A draft of Avengers: Endgame considered having Hawkeye, rather than Black Widow, make the ultimate sacrifice on Vormir for the Soul Stone. However, writer Stephen McFeely revealed that female colleagues at Marvel successfully argued against this version.
McFeely discussed the scene during a recent Q&A following an Endgame screening. He explained that the filmmakers recognized early on that a significant death would be required for the return to Vormir. While he acknowledged that both Black Widow and Hawkeye were the logical pairing due to their long-standing relationship within the Avengers, he admitted he had explored a scenario where Clint Barton would be the one to perish. This idea was met with strong opposition from several women on the Marvel team.
"Don't you do this to her. Don't you take her heroic moment and give it to him," McFeely recalled them saying. He acknowledged the validity of their point, realizing that sacrificing Black Widow allowed for a more complete character arc, particularly in relation to her concept of "red in her ledger." Furthermore, her act of self-sacrifice served as a way to protect her found family, the Avengers, in a broader sense.
Narratively, Black Widow's death aligns with her character development, providing closure to her decade-long journey. While Hawkeye also had personal stakes with his family, Natasha's sacrifice was framed as a selfless act for her chosen family. The film's structure, however, meant that the mourning period for Natasha was brief due to the remaining plot points, including the reversal of the snap, the final battle with Thanos, and Captain America wielding Thor's hammer.
McFeely noted that references to Black Widow's loss were integrated into the film's ending, with Hulk mentioning his attempt to bring her back and Hawkeye lamenting her absence alongside Scarlet Witch. He stated that given the multitude of events that still needed to unfold, these mentions represented the best effort to acknowledge her sacrifice within the remaining runtime. Avengers: Endgame is currently available in theaters with an Encore re-release that includes additional scenes.