In Avengers: Endgame, Natasha Romanoff made the heartbreaking decision to jump off that cliff on Vormir in order to secure the Soul Stone for Hawkeye and the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Some fans took issue with it, of course, and argued Clint Barton should have taken his own life as penance for the years he spent as Ronin (they seemed to miss the part where he attempted to do exactly that). Now, Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson has justified Natasha Romanoff's decision to do "whatever it takes" in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
"It's funny because I've had kind of a lot of mixed reactions to her ultimate fate in Endgame. But for me, it made so much sense that she would sacrifice herself not just for the greater good of humanity, but actually for her friends, which was really at the heart of it. She's a good one."
Black Widow definitely helps flesh out Natasha's decision by filling in the gaps between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, and it's likely her death will now take on a different context. Many fans are sure to remain upset that she's dead in the present day, of course, but it's still possible Black Widow's story could be expanded on in other ways.
"In Marvel Studios' Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises," reads the movie's synopsis. "Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger."
In the movie, Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina. Black Widow is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige; Black Widow - the first big screen story in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - arrives on July 9th both in theaters and on Disney+.