UPDATE: This video has been removed at the request of the studio. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
We’ve seen Tony Stark encountering the older Morgan and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes bending the knee in recognition of Iron Man’s sacrifice, but this latest Avengers: Endgame deleted scene whisks us off to Vormir, where Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff attempt to sacrifice themselves to retrieve the Soul Stone.
Those of you who have seen Endgame will know that Romanoff is ultimately the one to throw herself off the ledge, allowing the Soul Stone to materialize in the outstretched hand of Hawkeye, who suddenly finds himself floating in a strange pool of alien water a la Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
However, as the following deleted scene attests, directors Joe and Anthony Russo initially toyed with the idea of Thanos and his forces descending on Vormir in a last-ditch attempt to foil their plan, leading to a pretty intense firefight. The outcome is still the same: despite her near-fatal injuries, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow beats Hawkeye to the punch, and willingly tumbles into the sacrificial pit.
Truth be told, it’s not as effective as the final scene. For one, the decision to throw Thanos into the mix only detracts from the emotional drama brewing between Hawkeye and Black Widow – two life-long friends who are forced to say goodbye to one another in the cruelest of circumstances. The Russo Brothers made the right call when they decided to nix this particular scene in favor of a more personal duel between the two Avengers.
And it’s by no means the last time we’ll see Hawkeye and Black Widow in action. The latter is due to headline her own standalone movie in May of 2020, while Marvel Studios is also plotting a Hawkeye spinoff series for Disney+, which officially went online today, November 12th.