"You can't please everyone." It's a common aphorism and a true one – just ask any director of any popular movie. While you can make something that the vast majority of people enjoy, there are always going to be critics and dissenters who express dissatisfaction. In the case of Avengers: Endgame, the second highest grossing film of all time, one common complaint registered by co-director Joe Russo is in regard to the death of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow... but he has a special message for those who are still upset about the hero's fate: he's playing the world's smallest violin.
Earlier this month, Russo used the TikTok account of his production company, AGBO Films, to record a message for Marvel fans who remain unhappy that Black Widow sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame. Three-and-a-half years after the blockbuster's release, the filmmaker appears done with offering any kind of coddling responses. A banner reads "I'll never forgive you for k!ll!ng Natasha!" and he sports a sarcastic frown while rubbing his middle and index fingers against his thumb. You can watch the video below:
@agbofilms ♬ оригинальный звук - zotov
That's pretty blunt – the message further driven home with the use of Eminem's "Stan" as a soundtrack – but understandable at this point. One can imagine that Joe Russo registers comments akin to the one he puts in quotes every day (an unfortunate aspect of living in the age of social media), and it's reasonable that he might reach a breaking point tolerating it.
He, co-director Anthony Russo, and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely made what they feel was a proper creative choice with Black Widow in Avengers: Endgame – the character sacrificing herself in aid of the titular team's mission – and he evidently doesn't really care at this point if you're not a fan of that call. More specifically, his sympathy for your distress about it can be scored with an inaudible, invisible stringed instrument.
Also, if your curiosity is piqued by the mention of "raw footage" made in the caption, the AGBO account provided the video in a follow-up post – which sees Russo silently directing himself and adjusting both his expression and finger-rubbing:
@agbofilms ♬ original sound - AGBO
For those who can forgive Joe Russo for Black Widow's fate in the 2019 blockbuster, all of the collaborations between the Russo brothers and Scarlett Johansson can presently be watched with a Disney+ subscription – the titles including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. And if you just can't get over Natasha's death in the Infinity Saga capstone film, you can always enjoy the character's Phase 4 solo film, which is available on the same streaming service.
We'll have to wait and see if Scarlett Johansson ever does come back to the MCU, but for now you can keep track of everything happening with the franchise with our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides. You can also see where all of the hero's big screen appearances land in our ranking of every Marvel movie.
