15 surprising facts you didn’t know about Black Widow

Natasha’s adoptive father is Ivan Petrovich

Natasha doesn’t speak much about her family over the course of the MCU, and her close connections in Russia appear to be the people she trained alongside of.

In the extended cut of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha does mention to Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) that her parents are dead, recalling that she found their graves when she returned to Russia. This is something fans might see play out in Black Widow, but it’s also worth noting that, in the comics, Natasha was raised by an adoptive parent: Ivan Petrovich.

Marvel Comics sees Ivan gaining custody of Natasha and raising her following the Battle of Stalingrad. He and Natasha have a pretty good relationship with one another, and he even teams up with the Avengers to save her in the X-Men comics. Of course, he’s also responsible for her involvement in the Black Widow Ops Program, so there could be some resentment beneath the surface of their relationship.

Most fans assumed Ivan would never make it into the MCU, but Avengers: Endgame does drop his name right before Natasha takes her final bow. When Red Skull (Ross Marquand) greets her and Hawkeye, he calls her “Natasha, daughter of Ivan.” This might tease an on-screen appearance from Ivan, but it could also imply that Ivan is Natasha’s birth father in the MCU. If the latter is true, it could be Ivan’s grave Natasha stumbled upon on her trip to Russia — meaning viewers won’t get to know his character beyond the few references they’ve gotten.