Keep in mind, the spoiler barrier has been lifted.
Avengers: Endgame – the mega-blockbuster taking the world and global box office by storm – was an emotional rollercoaster. The three hour galactic epic saw the deaths of two of the MCU’s most prominent heroes in Iron Man and Black Widow.
Though fans were expecting to say goodbye to either Tony Stark or Captain America by the end of the film, not too many foresaw Black Widow’s demise.
In a recent interview with Variety, writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus discussed the topic and offered up some details on the decisions that led to those key moments.
“Both films were conceived and outlined together,” said McFeely. “We didn’t start writing Infinity War until we knew what the end of Endgame was and that is a conversation that’s happening mostly with Kevin [Feige], Trinh Tran, Anthony and Joe Russo and us. In general, it’s how do we play off characters? And I don’t know if finances or actors really had that much to do with it. What we were trying to do was lead with what’s best for the characters. We felt that that meant that some characters might come to an end because they make an ultimate sacrifice and that’s the end of the journey for them.”
Markus then continued:
“I think part of the reason people are finding this so emotionally satisfying is these were characters who had been on paths for over the course of the 22-movie saga and those paths demanded an end. It’s not a situation where you can roll out a James Bond movie every two years, where you just wanted him to keep going ’cause that’s what he does. These people started out in a certain place that had problems that needed fixing and arched over to a point of completion. So, it really is the rightful and fitting end for them. I think if we kept Tony alive or if we killed Cap, it would have wrung false.”
So, it looks like the writers had a grasp of what their fans were feeling; while it’s sad now that it’s happened, drawing the line for Tony Stark and Steve Rogers seems to have been the best course of action.
However, none of that explains why Black Widow had to die. After all, she’s comparatively had much less screen time than the other two and is still rumored to star in her own standalone film. On that topic, the writers said:
“Her journey, in our minds, had come to an end if she could get the Avengers back. She comes from such an abusive, terrible, mind-control background, so when she gets to Vormir and she has a chance to get the family back, that’s a thing she would trade for.”
Just like McFeely and Markus say, we know that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios plan things out for the MCU really far in advance, so we’re sure they’ve got something up their sleeve. And with a teased multiverse now at their disposal, and the recent acquisition of the X-Men and other FOX properties, the possibilities are endless.