To this day, I still get worked up about Natasha Romanoff’s death. I always felt that her story was building towards a sense of peace, not sacrifice. After years of carrying guilt and responsibility, she had in my opinion, and probably many others’ earned rest. Instead, she was literally thrown off a cliff.

For five years after the Blip, Natasha was the one who stayed. She held the Avengers and others together when everyone else walked away, and even before the blip, she always tried to keep everyone together. She took on the role of a leader without getting the recognition she deserved. Her depression during the blip is visible, yet never acknowledged, which makes her choice to sacrifice herself feel less like 100% heroism and more like a mix of her being the hero we know she is and an unhealthy amount of exhaustion and self-erasure.

In my head I always thought Natasha could have become the next Director/leader someone who helped the Avengers from behind the scenes, guiding and supporting them, but without needing the spotlight. She had the skill, the experience, and the dedication to make that role meaningful.

Natasha spent her life trying to make things right. She deserved peace, not punishment and that’s why, to this day, her ending still hurts.