Despite the Black Widow movie setting up Yelena Belova to confront Hawkeye, there’s still intrigue over the potential of a couple comprising him and Natasha. If they are to be considered in such a context, there are definite arguments in favor but equally as many that expose why they would never work out.
Best: They Were Willing To Die To Save The Other
While fans continue to dispute whether the storyline justified Black Widow sacrificing herself for Hawkeye, the fact remains that both loved each other so much that they’d rather die than see the other lose their life. When they realized one had to fall, the two fought to be the ones to sacrifice themselves.
There could be no greater connection between two people than to have not even a second’s doubt before wanting to die for the other. After her demise, Hawkeye lamented that it should have been him, as his love for Black Widow continued even after she was gone.
Worst: They’re Apart More Than They’re Together
All of the official couples in the MCU have been seen together in almost all their appearances, with the likes of Vision and Scarlet Witch, and Gamora and Star-Lord, among others, having their bond established this way. On the other hand, Hawkeye and Black Widow were barely together, according to the timeline.
They reunited three years after The Avengers, following which Hawkeye retired a few times, during which Black Widow was closer to Captain America. With the chronology not pairing them up too much, there weren’t many scenes that could be pointed out to set them up as a valid couple.
Best: They Know All Of Each Other’s Secrets
Even strong couples like Tony and Pepper had secrets between them, such as Tony hiding his slow poisoning from Pepper in Iron Man 2. Meanwhile, Clint and Natasha never had to worry about keeping vital information hidden, as they knew each other completely.
Hawkeye was the only Avenger who fully knew of Black Widow’s crimes as an assassin, yet not only kept it a secret but also looked past it. For her part, Natasha was the only one who knew about Clint’s family and didn’t reveal this to anyone. This kind of absolute trust is rare to find in most official MCU couples, who would be envious of the transparency in Clint and Natasha’s relationship.
Worst: There’s Never Any Hint Of Attraction Between Them
There have been romances between the comic book versions of Black Widow and Hawkeye, but the MCU iteration never gave any clue toward this. In fact, there were no hints of attraction at all, while Natasha did share these with other characters.
She had a romance with Bruce Banner in Avengers: Age of Ultron, along with some teases with Steve Rogers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. These weren’t present with Hawkeye, with whom Black Widow either kept things strictly professional or shared personal information as any genuine friend would.
Best: The Two Were Never At Odds Even When In Opposing Factions
The mark of a true relationship is its strength during times of adversity, and there was no greater than in the Civil War arc. Here, Black Widow and Hawkeye were on opposing teams and had to fight one another, but were the only combatants who voiced out that they didn’t see each other as enemies.
In fact, the two openly acknowledged their friendship while fighting, while also pulling their punches so as not to hurt the other. Where popular couples like Star-Lord and Gamora fought each other to even lethal levels, Hawkeye and Black Widow didn’t allow circumstances to dictate their relationship.
Worst: They Didn’t Reach Out To One Another Following The Civil War Debacle
Although Natasha’s story before Avengers: Infinity War is now known, it didn’t make sense in Black Widow why she didn’t reach out to Clint’s family when he was imprisoned at the Raft. Moreover, neither of the two reconnected after Clint’s escape either, as he retired while she went into hiding with Captain America.
Those hoping for a firm bond between the two during their time as fugitives would be disappointed that Black Widow and Hawkeye were essentially estranged when they didn’t need to be. This goes to show that their relationship was based more on situations of conflict.
Best: They Make A Perfect Battle Couple
The battle couple trope has been invoked plenty of times in the MCU, with these pairings taking on enemies in tandem. Black Widow and Hawkeye are perfect in this regard as their fight styles are so well in sync. During the Avengers’ battles, the two were usually seen fighting side by side.
Where Black Widow achieved mastery in melee attacks, Hawkeye had her covered in ranged combat. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the pair had each other’s backs when taking on the Ultron sentries despite being normal humans. Their banter during these sequences is also akin to couples who are on top of their game and mess around on the battlefield.
Worst: His Lack Of Support During Her Grieving Phase
Onscreen, Hawkeye wasn’t shown offering a supporting shoulder for Black Widow to cry on during Avengers: Age of Ultron, at a time when she was at her saddest. This was when she lost Bruce Banner, whose disappearance caused her significant gloom, which Steve Rogers consoled her over instead.
A pair can’t really be considered to be a prospective couple if they aren’t there emotionally when one of them needs it the most, and Hawkeye’s absence stands out particularly here since it was one of the rare times that Natasha was so openly vulnerable.
Best: They Brought Each Other Out Of Their Lowest Points
As far as reaching the lowest levels of morality are concerned, Black Widow and Hawkeye didn’t give up on their relationship. He was responsible for Natasha defecting from the Red Room to S.H.I.E.L.D., thus giving her a chance at a new life.
Natasha repaid the favor by bringing Clint back to the Avengers after the Snap, which was after the latter had spent five years on a killing spree against mob organizations. This gave him hope of regaining both his family and his soul, as Natasha brought the Clint she knew back out of his self-imposed vigilante violence.
Worst: They Acknowledge Each Other More As Siblings
All things considered, the dynamic of Hawkeye and Black Widow isn’t as much as a romantic couple as it is a pairing of siblings. After all, she shared the same level of competitiveness, banter, and trust with Clint as she had with Yelena.
The best example of this is the fact that he named his son Nathaniel after Natasha, with the latter being known as an aunt to Hawkeye’s children. For this reason, the two would be a very bad couple since their relationship is very much like brother and sister as opposed to having romantic undertones.
