The events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were an emotional punch to MCU fans, especially seeing so many beloved characters perish. Black Widow’s demise was particularly moving, as she ended up sacrificing herself for the Soul Stone.
The emotional weight of Natasha’s courageous choice was immense, as co-director Joe Russo emphasized last year in the commentary track for Avengers: Endgame. “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,” he said.
Well, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Scarlett Johansson revealed that Black Widow’s death originally was dealt with in a much different, and darker, way. As initially shot, the scene involved a chase with an “army of Dementor-type creatures,” she explained. But Johansson felt that was a little too ghoulish. “I was thinking, ‘Parents will never forgive us for how these creatures look,’” she said. Aside from concern for how the scene could affect younger viewers, the action was apparently deemed too busy, which led to the moment being reshot, reuniting Johansson with Jeremy Renner, as Hawkeye appears in the sequence with her. The result was a softer, more touching conflict, which better served the situation at hand. “We wanted to leave [the audience] with the weight of that loss and the shock of it,” the actress said.
Fans looking forward to the first glimpse of the MCU’s Phase 4 will now have to wait a little longer than May, as just this week Disney pushed back Black Widow’s release. No new date has been announced yet, but here’s hoping that it won’t be too much longer until fans get to see Natasha and crew in action.