Most Memorable Black Widow Quotes In The MCU

What separates the Marvel Cinematic Universe from other popular movie franchises? Sure, you could credit the stable of infamous comic book characters and source material to play with, or the amazing casting choices over the past two decades, which include some of Hollywood's most dazzling names. However, perhaps the most notable asset that MCU movies have flexed on a consistent basis is that they are impeccably written.

Throw a dart at any of the franchise's past two dozen films and you can probably quote at least two lines of dialogue from a wide range of characters. Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man is ripe with snappy cracks, Chris Hemsworth's Thor is chock-full of hilarious one-liners, and Chris Evans' Captain America is never short on an inspirational speech. However, perhaps it's Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, brought to life by Oscar-nominated star Scarlett Johansson, that actually has more quotable lines than any of them.

Over the course of eleven years and eight blockbuster films, Johansson's Romanoff has certainly delivered her fair share of unforgettable dialogue, ranging from poignant personal revelations to hilarious quips. Here are some of the most memorable Black Widow quotes in the MCU.

Unless you were already an avid comic book enthusiast, there's a good chance that you didn't know much about the character of Black Widow prior to her MCU debut in 2010's "Iron Man 2." Natasha makes a big splash right from her first scene, wherein she gives an unsuspecting Happy Hogan a taste of her top-notch combat skills while going undercover as Tony Stark's new assistant. ScarJo's performance throughout the film makes it undeniably clear that she was going to be around for a long time.

Although the hyper-sexualization of her character in "Iron Man 2" has been highly criticized in recent years, there's one scene in particular that still proves that Widow has always been much more than a pretty face. In the film's finale, Happy Hogan hastily escorts the stealthy SHIELD agent over to Hammer Industries to end the ongoing drone attack at the Stark Expo. While exiting the car, Happy pesters Widow with questions about what the plan is and how he can be of assistance. "You wanna help?" Widow replies. "Keep the car running." She then proceeds to kick the crap out of all the henchmen inside the building, thus solidifying her rightful place amongst Earth's mightiest heroes.

After the events of "Iron Man 2," the next time fans see Black Widow on screen again is in 2012's "The Avengers." After an explosive opening scene in which Loki arrives on Earth and destroys SHIELD headquarters, stealing the tesseract and brainwashing Hawkeye in the process, Nick Fury assembles the Avengers, who are scattered across the globe.

When we find Agent Romanoff, she's being brutally interrogated by Russian General Georgi Luchkov and a handful of his thugs. It appears as though she's in a bit of a sticky situation until one of the henchmans' cell phone rings and Phil Coulson demands to speak to her, revealing that the situation was always under control. Widow is initially irked as to why Coulson would be bothering her while she's at work, but her mood shifts completely when he tells her that her longtime comrade, Clint Barton, has been compromised. "Let me put you on hold," she cooly tells Coulson before breaking free of her restraints and easily defeating her outmatched Russian captors. 

It's a super slick line that showcases Widow's absolute confidence in her abilities, a trait that continues to present itself throughout her entire character arc. Plus, watching Coulson patiently wait for her on the other end of the phone earned more than a few chuckles from those in the audience, too.

Perhaps Widow's most significant line in all of the MCU is a bit of dialogue she delivers later in "The Avengers." After the team captures Loki and returns him to the Helicarrier, Romanoff attempts to get him to spill his strategy. Loki, ever the silver-tongued manipulator, briefly gets Widow to open up about her past before asking her what makes her tick now. "It's really not that complicated," she responds. "I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."

This line is something that director Joss Whedon wanted audiences to understand about Widow because she repeats it when Hawkeye asks her why she's willing to put her life on the line to fight an alien army in New York City. It's an incredibly well-written quote that reveals the driving force behind Natasha's character. She isn't in the hero game for fame or notoriety. For her, it's a way to try and make good on the bad things she's done in her past — it's redemption. Honestly, this is perhaps what makes Black Widow such a resonating character for the audience. At the end of the day, there's nothing more heroic, or universally human, than trying to become a better person.

2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is probably the best film in the "Captain America" trilogy and arguably one of the strongest entries in the MCU altogether. One of the movie's finest features is the pairing of Chris Evans' Steve Rogers and Johansson's Natasha Romanoff. The two actors had worked together on a slew of past projects, and their natural chemistry was on full display throughout "The Winter Soldier." At times, it almost feels like a buddy cop movie with two of your favorite Avengers.

Although the dynamic duo shares tons of screen time battling baddies during the film, one of their most memorable scenes focuses on a simple conversation. After escaping the SHIELD/HYDRA forces ordered to capture them at a mall, Rogers and Romanoff steal (or, as Steve puts it, borrow) a truck, and they travel to Camp Lehigh in New Jersey. 

While en route, Widow starts questioning Cap about his love life, and it evolves into a deeper discussion that only reveals a better understanding of their respective philosophies. "The truth is a matter of circumstances," Nat explains. "It's not all things to all people all the time. And neither am I." Steve retorts, saying that sounds like a tough way to live, to which Nat responds, "It's a good way not to die, though." This piece of dialogue perfectly depicts how Widow's willingness to constantly be somebody else has helped her excel in the world of espionage.

Although it's a facet that's received a good bit of criticism over the years, Natasha's relationship with Bruce Banner, everyone's favorite enormous green rage monster, has had its fair share of bizarre moments throughout the MCU. In 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," fans learned that the Avengers teammates had become more than just super friends, one of the more surprising romances in the franchise's history to date.

While their relationship may, in theory, seem like an all too obvious Marvel take on Beauty and the Beast, it didn't portray Widow as a damsel in distress. In fact, one could argue that it did the opposite, displaying Natasha as the only Avenger capable of safely transforming Hulk back into Banner. "Hey, big guy," she tells him after the team defeats HYDRA in the film's opening sequence. "Sun's getting real low." These words and a gentle touch are all it takes to turn the monster back into a man. Talk about the power of words!

As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, this particular phrase also makes an unforgettably hilarious reemergence in "Thor: Ragnarok." After finding himself up against Hulk in the Grandmaster's Contest of Champions on Sakaar, Thor attempts to replicate Widow's "lullaby," mustering his most comforting tone and repeating the line. Unfortunately for Thor, there's only one Black Widow, and Hulk is utterly unfazed by the Thunder God's attempt at peace.

If you're ranking the Avengers based on their power levels, Black Widow most likely lands closer to the bottom of the list. This is not really a slight so much as it is a fact, considering that it's hard to measure up to a scientifically enhanced super-soldier or a mythological god from outer space. Still, that's not to say that Widow hasn't played key roles in all of the Avengers' adventures. Don't forget that it was she who ultimately managed to close the portal and end the invasion of New York in "The Avengers," or that it was her sacrifice in "Avengers: Endgame" that allowed the time-traveling team to obtain the Soul Stone from Vormir.

Natasha is seemingly always looking out for her Avengers' teammates, a detail that she cockily points out during the Seoul chase scene in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." While Captain America is sparring with Ultron atop a moving semi-truck, the genocidal robot batters his legendary shield onto the street below. Fortunately for Rogers, Natasha is in hot pursuit on a Harley-Davidson LiveWire. "I'm always picking up after you boys," the ex-Russian super spy notes as she reaches her arm down and scoops up the shield without ever touching the brakes. An epic line for an epic move.

After years of saving the world together, the Avengers family hits a major speed bump in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War." In that film, the team is divided over the controversial Sokovia Accords, essentially a government mandate that would determine when the heroes could and could not intervene. Iron Man sees the accords as a necessary means of accountability, whereas Captain America believes it will only shift the blame and lead to serving hidden agendas. Conflict ensues.

While she technically sides with Stark, Black Widow is far more torn than the other heroes seemed to be. She even attends Peggy Carter's funeral so she can be there for Steve Rogers in his time of need. While in the church, she makes one final plea that Steve sign the accords. "Just because it's the path of least resistance doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together."

This is another line that illustrates just how much the Avengers means to Natasha. She would do anything to keep the team together, even signing off on something she's not fully on board with. This is obviously not the way Captain America sees things, but when he yet again rejects her offer, Natasha is unsurprised. "Well then, what are you doing here?" he asks her. Nat replies, "I didn't want you to be alone." Black Widow is a true teammate through and through.

With a run time of nearly two and a half hours, 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" was jam-packed with iconic action sequences. Who could forget Captain America's stealthy entrance when he and his compatriots show up to save Scarlet Witch and Vision in Edinburgh, or Thor's game-changing arrival in Wakanda to fight off Thanos' hordes? In all honesty, there are almost too many jaw-dropping moments to even recall after one viewing.

Perhaps one of the most memorable scenes in the movie involves the Scarlet Witch. After taking a sucker punch to the face on the Wakandan battlefield, longtime Thanos disciple Proxima Midnight gloats above Wanda, telling her that both she and Vision will each die alone. "She's not alone," a voice calmly states from the background. Proxima turns to discover Black Widow and Okoye poised for combat as the fight music swells. It's a perfectly delivered line that once again shows that Natasha always has her fellow Avengers' backs.

In many ways, Natasha Romanoff is the driving heart behind the events of 2019's record-breaking "Avengers: Endgame." After Thanos dusts away half of the universe in "Infinity War," the remaining heroes all kind of go their own ways. Tony starts a family with Pepper, Steve leads group therapy sessions, and Clint Barton becomes a mob-murdering vigilante. But Black Widow remained at Avengers HQ, still trying to do her part to help save the world, leading what was left of the scattered team. This is part of the reason why her ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure the time heist was successful makes so much sense.

Knowing that Black Widow isn't going to make it back from Vormir makes one scene in particular especially heartbreaking on rewatch. As the surviving Avengers suit up and gather around the time machine, Captain America gives a rousing pep talk, as he is wont to do. "This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win. Whatever it takes." As the machine whirs into action, Natasha looks over at Steve and smiles. "See you in a minute," she jokes, not knowing that those are the last words she'll ever say to her old friend. It's a foreshadowing line that hits you right in the feels no matter how many times you watch it.

Speaking of the aforementioned sacrifice, apparently fans weren't the only people rocked to the core when they learned of Black Widow's death in "Avengers: Endgame." In an interview with LADbible TV, Johansson recalled how she reacted when Kevin Feige broke the news to her over the phone. "I was heartbroken about it, but I think I took it like a champ. I cried in the shower later, but nobody saw that part."

Although bidding farewell to her longtime character was tough enough in itself, the way that Widow goes out is especially tearjerking. Faced with an impossible decision on Vormir, Natasha and her old BFF Hawkeye have to decide which one of them is going to sacrifice themselves in order to acquire the Soul Stone. Naturally it comes to blows, and after a brief battle, both heroes end up hanging from the cliffside, Clint barely holding on to Nat's hand. Hawkeye's eyes fill with tears as he begs Natasha not to do this. She looks deep into her friend's eyes and tells him, "Let me go. It's okay," and then kicks herself off the cliff, falling to her death.

 When speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the "Jojo Rabbit" star reflected on Black Widow's fate. "For me, it made so much sense that she would sacrifice herself not just for the greater good of humanity but actually for her friends, which was really at the heart of it. She's a good one." She is indeed.

Although she officially met her end in "Avengers: Endgame," Natasha was metaphorically reincarnated for one more ride in 2021's "Black Widow," the character's long anticipated solo outing. As it turns out, the prequel film also revived perhaps Widow's most notorious quote along with the super spy.

In the intense third act of the fierce action flick, Natasha comes face to face with the nefarious General Dreykov, one of the many ghosts of her past. Seemingly granted safety thanks to a scent-restricting pheromonal lock, the Red Room overseer begins boasting, outlining his evil plan. Unfortunately for him, Natasha is not your average assassin, and she realizes that there's a pretty simple way to free herself from her old foe's pheromonal protection. "Don't take it personal," she begins, smiling as she approaches Dreykov's desk. "But ... Thank you for your cooperation." She then slams her face against the desk, breaking her nose and leaving Dreykov unprotected.

The line is a classic callback to the very first "Avengers" movie. As vigilant MCU fans will recall, Widow tells Loki the same little cocky brag after she plays him into unveiling his plan, too. Natasha is obviously an extremely skilled fighter, but scenes like this show that her true superpower is the art of manipulation. Will Yelena Belova be able to fill this role as the Avengers' new Black Widow at some point down the line? Only time will tell.