For years, fans of Marvel Comics, the MCU, or just Black Widow herself called for a Black Widow solo movie. Though the character was introduced to the franchise in 2010, she didn’t get her own solo movie until 2021— over a decade later and after multiple Phase One Avengers have already had entire solo trilogies. Even then, the solo movie is a prequel origin movie that takes place before the events of the films.
Of course, this was necessitated by the fact that Natasha has already unceremoniously died in the MCU. There have been countless missteps with the Black Widow over the course of the MCU. In many ways, the MCU has completely screwed up Black Widow’s character arc— and possibly even beyond saving.
10 Her Origin Story Is Coming Far Too Late
After Black Widow was introduced to the MCU in Iron Man 2, fans were hoping that she would get a solo movie. Iron Man had three movies to himself, as did Captain America and Thor (with a fourth on the way). Even Bruce Banner had The Incredible Hulk, even if that film is largely ignored in the MCU. Hawkeye and Black Widow, however, got no such origin movies.
Now that Black Widow has died in the MCU, fans had given up hope— only for the MCU to finally release an origin story. While many viewers are excited for the film, everyone agrees that this is too little, too late. The MCU cares little for its female characters, and this decade-late origin story is just one more piece of evidence for the case.
9 The First Time Black Widow Was Introduced, She Couldn’t Even Be Herself
The original six Avengers were all introduced in action, giving them their own superhero origins. Even Hawkeye, who didn’t get his own movie, was introduced in Thor as the agent/hero Hawkeye. He was in full action with his arrows and everything.
However, Natasha was undercover when she was first introduced in Iron Man 2, and she stays that way for nearly the entire movie. Even when she reveals herself, she helps Tony Stark solve his problems, and doesn’t get an origin all for herself. Her introduction was half-hearted and never even really gave the character space to truly be herself.
8 Black Widow Is One Of The Original Six Avengers, But With Minimal Screen Time Comparatively
The 2012 MCU film The Avengers was supposed to unite the six superheroes that would form the original eponymous team in the franchise. However, two of these characters were dramatically underdeveloped compared to the rest. The early phases of the MCU are a little clunky as they sorted out their timing, but this is most obvious before the Avengers were united.
Iron Man got two movies, while Cap had only just been taken off ice in his single film. Thor and Bruce Banner each got their own movies, too, giving them more introduction; Hawkeye was introduced in Thor’s film without much space. However, compared to Black Widow, Hawkeye may as well have had his own movie. She is one of the original six Avengers, but she had the least time to be a hero on-screen before helping form the team.
7 Her Next Appearance After The Avengers Was About Cap, Not Her
Even after Black Widow helped to form the Avengers, she still didn’t get a solo movie about herself. Her next appearance would be helping Steve Rogers out in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Though she does assist Cap in the movie, Sam Wilson does, as well.
The two stars of the film are undoubtedly Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, and Black Widow has to take the backseat once again. As always, she just helps out the main characters without getting much space of her own. She has a few better character moments here, but, ultimately, the movie doesn’t give her enough space, continuing her poor MCU treatment.
6 The Events Of Captain America: The Winter Soldier Forced Her Underground — Again
Throughout the MCU, Black Widow frequently has to go into hiding. While there is always a narrative reason for this to happen, fans eventually began to wonder if the franchise was writing her out of stories simply so they wouldn’t have to give her more of a story of her own.
By the end of The Winter Soldier, she was once again forced to go into hiding, disappearing underground until she would be needed again. In universe, she’s waiting for the Avengers; in reality, the MCU is just waiting to use her to help someone else again.
5 Black Widow Always Has To Clean Up The Rest Of The Team’s Messes
The Avengers movies may have Avengers in the title, but it’s obvious that characters like Tony Stark take up most of the story, the narrative, and the screen time that the Avengers characters get in those films. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Natasha is a member of the team, helping them right wrongs and fight bad guys.
However, after Tony Stark creates and unleashes Ultron, Black Widow has to help take Ultron down. Even after all that, she actually stuck around to help form the new Avengers team. She’s always cleaning up other people’s messes, but the other teammates never help her with hers— because she never has space of her own to have her own problems in in the first place.
4 She Was Forced Into A Relationship With Bruce Banner For No Reason
Many fumbles happened in the MCU, especially in Age of Ultron. This is widely considered to be one of the franchise’s worst films, despite having the entire Avengers cast up to that point starring in the film. Unfortunately, Age of Ultron ended up a complete mess for many reasons.
Black Widow’s character is practically unrecognizable, and she was forced into a relationship with Bruce Banner for seemingly no reason. The relationship is, in a word, uncomfortable. Not only that, but forcing Black Widow to be a strange romantic pair to Bruce just serves to make a mockery of them both in this movie.
3 She Was More Of A Prop During The Avengers’ Civil War Than Her Own Character
The main fight in Captain America: Civil War was between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, but the rest of the Avengers were involved by default. Each teammate had to decide for themselves if they would sign the Sokovia Accords. Natasha chose to sign the Accords and side with Iron Man.
However, later on, she chose to turn against him in order to help Steve and Bucky escape their battle. She only ever seemed to appear involved when it would be useful to one of the main characters, thus turning her into more of a prop for them, rather than a character with her own story in this film.
2 Black Widow Sacrificed Herself Like Iron Man Did & Yet Received No Recognition For It All
Two Avengers died in Avengers: Endgame trying to stop Thanos, but everybody apparently instantly forgot that Natasha even ever existed. While Tony Stark gets an entire memorial, a funeral, and a big send-off with the entire MCU in attendance, Natasha gets absolutely nothing.
She had been an Avenger for years, she dedicated her life to helping after the Snap with no recognition, and then she sacrificed herself over Hawkeye in order to get the Avengers the Soul Stone. Many fans think Hawkeye should have been the one that died. Apparently, nobody cared in-universe about Natasha anyways, which is just such a disservice to her character arc that many fans find it irredeemable.
1 She Didn’t Get To Survive Into Phase Four & Doesn’t Even Have A Legacy Character To Take Over For Her
Unlike Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, who is training up Kate Bishop to follow in his footsteps as Hawkeye, Natasha had no such opportunity while alive. Despite being young and important, Black Widow didn’t survive into Phase Four to help with the new Avengers team.
It seems that the origin movie Black Widow may be introducing Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova as the new Black Widow, but Natasha didn’t actually get to train up Yelena and introduce her in the MCU alongside everyone else. Steve got to pass the shield to Sam; Clint got to train up Kate; Natasha does not get to train her legacy Black Widow. Even in death, Black Widow is still being wronged.