However, unlike Thanos who threw Gamora off the cliff, here both heroes were willing to give their life so that their friend doesn’t have to. They get into a mini fight filled with emotional weight, but in the end, Natasha gets the better of Clint and jumps to her death. Naturally, the scene turned out to be polarising. Some, like myself, love it as it explores on a deeper level the friendship between Natasha and Clint and what they’re willing to do for each other. The scene is a powerful one that moved me to tears. However, there are many who find the scene troublesome as it kills off one of the only few female characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Avengers: Endgame screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely defend their decision to kill off Black Widow. Markus said:
Speaking specifically about her being a female character, Markus elaborated: Even coming from someone who loves Black Widow’s sacrifice, one can’t help but wonder why the writers and directors chose to keep Hawkeye alive (besides the fact that he has a TV series coming up). After all, Hawkeye who went rogue and turned into a bloodthirsty assassin after the events of Infinity War would’ve benefited from a redemptive sacrifice. (Source: Los Angeles Times)
