Thunderbolts* Remembers Everything Black Widow Did For Avengers

After watching Thunderbolts*, I experienced three moments of excitement. First, I discovered that Marvel could create a superhero movie that truly embodied the superhero spirit. Second, I was elated that Marvel finally reclaimed the concept of "superhero"—especially after countless disappointing films that left fans in desperate need of some "eye bleach" since Avengers: Endgame. Third, after rewatching Black Widow, I realized that Thunderbolts* serves as Marvel's heartfelt tribute to Natasha. Though she may have permanently departed from the MCU, her spirit clearly lives on.

Hello Peliplaters!

Natasha holds a unique position in the Avengers. She possesses no superpowers, no super armor, no super brain, and her spy skills aren't even the greatest, as evidenced by her defeat by Hawkeye during her final KGB mission. Yet if someone were to ask whether the Avengers could exist without Natasha, the answer would be absolutely not. Ironically, the team could survive without Iron Man or Captain America. Their absence might diminish the team's size and influence, but the Avengers could still function.

Why? The reason is simple: Natasha is the only one who truly and unconditionally sees the Avengers as "family."

Before joining the Avengers, Natasha struggled with the concept of "family." Her first semblance of family was merely a cover for a spy operation—she posed as a daughter for two undercover Soviet KGB agents pretending to be a married couple. This false family lasted only three years and dissolved the moment her fake parents completed their mission. She and her fake sister were then sent by the Red Guardian, who they deemed as father, to the Red Room—a brutally harsh training facility for female spies. Natasha despised that place, and more intensely, she hated how she was forced by the organization to commit crimes. When she finally defected to SHIELD, she proved her loyalty by assassinating her former organization's leader.

When Natasha made the decision to assassinate them, she had severed all her ties to the world. Though the leader was later discovered to have faked his death, Her country had dissolved, her organization marked her as a permanent enemy, and her "former family members" might seek vengeance. She became someone cut off from her past.

How were her days at SHIELD, then? Despite its mission to protect Earth, Natasha found it to be just another intelligence agency driven by national interests. Though less brutal than her previous workplace, it was still merely that—a workplace. Given her history as a Soviet agent and a defector, SHIELD could never fully trust her. Like before, she remained a tool. While Yelena's opening monologue in Thunderbolts* could have been Natasha's story, Natasha would never voice such thoughts—she had long since forgotten how to reveal her heart.

Natasha had long lacked a sense of self until she joined the Avengers and discovered a purpose. In her earlier missions, she appeared almost mechanical. She disaplyed kindness whilst trying to avoid civilian casualties; but at the same time, she was also detached, suppressing any emotion that might compromise objectives . Yet with the Avengers, she was different—she joked freely, allowed herself to be distracted, and let her true personality shine through.

Indeed, few could imagine how a team of egomaniacs could help Natasha with that, but for Natasha, this informal and unrestricted organization was the only place where she could truly be herself. She was free to leave the Avengers at any time—others would try to persuade her to stay, but no one would hunt her down for the secrets she held. Their desire to keep her wasn't based on utility, but on genuine emotional bonds.

Natasha deeply cared for everyone and understood each member's personality, naturally falling into the role of the "big sister." She would candidly call out others' immature behavior while providing the most effective comfort in times of distress. Natasha was the MCU's most emotionally intelligent character. In psychological warfare, she could outmaneuver even Loki, the God of Mischief, and in emotional management, she alone could soothe an enraged Hulk.

Nevertheless, this sisterly figure seems to have suffered a "meaningless" death in Avengers: Endgame. It's hard for fans to accept her sacrifice and the argument that Hawkeye had a family while Natasha didn't. Most of them believed Hawkeye should have been the one to die, at least if the aim was a more heroic and dramatic ending. Combat prowess wasn't a factor—against someone of Thanos's power, both were equally vulnerable as ordinary humans.

The true reason lay within Natasha herself—she couldn't bear to lose anyone in the Avengers.

In Captain America: Civil War, the typically composed Natasha becomes uncharacteristically uncertain when facing a fracturing team. She wavers between sides, supporting Iron Man in one moment and Captain America the next. Though questioned by fans, this apparent inconsistency in her usually decisive character stems from her deep attachment to the team—it's simply becuase Natasha prioritizes everyone else above her own.

Had anyone else been with Natasha at the crucial moment of sacrifice, she would have made the same choice. Hawkeye, by chance, was the only one person she could physically prevent from sacrificing himself.

The Avengers gave Natasha her sense of identity, and she willingly sacrificed everything to ensure the team's survival. Her death was necessary for the MCU's evolution and the formation of the new Avengers.

Notably, the new Avengers include someone who mirrors Natasha—Yelena. While some fans criticized Thunderbolts* for its rushed plot twist, they all center deliberately on Yelena. Within two hours, she follows Natasha's path: betraying her former evil organization, becoming the team's "big sister," and ultimately making a selfless sacrifice to save a teammate.

Now, here comes the question: why do the Avengers, whether the old or the new one, need a role like Black Widow?

I believe that Black Widow is the very incarnation of Marvel's spirit of "with great power comes great responsibility" in MCU. Without her presence, Marvel's spirit would remain as a mere hollow concept.

Since Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has released a string of underwhelming films that share one key flaw—they lack a convincing value system. Fans criticize the superhero protagonists, claiming "they don't deserve to be called superheroes." These characters either display unbearable personality flaws or make poor decisions. Their journey to becoming heroes often feels contrived, with plot developments that seem engineered solely to grant them superhero status. Unsurprisingly, fans just don't buy it.

In these films, characters like Black Widow are conspicuously missing. Doctor Strange, who was once humble and guided by his teacher, has become unrestrained since the second film. The Captain America series suffers from similar problems—Cap's character development took an increasingly distorted turn after the second film, and the fourth film's new protagonist only exacerbated these issues. Even Tom Holland's Spider-Man only connects with audiences during scenes with Iron Man. He is always reckless, unaffected even by Aunt May or his romantic interest, who failed to make any meaningful difference in his behavior.

Marvel underestimated the importance of this problem, choosing instead to heighten conflict through a civil war storyline. As a result, without the team dynamic, these superheroes had no checks on their behavior and thus became increasingly egoistic in the audience's eyes. This explains why Yelena's witty yet pointed criticism of her teammates' immature behavior in Thunderbolts* resonates so deeply with frustrated viewers.

While Deadpool plays a somewhat similar role to Black Widow in the MCU, he operates as a lone wolf. His criticism of others comes not from compassion, but because his immortality shields him from any consequences. Black Widow, in contrast, exemplifies human potential at its finest, offering a relatable lens through which ordinary people can understand these superheroes. Without her influence, the Avengers might have devolved into mere terrorists. It was her compassion and humanity that helped guide these powerful beings toward righteous actions.

Marvel strives to convince its audience that heroism is achievable for anyone, yet without Black Widow, superheroes become distant and unrelatable figures who forget their own humanity. This contrast is clear in how Valentina's guidance led Bob to see himself as godlike, while Yelena's influence helped him embrace his humanity.

Black Widow never sought recognition or remembrance. As Scarlett Johansson noted, her character wouldn't have wanted a funeral—fitting for someone whose selflessness ran so deep that no memorial could truly capture it.

With that being said, Thunderbolts* is the best tribute to Black Widow's legacy.