- Primary Subject: Stephen McFeely on Black Widow's Death in Avengers: Endgame
- Key Update: Writer Stephen McFeely revealed Hawkeye was originally set to die on Vormir, but female staff fought to preserve Black Widow's heroic sacrifice.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: September 30, 2026
- Quick Answer: Natasha Romanoff died to save her chosen family and clear her ledger, after female writers urged keeping her heroic sacrifice over Hawkeye's original death script.
Avengers: Endgame co-writer Stephen McFeely finally explains the reason behind Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), having a controversial death following the film’s re-release in theaters.
Natasha sacrificed herself on the planet Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone, killing the only original female Avenger in the process.
As this seemed to be a difficult decision to make, especially with the number of male superheroes in Endgame, how did the writers ultimately choose Black Widow?
Why Was Black Widow’s Death Necessary in Avengers: Endgame?
Natasha and Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), traveled to Vormir together during the Time Heist to retrieve the Soul Stone in Avengers: Endgame.
The stone’s keeper, Red Skull (Ross Marquand), told them that someone they truly loved had to die to obtain the stone, requiring a “soul for a soul.”
As the two refused to let the other die, they ended up fighting each other to be the one who would jump off the cliff. When Natasha overpowered Clint and left him hanging over the edge, she let go and plunged to her death so Clint could secure the Soul Stone and save the universe.
But before the writers decided to kill off Black Widow, Stephen McFeely revealed that Hawkeye was originally supposed to die.
“Because it’s not a small thing to kill off a principal female character in the MCU, we tried a version of Hawkeye,” he told Forbes.
However, his female coworkers objected, not wanting Natasha to be snatched away from her “heroic moment” and have it given to Clint.
Upon realizing this, along with knowing that Black Widow’s death would hurt more, McFeely wanted “to make you feel the worst you can feel.”
To further acknowledge her sacrifice, the writers added more dialogue at the end and brought Gamora (Zoe Saldana) back to life. McFeely also gave another reason why Natasha had to be the one sacrificed instead of Clint.
“In the big picture, she’s got red in her ledger, and she’s been trying to make up for that her entire life,” he explained. “That’s why when she found the Avengers, they were a new family for her. So, this idea that she could save her family, in the greater sense of that, was really important.”
Who Succeeded Black Widow in the MCU?
Natasha Romanoff might have died in Avengers: Endgame, but her legacy continued in the MCU with her adoptive sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), stepping into the spotlight.
Introduced in the 2021 Marvel movie Black Widow, Yelena was trained by the Red Room to become a highly skilled assassin and operative, just like Natasha.
But unlike Natasha, she initially remained under the organization’s control and was forced to carry out missions as one of its Black Widows.
Yelena was eventually freed from the Red Room and started building a life of her own while grieving for her sister. She was later seen in Hawkeye, where she initially believed Clint Barton had something to do with Natasha’s death before eventually learning the truth about what really transpired on Vormir.
While Yelena didn’t directly replace Natasha, she has become the MCU’s new Black Widow, and more of her will be seen as she joins Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday.
Keep it locked on Epicstream, your go-to source for film, TV, and celebrity news!