Avengers: Endgame – This character is ‘gone forever,’ according to the Russo brothers
Major spoilers follow. In a recent Q&A, Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained the mechanisms behind Black Widow’s sacrifice for the Soul Stone.
When a major character dies in a movie, it’s a certainty that fans will have some rather strong opinions. Tony Stark was one of the casualties of Avengers: Endgame, but no death has been more controversial than Black Widow’s sacrifice for the Soul Stone in said film. Endgame screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely even sat down with The New York Times to discuss Natasha’s arc, explaining why her story had to end in such fashion.
Indeed, fans are divided on Black Widow’s death. Yet given the conditions surrounding her sacrifice, we recently theorized that there’s actually a way for her to return. However, it seems our hopes must also take the fall in Vormir now that the Russo’s have spoken.
In a recent Q&A (via SlashFilm), Joe and Anthony Russo confirmed that Black Widow’s death in Endgame was permanent and irreversible:
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"“The process [to attain the Soul Stone] is irreversible. Even if you have returned it to its original location, you wouldn’t be able to get the person back. In fact, it’s not really returning the stone, more like [putting] it back properly. The tribute soul for the Soul Stone will forever be sealed in that place, therefore Black Widow is gone forever.”"
Of course, down the line, it’s quite possible for Marvel Studios to explore this narrative thread and give an explanation on how someone can be retrieved from Soul World, where Black Widow’s soul now rests. Let’s not forget that the Russo brothers confirmed the existence of Soul World within the Soul Stone in their commentary for Avengers: Infinity War. So perhaps in the future such a storyline could come into fruition. For now, only one thing is certain: Black Widow will return for her solo movie set to release in 2020.
As to how the Black Widow film will acknowledge Natasha’s death in Endgame, if at all, is up to speculation, but all signs point to the movie being a prequel. Nevertheless, it’s also possible that Black Widow’s story, together with Gamora’s, could continue in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
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Fans believe that Gunn’s movie will revolve around the Guardians attempting to access the Soul World. While it’s just a theory, it’s a clever one at best and one that we hope plays out at least partially in the upcoming film. Until further notice, though, Black Widow is stuck in Soul World, with no way of getting out. At least, for now.