15 surprising facts you didn’t know about Black Widow

Hawkeye is the reason Natasha left Russia

The Marvel movies diverge significantly from Black Widow’s comic storylines, a fact that’s become increasingly obvious as the MCU has unfolded. One aspect of the comics that the films sort of keep, however, is Natasha’s close relationship with Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner).

From Barton’s first appearance as Hawkeye in 2011’s The Avengers, it’s obvious he and Natasha consider one another more than just comrades. Not only do they know all of each other’s secrets, but Natasha’s the one to bring him back into the fold during Avengers: Endgame, even forgiving him for his vengeance-fueled quest against every morally questionable person who wasn’t taken in the Blip (something most fans haven’t let him off the hook for).

Although the two aren’t romantically involved like they are in Marvel Comics, Natasha and Clint depend on one another — and they go away back to before they were Avengers. What the MCU never specifies, however, is whether or not Hawkeye is the primary reason Natasha left Russia. In The Avengers, Natasha reveals that Clint is the one who gave her the opportunity to join S.H.I.E.L.D. What gave her that final push to defect, however, is still up in the air.

In the comics, Hawkeye serves as a catalyst for Black Widow’s defection, bringing her back into her own mind after she’s brainwashed by the USSR. The Avengers reverses this dynamic in a way when it has Natasha snap Hawkeye out of Loki’s brainwashing. Whether this will be paralleled in a flashback or recounting of events remains to be seen, but it would add an interesting new layer to the characters’ on-screen relationship.