There is an interesting parallel between Natasha Romanoff and the actress that plays her on-screen, Scarlett Johansson.
Both have run the risk of being defined by their physical attributes and have had to shed themselves of stereotypical tags – ‘sexy assassin’ in the case of Romanoff and ‘sex symbol’ in Johansson’s case.
The actress has never been entirely comfortable with that tag, in fact, she has actively fought against it.
I don’t think of myself that way. It’s alright for now. I’m convinced in a couple of years’ time it will be somebody else.
I don’t want to always have to be trendy and glamorous and an object of desire.
She has often lamented the fact that she was hyper-sexualised and put in a certain bracket.
Now, after having established herself as a bonafide superstar and a respected actress, Johansson is in the position to frame her own narrative.
Natasha Romanoff made her debut in Iron Man 2 as the ‘sexy secretary,’ – an object of desire for Tony Stark. Of course, her sex appeal is a part of her job description as a spy.
And then, The Avengers happened. Or to be more precise, Joss Whedon did. As somebody who has built a reputation for creating compelling female characters, Whedon was just what Romanoff’s character needed.
He injected much-needed depth to her persona. He brought to light the red in her ledger and the grey in her character. He made her an integral part of the narrative.
The Winter Soldier immediately followed, and by now, Romanoff was a fully realised character who couldn’t be tied down to a broad stereotype.
Since then, her trajectory has been topsy-turvy, but Romanoff went out on a high note with Avengers: Endgame. And now, the upcoming Black Widow marks her final farewell.
When you write a character for a movie, more often than not, you have one shot at getting it right.
What makes Natasha Romanoff unique is that due to the nature of the MCU, she has been granted longevity.
This holds true for other characters as well.
For example, characters in TV shows don’t come out fully formed, they evolve and grow over episodes and seasons.
Similarly, Romanoff has had the time to grow and evolve. Different writers and filmmakers have coloured her with different shades, adding to her character.
Her stark evolution from Iron Man 2 to Avengers: Endgame could be considered a series long character arc.
Her current contemporaries (Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Harley Quinn) by comparison, have barely completed the first season.
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