Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, counts eight appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Scarlett Johansson’s femme fatale-esque hero and former Red Room assassin made her MCU debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2 and became one of the original six members of the Avengers two years later. A pivotal player in all four Avengers movies and a supporting character in two Captain America films, Black Widow remains an all-time fan-favorite MCU character. Her death in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame paved the way for her sendoff in 2021’s Black Widow, which officially concluded Natasha’s story. Black Widow’s MCU arc contains both highlights and shortcomings. The franchise’s first female superhero never got the solo trilogy she deserved, but was still a force to be reckoned with on the big screen during her tenure.
The following eight MCU movies featuring Black Widow are ranked from worst to best according to the quality of writing for the character.
8) Iron Man 2
Black Widow’s MCU debut features some iconic moments that are unfortunately overshadowed by glaring flaws. Iron Man 2 introduces Natasha as an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D agent under the name Natalie Rushman. After Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) discovers her true identity, Natasha takes on an important role in taking down Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). Even with limited screen time, Natasha manages to stand out. Her hallway fight scene in the Hammer Industries building is the most memorable sequence of the movie, yet almost everything else pales in comparison.
Iron Man 2‘s treatment of Black Widow typifies objectification on screen. The film gives Natasha little character depth, reducing her to an eye-candy side character meant to cater to a predominantly male audience. Iron Man 2 hits rock bottom in a scene depicting Natasha changing her clothes in the backseat of Happy Hogan’s (Jon Favreau) car while he watches through the rearview mirror. The unnecessary moment most egregiously represents the over-sexualization and one-dimensional characterization the MCU subjected Black Widow to in her earlier appearances.
7) Avengers: Age of Ultron
Black Widow re-assembles with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron in their fight against AI nemesis Ultron (James Spader). Natasha engages in exciting combat again, but a personal side plot completely ruins her involvement in the movie. Black Widow’s romance with Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) could easily rank as the worst writing decision in MCU history, as the characters totally lack chemistry and a substantial reason for falling in love. Painfully awkward to watch and devoid of narrative significance, Natasha and Bruce’s Age of Ultron scenes hurt both the movie and Black Widow’s story. Making matters worse is one scene where Natasha implies that she’s a “monster” like Bruce becuse she can’t have children. This takes Age of Ultron‘s poor handling of Black Widow close to the point of character assassination, rendering everything else she does in the film pointless.
6) Avengers: Endgame
In the aftermath of Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) Snap eliminating half of all the universe’s life, Natasha and the surviving Avengers formulate one final plan to defeat the Mad Titan. In Avengers: Endgame, Natasha sacrifices her life for the Soul Stone at the end of an emotional back-and-forth with Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) on Vormir. The selfless act is undeniably fitting of Natasha, but its placement at the midpoint of the movie allows her death to take a backseat to Iron Man’s sacrificial demise later on. Furthermore, Black Widow’s death feels especially bittersweet given that at the time, she had never appeared in a solo movie. Watching the MCU seal Natasha’s fate after years of failing her will never not be tragic. Moreover, the climactic final battle against Thanos involving all of the Avengers doesn’t feel right without Natasha. A trailblazing Marvel superhero such as Black Widow should have fought alongside those who came after her, but the MCU opted for her early, half-hearted demise.
5) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Black Widow features in an elevated supporting role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. She works alongside Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) and Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to neutralize the infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. and battle the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Although Natasha is crucial to The Winter Soldier‘s narrative, some writing pitfalls prevent the film from ranking higher among Black Widow’s MCU appearances. Natasha participates in many of the movie’s exhilarating action set pieces, but The Winter Soldier forgets to grant her any depth. Instead, her overly flirtatious demeanor and forced one-liners make anything that’s not a fight scene uninspiring.
4) Captain America: Civil War
Black Widow figures among the multitude of MCU characters in Captain America: Civil War, initially taking the side of Iron Man in the intra-Avengers conflict over the Sokovia Accords. Natasha differs from the bulk of Civil War’s characters in that she switches from supporting to opposing the Sokovia Accords. Her established relationship with Steve emerges at the forefront of Civil War, and their mutual respect impacts her decision to help him in the end. The movie fascinatingly demonstrates Black Widow’s growth from merely wanting to keep the Avengers together and stay on the U.S. government’s good side to choosing to reach across the divide when no one else would. Civil War fleshes out Natasha better than her previous appearances in spite of its crowded cast. Civil War remains a top-tier MCU movie and a solid piece of characterization for Black Widow.
3) The Avengers
The Avengers prevails as a major milestone for the MCU, as it establishes the franchise’s original six-member team of heroes — Black Widow among them. Natasha’s prominent role in the Avengers’ pursuit of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Tesseract as they figure out their dynamic and identity as a group gives her a sizable platform to develop as a character. The Avengers occasionally reverts to the objectified version of Black Widow from Iron Man 2, however it doesn’t get in the way of establishing the character as a figurehead of the MCU. The key is that Natasha comes across as an intelligent operative and skilled combatant before all else in The Avengers. Her intuition brilliantly shows itself when tricking Loki into revealing his plans. Black Widow additionally proves valuable in the Battle of New York, while her close bond with Clint adds another interesting layer to her arc. All in all, The Avengers succeeds in elevating Black Widow to icon status.
2) Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War takes an all-gas-no-brakes approach to its pace, so it’s relatively light on character development. Still, Black Widow shines in the immensely consequential fight against Thanos and his army. While sporting her legendary blonde hair and green vest look, Natasha fearlessly battles against a horde of super-powered beings in Edinburgh and Wakanda. She gets roughed up and knocked down a few times, yet never hesitates to rise again. The Avengers lose to Thanos at the end of Infinity War, but Black Widow has never been this tough and gutsy at this point in the MCU. Natasha’s survival is a testament to her courage and strength in the face of daunting threats, and Infinity War remains a groundbreaking step in her evolution as a hero.
1) Black Widow
Black Widow’s long overdue solo movie treats the hero like a three-dimensional human being without relegating her to the background, objectifying her, involving her in a forced romance, or killing her off. The film marks Natasha’s eighth and final appearance in the franchise, which is bittersweet given that it released after her death. Nonetheless, Black Widow presents a deep look into its main character’s past, introducing Natasha’s estranged adopted sister Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and parents Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz).
The group’s dynamic is sincere and heartwarming, though never overtakes Natasha as the film’s beating heart. Natasha reckons with her identity as a hero and a person when faced with her botched assassination attempt on General Dreykov (Ray Winstone) and its lasting impact. Black Widow unfortunately can’t make up for the MCU’s failure to capitalize on Natasha’s potential and popularity as a character during her tenure. However, the film stands alone as Black Widow’s best MCU appearance thanks to its unapologetically human story and captivating examination of the main character — which she so desperately needed.
Which of Black Widow’s MCU appearances is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
