. Barton communicates with her usingmorse code and she is later rescued by Banner, who attempts to get Romanoff to leave with him. Romanoff kisses him, but decides that they should stay and pushes him off a ledge to trigger a transformation into the Hulk. She rallies with the other Avengers andVision in the battle against Ultron. Following their victory, she and Rogers form a new team in upstate New York at theAvengers Compound consisting of Wilson, Rhodes, Maximoff, and Vision.
In 2016, she joins Rogers, Wilson, and Maximoff on a mission inLagos to stop the mercenaryBrock Rumlow from obtaining abioweapon. Romanoff succeeds in securing it, but Maximoff mistakenly killsWakandan humanitarian workers while protecting Rogers from Rumlow's suicide bomb, triggering the passage of theSokovia Accords, giving theUnited Nations command of the Avengers. She comforts Rogers afterPeggy Carter's funeral and is present inVienna where the accords were to be ratified and survives the bombing that kills Wakandan KingT'Chaka,T'Challa's father. She initially sides with Stark who supports the accords, accompanying him with Rhodes, Vision, T'Challa andPeter Parker to subdue Rogers's team consisting of Barnes, Barton, Wilson, Maximoff, andScott Lang atLeipzig/Halle Airport inGermany. While there, she changes her mind and allows Rogers and Barnes to escape. T'Challa reports her betrayal toU.S. Secretary of StateThaddeus Ross, which puts her at odds with Stark and forces her to go into hiding.
As a fugitive from theUnited Nations, Romanoff escapes from Ross and flees to a safehouse inNorway where she reunites with her contactRick Mason. Yelena Belova sends a mind control antidote to Romanoff's safehouse in the hopes that Romanoff will return to help her. As Romanoff unknowingly drives off with the antidote, she is attacked byTaskmaster. Romanoff evades Taskmaster and learns that the antidote came from Belova. They reunite inBudapest, but are then attacked by various Widows. Romanoff learns that General Dreykov is still alive, and that the Red Room is still active.
Romanoff and Belova break Alexei Shostakov out of prison, and connect with Melina Vostokoff, before being captured and returned to the Red Room. As Dreykov congratulates Vostokoff on finding them, it is revealed that Vostokoff and Romanoff used face masking technology to plan their own capture and switch places. Romanoff learns that Taskmaster is Antonia Dreykov, who suffered damage so severe that Dreykov was forced to put a chip in her head to save her while also turning her into a mind-controlled soldier. Romanoff also discovers that she cannot harm Dreykov due to apheromone lock he installed in every Widow, and that he has been controlling Widows all around the world via his control desk. Romanoff intentionally breaks her own nose, which severs a nerve in her nasal passage to negate the pheromone, allowing her to attack Dreykov.
Dreykov escapes as the Widows go after Romanoff, but Belova creates an antidote bomb that releases the Widows from mind control. Romanoff accesses the control desk and copies the locations of the other Widows worldwide to a portable drive just as the facility begins to explode and fall from the sky. Before leaving the control room, she picks up two vials of the antidote that survived Belova's bomb. Romanoff gives Belova a parachute as she and Antonia have one final battle through the sky. Landing on the ground, Romanoff uses one vial of the antidote on Antonia, freeing her from servitude. The rest of the Widows arrive as Belova, Vostokoff, and Shostakov say goodbye to Romanoff and she gives Belova the last antidote vial and the portable drive, telling her to find and free the other Widows. As they leave, Romanoff awaits the arrival of Ross and his men. Two weeks later, Romanoff reunites with Mason who has supplied her with a Quinjet. She departs to meet with her fugitive teammates.
In 2018, Romanoff, Rogers, and Wilson arrive inEdinburgh to defend Maximoff and Vision fromCorvus Glaive andProxima Midnight, two ofThanos' adopted children. Romanoff wounds Glaive with his ownweapon when she stabs him in the abdomen and both he and Midnight retreat. Romanoff chastises Maximoff for not frequently checking in and they return to the Compound, reuniting with Rhodes and Banner. After discussing Vision and theMind Stone, they travel toWakanda in hopes the Stone can be removed safely byShuri. Romanoff joins in the battle against theOutriders and witnesses Thor,Rocket Raccoon, andGroot's arrival. She andOkoye are saved from Threshers by Maximoff, before teaming up to defend Maximoff from Midnight. After the battle is over, she witnessesThanos arrive, but is incapacitated by his usage of theReality Stone. She survivesthe Blip and is left defeated.
She, Banner, Rogers, Rhodes, Thor, and Rocket return to the Compound and shortly after, meetCarol Danvers.[e] Later, she and the others witness Danvers return with theBenatar, bringing Stark andNebula to the Compound. Romanoff then gives a briefing on the Blip, before learning Thanos' location from Nebula. She, Rocket, Danvers, Nebula, Rogers, Thor, Banner, and Rhodes then travel into space via theBenatar to find him. They go to theGarden planet where they learn Thanos destroyed the stones, much to their dismay, and Thor decapitates him.[f]
In 2023, Romanoff, who is living at the Avengers Compound, leads the Avengers, now including Rocket, Nebula, and Danvers. She tells Rhodes to keep looking for Barton, who lost his family in the Blip and spent the last few years killing members oforganized crime across the world. She and Rogers are astonished when Lang, whom they believed had disappeared, arrives at the Compound and tells them that he has been trapped in theQuantum Realm, a place where time passes differently. Romanoff, Rogers, and Lang present the idea of using the Realm to obtain the Stones from the past to Stark at his cabin, but he refuses to help. They meet Banner at a diner, who has permanently assumed the Hulk form, and he agrees to help them. However, they fail to send Lang back in time successfully using the portable Quantum Tunnel in Lang's borrowed van at the Compound.
Romanoff travels in the Quinjet toTokyo where she reunites with Barton, after witnessing him murder theYakuza leader. She convinces him to return to the Compound. After Rocket, Nebula, and Thor arrive, Romanoff checks on Barton after he does a test run of Stark and Rocket's newly built Quantum Tunnel and learns that he was successful in returning to his house in another timeline. Romanoff and the team brainstorm a plan to obtain all six Infinity Stones from alternate timelines. She, Barton, Rhodes, and Nebula travel the Realm to an alternate 2014 timeline and arrive on the planetMorag, before she and Barton leave in theBenatar for the planetVormir. They encounter theRed Skull who reveals a life sacrifice is needed to obtain theSoul Stone. Romanoff tries to stop Barton from sacrificing himself, ultimately subduing him, and falling to her death.
Banner, Barton, Rogers, Stark, and Thor grieve Romanoff's death privately outside the Compound. Her sacrifice is not in vain however, as Banner successfully undoes the Blip, restoring half of all life in the universe. Barton and Maximoff discuss Romanoff's sacrifice and his desire to let her know they won, while Banner later admits to Rogers and Bucky Barnes that he tried to use the stones to bring her back.
In 2024, students at Parker's school, Midtown School of Science and Technology, make a tribute video respecting those who had fallen, including Romanoff.
In December 2024, Belova visits Romanoff's grave in Ohio to pay her respects, before being assigned byValentina Allegra de Fontaine to assassinate Barton, whom de Fontaine deems responsible for Romanoff's death.[80] Also in December 2024, Barton visits New York City with his family forChristmas and attends aBroadway theatre performance ofRogers: The Musical, which depicts Romanoff during the 2012 Battle of New York. Barton suffersflashbacks of Romanoff's death. As Barton opens up toKate Bishop about Romanoff, she deduces that he is Ronin. Belova arrives and tries to kill Barton, but is stopped by Bishop. She later confronts Bishop and informs her that she intends to kill Barton to avenge her sister's death. Barton visits a memorial to the assembling of the Avengers where he verbalizes aloud that he misses her. When Belova confronts Barton, they fight, but Barton successfully explains that Romanoff sacrificed herself to save the world and explains his close relationship with her. An emotional Belova spares Barton's life and leaves.
In 2025, Romanoff is honored with murals for her sacrifice at the first annual AvengerCon in Camp Lehigh, New Jersey.
In 2027, Belova, still mourning the loss of her sister, is encouraged by Shostakov to follow in Romanoff's footsteps and subsequently becomes an Avenger after saving New York City from the Void and de Fontaine.
Other versions of Romanoff are depicted in the alternate realities of the MCU multiverse.
In an alternate 2012, Romanoff and the Avengers fight off the Chitauri army in the Battle of New York. After defeating Loki at Stark Tower, she and Barton give Loki's scepter to Rumlow and other agents.
Severalalternate versions of Romanoff appear in the animated seriesWhat If...?, in which she is voiced byLake Bell.[1]
In the character's first appearance in the MCU, David Edelstein ofNew York Magazine crudely described the presence of the female leads inIron Man 2 as "a gam-off between Gwyneth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson in which Paltrow wins on length and then disappears in the glare of her opponent's headlights".[82]Vanity Fair notes that her entrance in that film "famously chose to focus on her desirability rather than her staggering combat skills".[83]
ADaily Beast review of the character's role inAge of Ultron lamented that the character had been made to "function as a cog that services the storylines" of the male characters.[77]Vanity Fair described the development of the character across the films as "a trajectory that's been as all over the map as Black Widow's varying hairstyles", stating that she "spent her years in the MCU as an accessory to narratives foregrounding other heroes".[83]
Vox notes that inAvengers: Endgame, "Johansson takes Romanoff — usually the dependable, no-frills assassin — into quiet, stoic suffering",[84] whileVanity Fair laments that the film "never gives her or her death room to breathe".[83]
Romanoff's final film appearance in the MCU garnered mixed reviews. David Rooney, writing forThe Hollywood Reporter, calledBlack Widow "a stellar vehicle" for Johansson.[85] Eric Kohn ofIndieWire praised the action, "notably during a brawl between Black Widow and the robotic killer known as Taskmaster who mirrors her every move. If this is the last time we get to see Johansson mete out justice to her assailants with gymnastic velocity, it's an apt send-off."[86]
Writing forBBC Culture,Caryn James felt that Romanoff was "the least interesting character" in her family, being "an odd fit for the sly family movie unfolding around her"."[87] However, Pete Hammond ofDeadline Hollywood wrote that Johansson "goes out with all guns blazing", and felt that the opening sequence revealing Romanoff's family construct are actually Russian spies was reminiscent ofThe Americans, while praising the chemistry between Johansson andFlorence Pugh, "with Natasha's awkward shyness counterpunched by the lively and cynical Yelena". Of the performances, Hammond said: "Johansson is again a great presence in the role, showing expert action and acting chops throughout".[88]
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