Natasha Romanoff (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Natalia Alianovna Romanova, more commonly known as Natasha Romanoff, is a fictional character primarily portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Romanoff is depicted as an expert spy, trained in the Russian-based Red Room from childhood to become a Black Widow assassin. She was later recruited by Clint Barton to join the United States government agency S.H.I.E.L.D., adopting the alias Black Widow. Romanoff is later recruited as a member of the Avengers Initiative where she assists the team in taking down various supervillains including Loki, and Ultron. She has also been a strong ally of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Following the Avengers Civil War, Romanoff becomes a fugitive and reunites with her adopted family, including her sister Yelena Belova, to destroy General Dreykov's Red Room program. After Thanos initiates the Blip, Romanoff leads the Avengers for five years until she sacrifices herself to obtain the Soul Stone, successfully helping the team restore everyone. Johansson first portrayed the character in Iron Man 2 (2010) and went on to become a central character in the franchise, appearing in nine films including her final live-action appearance in Black Widow (2021). Her portrayal was met with positive reception. Alternate versions of the character also appeared in the animated Disney+ series What If...? (2021), voiced by Lake Bell. These versions include an incarna