Will Black Widow's Debt to Hawkeye Be Paid in 'Avengers: Endgame'?
Avengers: Endgame is looking to wrap up the storyline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that began [...]
Avengers: Endgame is looking to wrap up the storyline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that began with Marvel's The Avengers way back in 2012 - and for some of the original Avengers, that could mean making major sacrifices. In looking back at The Avengers, there's one story arc that hasn't been discussed as much as other big Endgame theories: the final chapter of Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow partnership with Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye.
Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton held the distinction of being the two most powerless members of the original Avengers team - but both of them nonetheless won over fans in a big way. If you don't recall, one of Avengers best scenes happened to be a verbal chess game between Loki and Black Widow aboard the SHIELD Helicarrier, in which we learned this about the connection between Widow and Hawkeye, after Loki asks if there's a love connection between the two:
"Love is for children. I owe him a debt... Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L. D... I... Well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call... It's really not that complicated. I got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."
There's never been any major revist of this debt between Natasha and Clint - unless you count her knocking him on the head to clear the Mind Stone's influence from his brain. Based on the scenes that we've seen in Avengers: Endgame trailers, it seems pretty clear that Natasha's bond with Clint is going to be a subplot of the film. Natasha seems pretty emotionally invested when she finds Clint in Japan in his new Ronin guise - and seems to be a major reason that Clint heads back to Avengers Compound to become Hawkeye for one last mission. Scenes of the pair flying into space together have been especially thrilling for Marvel fans.
The implication is that Hawkeye's family got dusted in The Snap, and if there's an opportunity for Natasha to help Clint get them back, she will do (as the line implies) "whatever it takes" to get it done.
Avengers: Endgame opens on April 26th. Captain Marvel is now playing in theaters. Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th
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