Avengers: Endgame hit theaters in April, and hasn't strayed far from the news cycle since. The Russo Brothers' massive blockbuster broke all sorts of records, and has become the highest grossing movie of all time. The story was also very emotional, built upon the previous 21 movies before it and giving the original cast of Avengers the time to shine. But it was also the final bow for a variety of characters, with Iron Man and Black Widow died for the mission, and Steve Rogers returning as an old man after living his life with Peggy.
The Russo Brothers know the Avengers and the MCU well, having directed the last two Captain America and Avengers movies. As such, they've seen plenty of heroics actions and badass moments from Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But there is one moment that Joe Russo recently named the most heroic moment in the entire MCU: Black Widow's sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. As he put it:
At the beginning of Endgame, she wants to bring it all back because she feels like it is the strongest emotional connection that she’s ever had in her life. She’s presented with a choice, which is to give her own life to bring everyone else back and she does it Which [is] the single most heroic moment in the history of the Marvel Universe.
Does anyone else have chills? While most of the Avengers have been shown to lay down their life for the greater good, Black Widow's death has a particularly emotional meaning. She set out on this mission to bring her family back, but wouldn't be able to actually be with them.
Joe Russo's comments come from the commentary of Avengers: Endgame's digital release, and truly highlight just how epic and sad Natasha's death was on Vormir. Black Widow survived the snap, and the time jump revealed how much that had emotionally changed her. She was singularly focused on the world's troubles, and wracked with guilt of Hawkeye's penchant for murder as Ronin.
Related: Avengers: Endgame: The Simple Reason Why Black Widow Wasn’t Given A Memorial
Natasha helps to bring the team together for the Time Heist, conceptualizing it alongside Ant-Man and Captain America. The Avengers are the only family she knows, and she ultimately perished on Vormir so they could be reunited-- especially Clint's family.
Scarlett Johansson also spoke on the commentary about her character's fate, saying:
And it is a very emotional thing, but some weird, twisted up, fateful way this character who has searched her whole life for a purpose actually finds her purpose and it’s like this amazing, super emotional, beautiful thing.
Black Widow's sacrifice is one that will hopefully be majorly factored into Phase Four. While Iron Man's death was part of the blood of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Widow should hopefully get the same treatment in projects like the Hawkeye series. Plus, her backstory will presumably be expanded in Black Widow, which is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War.
Avengers: Endgame is available digitally now; you can get it here. The movie will land on DVD and Blu-ray on August 13th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
