Despite it being years since its release, people still debate the question of who was right in Black Widow was right all along. The argument has been ongoing ever since the release of Captain America: Civil War in 2016, and while most people have been on the side of Captain America over the years, others point to the fact that the collateral damage and destruction the Avengers caused before and since make for a compelling case for Iron Man's argument.
The crux of Captain America: Civil War’s central conflict, and the question of which team was right, revolved around the introduction of the MCU’s Sokovia Accords, rules that technically still exist in the MCU Phase 4. After the Avengers' very public mistakes led to accidental civilian casualties and collateral damage in places like Lagos, Sokovia, and others, the United Nations drafted the Sokovia Accords. The international treaty would put superheroes on a global registration list and under the jurisdiction of the UN. In layman's - the Avengers would only be able to act on missions sanctioned by world governments. This split the Avengers. On one side was Steve Rogers, who refused to sign, fearing they'd be turned into attack dogs for political causes. On the other was Tony Stark, who was desperate to atone for the Avengers' deadly mistakes and saw government oversight as a reasonable compromise.
The debate split fans as much as it divided the Avengers, but who was right in Captain America: Civil War? Time has shown that of all the Avengers, Black Widow was the only one who was right in her actions. In truth, neither team was right in Captain America: Civil War, at least in absolute . In the stubbornness of each of their positions, Captain America and Iron Man dug their heels in and refused to budge, leading to a civil war among the Avengers and other superheroes enlisted to help each side. The question of which team was right in Captain America: Civil War thus becomes less about the ideologies behind Tony and Steve’s sides, and more about the practicality of how the conflict was handled. From this perspective, only Black Widow was right in Captain America: Civil War.
Which Team Was Right In Civil War
In Captain America: Civil War who was right, and who was misguided? Well, the leader of neither team understood the truth. Steve and Tony were so mired in their righteousness they couldn't see what Black Widow could during Civil War: both sides were necessary. Tony was correct in recognizing the reality that the Avengers had made some very public, egregious mistakes — ones that cost multiple innocent lives. Their public perception had been badly tarnished and they'd made enemies. Thus, Iron Man's government-sanctioned, public-facing Avengers operating under the Sokovia Accords were needed. A team that could operate in the spotlight and be seen to be doing things by the book would not only go a long way toward restoring public confidence in the Avengers — and superheroes in general — but also ensure that at least one group of Avengers would still have access to government funding and intel.
On the other hand, Captain America's Civil War team was also needed. Steve wasn't wrong that having to operate completely above-board and only at the behest of the UN meant they'd be hamstrung. Multiple threats require immediate action, and the Avengers being tied up in the red tape of bureaucracy could very well mean that villainous plans would unfold before the Avengers were able to stop them. A black-ops team that could operate in secrecy, outside the public eye and away from government observation, could be on the ground and immediately active in crucial times. With the spotlight on Tony's team, it freed up Steve's to move quickly. Thus, from a practical perspective, both teams were right in Captain America: Civil War to a certain degree.
Why Black Widow Was Right In Civil War
Initially, Black Widow sided with Tony Stark, reasoning, "If we still have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer." But at a crucial moment in the conflict, she let Captain America and Bucky/The Winter Soldier escape rather than capture them. Her g of the Accords disappointed Steve and her decision to later look the other way prompted Tony to accuse her of betrayal and playing both sides. However, Black Widow was the only one who was right in Captain America: Civil War precisely because she played both sides. Rather than get swept up in a conflict of mutually exclusive ideologies, Black Widow acted out of her best sense of right on a situational basis, which naturally led to taking actions both for and against the enforcement of the Sokovia Accords, which were themselves a very absolute proposition.
Black Widow was right in Captain America: Civil War because she was the only Avenger who could see the much bigger picture. As always, she was a few steps ahead. Avengers co-leaders Captain America and Iron Man saw things in black and white, but Natasha had lived her life operating in the gray for a reason: when you play both sides of the chess match, you control the whole board. Even beyond being an effective strategist, Black Widow also managed to emerge from Captain America: Civil War without having done too much damage to any of her personal relationships with the other Avengers, precisely because she was motivated by moderation and long-term perspective rather than absolute, heat-of-the-moment decisions. Natasha played both sides because it was the right thing to do, meaning in the end, only Black Widow was right in Captain America: Civil War.
Why Phase 4 Has Proven Black Widow Was Right
Captain America: Civil War was the 13th in the MCU and the first movie in Marvel's Phase 3. There are now 29 movies, several Disney+ series, and the MCU canon is well into its Phase 4. Plenty has happened since Captain America: Civil War, and the current state of the MCU in Phase 4 has proved Black Widow was right way back in 2016 – the Marvel universe needed a balance between Steve's unregulated heroes and Tony's red-tape-regulated government supers. There have been multiple scenarios and events since Captain America: Civil War that would have been handled much better if a balance had been struck between Team Cap and Team Iron Man.
The clearest post-Civil War event that proved Nat was right in her understanding of Tony's view is, inarguably, the Thanos Snap in Avengers: Infinity War. A rogue team of supers, which ironically contained Iron Man, took it upon themselves to mount an assault on Thanos when the fate of half the universe lay in the balance. They lost and, despite what Illuminati beat Thanos in Doctor Strange 2 – and they could have done so alongside S.H.I.E.L.D and the armies of Earth's nations (which would still be incredibly helpful against a foe like Thanos who has armies of their own).
On the other hand, Black Widow also argued there would always be times when Steve's secrecy and ability to operate above/outside the law was necessary. Phase 4 has proved this regularly. The best example is probably the Department of Damage Control, who have appeared in several MCU projects. They're a government agency, but they're far from "the good guys". The DODC were the antagonists in Ms. Marvel, and so far have behaved like all the worst parts of S.H.I.E.L.D. while it had been infiltrated by Hydra after Captain America: The Winter Soldier. They tried to arrest Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and their callousness was directly responsible for the creation of the Vulture. The government also created US Agent, aka John Walker, a flawed Captain America stand-in with violent tendencies. As Nat rightly foresaw, nothing good could come of giving governments total control of heroes like the Avengers – they'd always inevitably become puppets, just as she had been when with the Red Room. The Avengers' responsibility was to protect humanity; sometimes that would put them at odds with the governments of the world. As Phase 4 continues there'll doubtless be more moments that prove Black Widow was the only character in Captain America: Civil War who understood the argument.
