How Black Widow's Scarlett Johansson Reacted After Being Told She'd Be One Of The Avengers To Die In Endgame

Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) faces Clint Barton in Avengers: Endgame (2019)

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Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff is getting her time in the sun with the release of Marvel Studios’ Black Widow. Most would agree that the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is long overdue, but it’s mostly proving to have been well worth the wait. The film, however, is still somewhat bittersweet due to the fact that, in the present-day MCU, Romanoff is deceased. The fan reactions to Natasha’s death a few years back were visceral, to say the least. But Johansson is now reflecting on how she reacted when she learned that her character would be one the heroes to die in Avengers: Endgame.

Natasha Romanoff memorably sacrificed herself during the events of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. In an attempt to retrieve an Infinity Stone for the team, she took the fatal dive from the cliff on the planet Vormir. Despite the development being pretty sad for viewers, Scarlett Johannson believes she took it relatively well:

I was home on the phone with [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige, and I don’t know how I reacted. I think I was like, ‘OK... ‘ [laughs] I think all of us sort of… we kind of all would joke with one another about who was going to get offed in Endgame. I was heartbroken about it, but I think I took it like a champ. I cried in the shower later, but nobody saw that part.

I mean… I guess that’s probably the best way anyone could have reacted had they been in Scarlett Johansson’s shoes. While her recent comments to LADbible are funny, it does seem that she was genuinely affected by the Black Widow news when she first heard it.

Crying in the shower aside, Scarlett Johansson seems to mostly stand by Natasha’s ultimate fate in Avengers: Endgame. The Oscar-nominated actress previously gave her thoughts on the plot thread itself and mentioned that she feels that Natasha’s decision to sacrifice herself lines up with what we’ve come to know about her. You can revisit the massive moment by streaming Endgame on Disney+, which you can sign up for using this link.

Scarlett Johansson did, however, mention that she had a few reservations about doing Black Widow after Endgame, as she wasn’t sure the film would be creatively challenging following everything else she’d done in the MCU. Luckily for her, the film proved to be just that, and the actress also provided her with a sense of closure.

Black Widow appears to be the end of the MCU road for Scarlett Johannson. Even though it’s “bittersweet” for both the actor and fans, everyone can still be thankful for Natasha Romanoff’s compelling character arc.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.