In the hands ofStan Lee,Don Heck, andDon Rico,Marvel Comicsdebuted an unlikely alliance between a Russian spy and a master archer in 1964’s run ofTales of Suspense. The pair grew close through their affinity, allowing them to develop one of Marvel’s longest lasting friendships, as well as one of their longest running star-crossed romances.
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While the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s approach to their relationship threw fans for a loop whenAvengers: Age of Ultrondeemed the two non-romantic, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint Barton’s (Jeremy Renner) unbreakable bond undoubtedly draws ties to that of its source material. From the call that spared Natasha’s life to the one that saved Clint’s, the former spies turned non-powered Avengers have aconnection cemented in both similarity and history– a feat that makes them one of the strongest dynamics within the saga of superhero films.
Still Friends
The moment is a mere seventeen seconds, but Clint and Natasha’s scuffle inCaptain America: Civil Warremains one of the most relevant onscreen depictions of their dynamic.
Pitted against each other, the pair of master assassins are forced to fight during the film’s airport battle. But it’s when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) throws a quipped “You were pulling your punches” that the nature of their spar admits a silent truth. Unlike their avenging teammates, theconnection between Black Widow and Hawkeye transcends disagreement, and the two are incapable of truly doing any harm to one another.
Though Budapest began as a throwaway line inThe Avengers, it quickly spiraled into the untold story of Natasha and Clint’s history with a deleted mention duringCaptain America: The Winter Soldierand a second shared joke on the Benatar inAvengers: Endgame. Yet despite multiple acknowledgements, it’s only in 2021’sBlack Widowthat the reference is given slightly more backing.
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When Natasha finds Yelena (Florence Pugh) in a safe-house in the Hungarian city, it becomes clear that both she and Clint have been there before, but it isn’t until the two women are holed up in the ventilation system of an underground train station that this truth is confirmed. Their mission in Budapest was the final step in Natasha’s defection to SHIELD, and after a firefight with local law enforcement, they spent ten days in hiding – two of which were in the very same air duct.
When Thanos (Josh Brolin) snapped, the world fell apart. Clint fell apart, and in the moments that left her feeling responsible, so did Natasha. But when Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) turns up five years after the fact, the promise to restore what had been taken becomes a tangible reality.
To no one’s surprise, Natasha’s priority amidst thisEndgamediscovery is to save Clint from himself. By tracking the vigilante lifestyle that he has succumbed to, she finds him on the streets of Tokyo, and in one heart-wrenching moment, makes a different call of her own. Taking her partner by the hand, Natasha returns to Clint a promise that he made to her the day they met.
While themes like Budapest have been recurring pieces of Black Widow and Hawkeye’s story, the MCU has also made a habit of paralleling moments between the two, even with something as simple as touch.
It’s tangibility in times that Natasha or Clint are left reeling from bouts of mind control or time travel that demonstrate their reliance on each other, using the familiarity of touch to ground the other back to reality in a way that few would think to.
Cognitive Recalibration
While 2012’sThe Avengersformally introduced the partnership between SHIELD master assassins Black Widow and Hawkeye, it also illustrated the intensity of their relationship. In the film, Clint is swayed by Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) mind-control, and Natasha’s primary focus becomes bringing him back – both physically and mentally.
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Natasha’s priority becomes most prevalent when Director Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) calls for someone to stop Clint, and she jumps into action knowing that anyone else would not spare his life. The two take part in a synchronous brawl choreographed by their portrayers, but it’s one last punch to the head as Clint mutters, “Tasha?” in recognition that brings him out of the spell once and for all.
Compromised and Captured
While Natasha’s capture inAge of Ultronhas been met with much-deserved criticism since the film’s 2015 release, it also set up yet another seamless parallel laid against Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) infamous “Barton’s been compromised” phone call at the start ofThe Avengers.
Both scenes showcase that while Clint and Natasha lack fear regarding their own careers, theydoshare a fear losing each other and the sole focus of both becomes the safe return of their partner.
‘I Need to Talk to You’
Marvel’sHawkeyeis chalked full of moments that explore Clint’s grief and guilt over the loss of Natasha, but it’s in a moment stood in front of a plaque honoring The Avengers that the audience truly feels how lost he is without her.
Hours before resuming the Ronin moniker that she saved him from, Clint goes to Natasha – or, to the only Natasha that he can seek out – to apologize for his upcoming actions.Turning his hearing aid offso that it’s only the two of them, he becomes reminiscent of their past and of Natasha’s stubbornness, noting her need to win for “a stupid orange rock”. Clint chokes back tears as he tells her he misses her, and there’s an implication in his tone that perhaps he believes Natasha’s sacrifice wasn’t worth her life.
Like a double-edged sword, Clint and Natasha’s trek up Vormir inEndgamebecomes a defining moment in their relationship – serving as a moment to exemplify theirbiggest loss, as well as their greatest strength.Love.
The cliff-side duel that takes place in attempt to spare the other all but confirms that unlike Thanos' offering, this soul-for-a-soul sacrifice is soul-splitting, as if Hawkeye and Black Widow have always been somewhat of a singular entity. It’s only seconds later that this is reaffirmed as Natasha whispers a tearfully permitted “let me go” before kicking free of Clint’s grasp; the loss of contact replaced by a feeling of unbalance.
A Different Call
Long before their days of superhero team-ups, SHIELD marksman Clint Barton was tasked to eliminate an assassin from Soviet-Russia’s Red Room program. But face-to-face with Natasha, he notices something different about the infamous Black Widow. She wants an out, and Clint decides to give her one.
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This call would later be referred to as the best shot he never took, allowing Natasha to defect to SHIELD with Clint’s help. Because of this, the two form a deep trust, and that trust leads to their unwavering bond.
The Infirmary
It’s hardly a surprise thatThe Avengers' infirmary scene would take the top spot. The scene is one of trust and connection between two untrusting spies, and it’s clear in their firstrealmoment that they care deeply for one another.
After a mind-control fueled brawl, Clint wakes with Natasha by his side. She saved him, and refuses to let him torture himself over things that cannot be changed, but it’s here that he senses something is wrong with her, too. Sat an inch apart, Clint pries just enough to get Natasha to open up, and she admits that she has been compromised.
