This ‘Black Widow’ Alternate Ending Would Have Changed the Movie

The following post contains spoilers for Black Widow, both the version we got and another version we didn‘t see, if such a thing can be spoiled.

The ending of Black Widow was always a bit of a foregone conclusion. The movie was a prequel (that will happen when you make something about a character who died two years ago). In Black Widow’s final moments, we see Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha assume a new costume (or, from our perspective, an old costume) in honor of her fellow Widow (and adopted sister) Yelena. Then she gets a Quinjet, and heads off to free the rest of the Avengers from the Raft, filling in the gap in her story between the movies Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

That’s the version we saw. But there was an alternate ending that was considered and cut from the film. This one brought things a bit more full circle for the Natasha character. In it, she returns to the suburban home in Ohio she shared as a kid with Yelena, Red Guardian and Melina while they lived as a Russian sleeper cell masquerading as an ordinary American family. Then a little girl from the neighborhood recognizes her (remember, the Avengers are huge celebrities in the MCU) and they share a moment together. Watch the scene below:

It‘s a cute scene, and one that plays even more poignantly than it would have a few months ago, given what’s happened between Johansson and Marvel since Black Widow premiered back in July. Black Widow is still playing in theaters and it’s also available on Disney+ with Premier Access. Enjoy it, because all indications suggest it will be the last appearance Scarlett Johansson makes in a Marvel film for a very, very long time.

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