Things We Saw Today: Black Widow Almost Had a Different Ending in Avengers: Endgame

SPOILER ALERT: This post discusses plot points for Avengers:Endgame, which came out almost a year ago but doesn’t it feel like 10 million lifetimes?!

For MCU fans, one of the most heartbreaking moments of Avengers: Endgame came when Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) journeyed to Vormir to retrieve the Soul Stone. Once there, they discovered that one of them had to die in order to get the stone, and the best friends fought to sacrifice themselves. Natasha Romanoff beat Clint Barton to the punch, diving off the cliff to ensure her best friend survived.

It’s a quietly devastating moment in noisy and fast-paced film, but in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Johansson revealed that the original ending was much darker.

Johansson described Natasha’s death on Vormir as a chase scene with an “army of Dementor-type creatures … I was thinking, ‘Parents will never forgive us for how these creatures look.’” Luckily, the team decided that not to go in that direction, and instead to focus on the gravity of the moment. “We wanted to leave [the audience] with the weight of that loss and the shock of it,” said Johansson.

Having Black Widow’s final moments be her being chased into the afterlife via Dementors, is a pretty damn dark ending. It means our final moments with the character are spent with her in fear, as opposed to the noble stoicism she displays when she lets go of Clint’s hand. The emotional impact of the scene is so much more resonant, and more befitting the death of one of the core Avengers.

(via Entertainment Weekly, image: Marvel)

• Okay, but what actually is social distancing and how do we do it? (via HuffPost)
• The Batman shuts down production for two weeks due to COVID-19. Plenty of time to restock that utility belt with hand sanitizer. (via Variety)
• Disney+ is streaming Frozen 2 months early to the relief of parents everywhere. (via Gizmodo)
• Need some guided meditation? Lizzo’s got you:
See more
• Pokémon GO is updating the game to accomodate the COVID-19 crisis. Take that, Weezing! (via CBR)
• Imagine finding a lost ancient kingdom buried in your backyard. (via Syfy Wire)
• Happy Pi Day, everyone! Or should we say Pie-pocalypse?
See more

#PiDay is NOT cancelled pic.twitter.com/Qjrug7BB9K

— Scott Barolo (@sbarolo) March 14, 2020

How’s your social distancing going, Mary Suevians? Let us know what you’re reading/watching/playing!

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com

Author

Close

Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

twitter