You know how I said I must not like sequels… well here’s another one.
There’s so many things to hate about Avengers: Age of Ultron. There’s Clint’s whole storyline and some basic plot things, but the thing that has always made me the most angry was Natasha’s storyline.
Black Widow is just about the most fascinating Avenger. Her story, at any given moment, is incredible. Like you could pick anything out of it and it’s going to be super cool. Then Joss just picked the most random f-ing thing.
A little backstory: there is a 2000s era comic where it’s revealed that Natasha can’t have kids. I won’t deny that that’s part of her story and that it’s super sad that her choice was taken away like that. Do I think that it was something that would shape her character? Yes. Do I think that it should be the thing that shaped her character enough that it was the biggest reason for her thinking she was a monster? Absolutely not.
How ridiculous does it sound for Bucky’s, the Winter Soldier’s, storyline in Civil War be him thinking he’s a monster that doesn’t deserve happiness, not because he killed Tony Stark’s parents, but because he got neutered by Hydra and he’s sad because he’ll never have his own kids?
That would never fly because what the hell is that! So why make that Natasha’s reason. Well, because she’s a lady, but there’s a proper way to handle that.
If I remember correctly, when Natasha finds out she can’t have kids in the comics, she goes on a rampage at the Red Room HQ because she’s mad they took away her choice, not because she thinks she’s a monster because of it. It’s a brief but really cool storyline that adds to her dynamic, but isn’t her cause for being the way she is.
Natasha Romanoff thinks she’s a monster because she’s killed people. Lots of people. Duh.
So I’ll just quickly go through what her storyline should have been. Her flashback should have been her training with the other Red Room girls, making a really close friend, and then having to kill this best friend to prove to Hydra she was willing to do whatever they wanted her to do. Boom. Easy.
Not only does that play into what Fury said about her in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where he tells Steve, “Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything.” But it could also be why Natasha is not good at making friends and why she’s so hesitant about getting close with the other Avengers.
After her whole flashback vision from Wanda, then she’s super wigged out about it. The Avengers high tail it out of there, not going to Clint’s farm, but going to this really weird underground circus that he grew up in. We meet Barney Barton (Clint’s brother) and the gang and it’s said that this circus is like this weird black-market entertainment ring that puts on shows for like drug lords and stuff. They even travel as far as Budapest. (wow wonder what happened there). Yay Clint’s fun again!
Anyway, Clint and Steve, because obviously she and Stave are like best friends because of The Winter Soldier and Scarlett and Chris bring good vibes to any scene they’re in together, are able to talk to her. Clint is all like, “screw anybody who doesn’t think you’re awesome” and Steve gives this super inspirational speech about how she’s a good person because if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t regret anything. He also mentions Bucky at some point because he’s a single-minded hoe, but he uses it as like a “Bucky was the best guy I know and they were able to brainwash him into doing some nasty stuff so that’s what happened with you too”. This helps out Natasha more than anything and she decides to accept the Avengers as friends because if Steve Rogers backs you, you’re good (Clint helps but, like, he’s kinda shady sometimes too so she didn’t know if that really meant she was in the clear).
That’s her whole arc for this movie. It’s about her accepting that she’s screwed up, but that she’s out here trying to be better than that. And that yeah, even though you killed your first best friend to get a promotion in your crazy super-secret Russian spy ring, doesn’t mean you can’t ever be friends with anyone ever again.
Then, Natasha is the one to accept Wanda and Pietro when they convert to the good side. She says, “You know I used to think I was on the right side too at one point. You’re cool kid. Just don’t mind-fuck me anymore.” (That’s right, I’m allowed one F-bomb and I’m giving it to Nat and not Tony. He can have the next one in Endgame, which is “Fuck you, you skillet-chinned, triflin’ hoe” @Thanos and then he snaps him.) Also Natasha gives Wanda her jacket on purpose because they’re Slav Sisters now (which is kinda like Nat is coming full circle from killing her best friend as a kid to playing nice and semi-adopting Wanda as a new best friend).
Then the Avengers blow up Ultron and she never gets kidnapped and everything is great. 10/10. Well, 8/10, let’s not get too crazy.
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The release date for Black Widow is to be released later in 2020, the exact date still pending.
-Alright, hopefully that’s my last negative post on sequels- actually I’ll make it my job to find a sequel I liked, one that’s actually good, and I’ll end my whole series of sequel-themed posts that randomly sort of happened for no reason on a positive note… ooooo maybe I’ll make a list. I love lists. Top 5 sequels!-