The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with iconic friendships like the adventurous pairing of Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers, and the nerdy brothership between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Even so, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) have one of the greatest friendships of the franchise and with both of them having upcoming projects, it is certain that “Clintasha,” whether platonic or romantic, is not over yet.
The Avengers (2012) was the first look into the relationship between partners-in-crime and SHIELD agents, Clint and Natasha. After "God of Mischief" Loki brainwashes Clint, the Avengers Initiative is put into place and Natasha is recruited to help rescue the Tesseract and save her friend. This was only the beginning of the pair's special relationship, which would ultimately come to a tragic end by the conclusion of the Infinity Saga.
The Two Have Tons of Friendship Highlights
Throughout the first film, it is clear that the two have a long history and as Natasha attempts to recover Clint from Loki’s possession, it is revealed that he had once saved her life— Clint was ruthlessly sent to kill her and he chose not to. In the movie, Natasha tells Loki, “I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call. "
While they blend in seamlessly with the rest of the core Avengers, throughout their run in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, their friendship is always casually revisited. In Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) when the team sought solace on Clint Barton’s farm with his secret family, it was obvious that Natasha was already well-acquainted with his personal life as she’s called “Auntie Nat” by his two children.
The two found themselves on opposite teams in Captain America: Civil War (2016). However, the two kept up with their witty banter. While the Avengers were in battle, they were seen ceasing their combat to jokingly ask if they were still friends and to make observations about the other's fighting tactics. Clint was later criticized by Wanda Maximoff for letting Natasha get the upper hand by holding back his punches.
Their friendship came to a bittersweet end in the final installment of the Avengers series, Avengers: Endgame (2019). The two find themselves going to Vormir and having to make a sacrifice in order to obtain the Soul Stone. They battle it out, each willing to sacrifice their lives for the other (and for the betterment of mankind) but Natasha is eventually the one to take the fall. It was a significant and impactful scene as, throughout the movie, the audience bared witness to the heartbreak that the two have both suffered. After losing his family, Clint had become a vigilante-assassin under the Ronin identity, and despite having been occupied with being a solo SHIELD leader, Natasha traveled to Tokyo to ask for his help.
While these movies are packed with the wonder of compelling action scenes and never-before-seen technological advances, the short moments of friendship shown between Clint and Natasha pose an unexpected amount of vulnerability and sincerity— a feature that is typically reserved for titular characters, which they are expected to become in 2021.
What could’ve been done better?
The friendship between Clint and Natasha was never fully explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and many are hoping to gain more insight into their origin and escapades through the upcoming Black Widow movie that has suffered through delay after delay.
There are many unresolved moments revolving around the two’s relationship and Natasha Romanoff’s legacy. Many fans were taken back at the end of Avengers: Endgame when little was expressed about arrangements and sympathies surrounding Natasha’s death; the grieving moment that was shown was cut short by the dire need to reverse the damage that Thanos had inflicted. Additionally, there’s still all of the unanswered questions about what happened in Budapest— a well-fabled mission that the two embarked on and have teased each other about through the franchise through comments like; “You and I remember Budapest very differently” and “we’re a long way from Budapest.” That secrecy is expected to come to an end in Black Widow, as confirmed by Scarlett Johansson.
Although the Marvel movies haven’t had as much of a focus on Clintasha’s relationship as the comic books, it has still done justice in making sure they had one of the strongest friendships in the series. The two suffered through war and violence, sometimes on opposite teams, and still managed to have each other’s backs.