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Yelena Belova (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

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Yelena Belova
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts* (2025)
First appearanceBlack Widow (2021)
Based on
Yelena Belova
by
Adapted by
Portrayed by
In-universe information
AliasesBlack Widow
OccupationContract killer
Affiliation
Weapon
  • Dual batons
Family
OriginSoviet Union
NationalityRussian

Yelena Belova is a fictional character portrayed by Florence Pugh in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. She is depicted as the adopted sister of Natasha Romanoff.

Trained as a Black Widow assassin in the Red Room, Belova went on to become one of the greatest child assassins. As an adult, she helps Romanoff and their adoptive parents, Alexei Shostakov and Melina Vostokoff, take down the Red Room operations led by Dreykov. She falls victim to the Blip and, after being restored to life, works as a contract killer for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who tasks her to kill Clint Barton, but Belova spares his life. She later joins a team of other contract killers who go on to form the Thunderbolts, later rebranded as the New Avengers.

Pugh appeared as the character in the films Black Widow (2021), Thunderbolts* (2025), and the Disney+ series Hawkeye (2021). Violet McGraw portrays a young Belova. Pugh's portrayal has received generally positive reviews.

Fictional character biography

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Early life

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Yelena Belova was born in the Ukraine in 1989. When she was three years old, General Dreykov assigned her the role of the youngest daughter of Alexei Shostakov and Melina Vostokoff, as well as the little sister of Natasha Romanoff, although due to Belova's young age at the start of the assignment, she was the only member of the group who was unaware of the true nature of their assigned mission and believed the three of them to be her real family.[1] As a small child, she played goalie on a peewee soccer team called the "Thunderbolts".

In 1995, when Shostakov completes his assigned mission to steal intel from S.H.I.E.L.D. in Ohio, the family escape to Cuba where they rendezvous with their boss, Dreykov, who has Romanoff and Belova put through the Red Room for further training to become assassins. This training included luring another girl into the woods to be shot, and assembling a pistol from parts, which she was the fastest in her class to do, which meant that she was allowed to stand apart from the rest of the class while their hands were whipped.

Destroying the Red Room

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Further information: Black Widow (2021 film)

In 2016, Belova kills a rogue former Widow but comes in contact with a synthetic gas that neutralizes the Red Room's chemical mind-control agent. Belova sends vials of the antidote to Romanoff, hoping she and the Avengers can free the other Widows, and goes into hiding.

In Budapest, Romanoff, now a fugitive for violating the Sokovia Accords,[a] finds Belova, who reveals that Dreykov is alive and the Red Room is still active. Widows and Red Room agent Taskmaster attack them, but Belova and Romanoff evade them and meet with Mason, who supplies them with a helicopter. Belova and Romanoff break Shostakov out of prison to learn Dreykov's location, and he directs them to Vostokoff, who lives on a farm outside Saint Petersburg refining the chemical mind control process used on the Widows. Vostokoff alerts Dreykov and his agents arrive to take them, but Romanoff convinces Vostokoff to help them and the pair use face mask technology to switch places.

At the Red Room, a secret aerial facility, Vostokoff frees Shostakov and Belova from their restraints. Dreykov escapes as other Widows attack Romanoff, but Belova exposes them to the antidote. Romanoff copies the locations of other Widows worldwide from Dreykov's computer as the facility begins to explode and fall. In freefall, Romanoff gives Belova a parachute before battling Taskmaster, who is revealed to be Dreykov's daughter Antonia. After landing, Romanoff uses one antidote vial on Taskmaster and gives the other to Belova along with the locations of the other mind-controlled Widows so she can find and free them. Belova, Vostokoff, and Shostakov say goodbye to Romanoff and leave with Taskmaster and the freed Widows, while Romanoff waits to face an arriving U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross.

The Blip and going after Clint Barton

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See also: Hawkeye (miniseries)
Further information: Partners, Am I Right?; Ronin (Hawkeye episode); and So This Is Christmas?

In 2018, Belova and Widow agent Sonya subdue a woman named Anna in her house, wanting to "deprogram" her like other Black Widows but it turns out she did not need their help. Inside Anna's house, Belova becomes a victim of the Blip and is restored to life in 2023,[b] hoping to talk with Romanoff, but eventually learns of her death. Belova goes on to get a dog named Fanny and work as a contract killer for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. In December 2024, Belova visits Romanoff's grave and is met by de Fontaine, who tasks Belova to kill Clint Barton, telling her that he is to blame for her sister's death.[1]

Belova tracks Barton to New York City and ambushes him, getting into a fight with his protégé Kate Bishop and Maya Lopez as well. During the ensuing fight she is unmasked by Barton and escapes. She confronts Bishop at her apartment and reveals that she was hired to kill Barton. Belova attempts to convince Bishop that Barton is not the hero that Bishop worships, but Bishop rebuffs this. Belova follows Bishop's mother, Eleanor, and takes a video of her talking to Wilson Fisk before sending it to Bishop, stating Eleanor had hired her.

Belova attends the Bishop Christmas Party at the Rockefeller Center, where she is intercepted by Bishop, who tries to stop her from getting to Barton. Later on the ice rink, Belova confronts Barton and demands the truth of Romanoff's death. Barton complies, but the struggle leads to a fight in which Barton eventually convinces Belova to stand down and spare his life after whistling her and Romanoff's whistle, leading her to realize how close he was to Romanoff. Belova comes to terms with Barton and leaves.

Joining the New Avengers

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Further information: Thunderbolts*

In 2027, Belova initates a mission for de Fontaine in Malaysia. Afterwards, she goes to Washington D.C. and visits Shostakov, telling him she does not feel fulfilled and wants to find purpose. She calls de Fontaine and reluctantly agrees to a last mission. She goes to a covert facility in Utah and is joined by John Walker, Ava Starr, and Antonia who are there to tie up loose ends on her side. After a fight ensures, Belova watches Starr fatally shoot Antonia in the head, before a mysterious man named Bob appears. Upon realizing de Fontaine's plan to incinerate them all, the remaining four manage to escape with Bob's help, as he sacrifices himself by distracting de Fontaine's forces.

Shostakov finds Belova, Walker, and Starr walking in the desert. He dubs the group the "Thunderbolts", named after Belova's childhood soccer team. The team is attacked again by a convoy of de Fontaine's forces, but they are saved by Bucky Barnes, who apprehends them and intends to have them testify in de Fontaine's impeachment proceedings. Learning that Bob has survived and has been shipped to New York, the team infiltrate the former Avengers Tower in New York City, now renamed the "Watchtower", to find that de Fontaine has turned Bob into an immensely powerful superhuman known as the Sentry.

The Sentry overpowers Belova and the rest of the team, forcing them to escape. Sentry turns into his destructive alter ego, the Void, and starts turning everyone in his vicinity into shadows and engulfs the city in darkness. Belova enters the Void realising that only reaching Bob's consciousness will help. After confronting her past, she finds Bob's consciousness who is lost and consumed by his own traumas. After the rest of her teammates save her, the team confront the Void by reminding Bob that he is not alone, enabling him to overcome his trauma, restoring light and normalcy to the city. With the threat neutralized, the team prepares to apprehend de Fontaine. However, she manipulates public perception by staging a press conference in which she rebrands them as the New Avengers. Belova quietly warns de Fontaine "We own you".

In 2028, Belova, the rest of the New Avengers, and Bob, now operating out of the Watchtower, receive a distress signal from an extra-dimensional spacecraft with a large "4" emblem.[c]

Concept and casting

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Pugh was in negotiations to join the cast of Black Widow by March 2019.[2] Marvel had been considering Pugh for the role since late 2018, but began looking at other actresses, including Saoirse Ronan, in early 2019.[3][4] The studio returned to Pugh after she received strong reviews for her performance in the film Fighting with My Family (2019).[3] The following month Pugh was confirmed to have been cast in the film.[5] American actress Violet McGraw was cast as a young Belova in Black Widow, and reprised the appearance in Thunderbolts*.[6]

Characterization

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Appearances and depictions

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Pugh promoting Black Widow at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con

Pugh first appeared as the character in Black Widow (2021), where director Cate Shortland said that Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow would be "handing [Belova] the baton" which would go on to "propel another female storyline".[7] On her character, Pugh called Belova "a lethal weapon but also a bit of a kid", adding that she "has no clue how to live as a human being".[8]: 4 

Pugh characterized Belova's relationship with Romanoff as "a sister story that really hones in on grief, on pain, on abuse, on being a victim — and living with being a victim".[9] Johansson revealed that an early version of the script had a much more adversarial relationship between the sisters, with Belova intending to "dethrone" Romanoff as a spy; Johansson rejected that direction for the characters.[10] Wanting to avoid this dynamic, Johansson described the relationship between the two characters as "a knowingness and a sisterhood".[11] She felt that Belova would best stand on her own in comparison to Romanoff, while Pugh added there was a "generational difference" and that Belova is "unapologetic, and confident in herself, curious […] and emotionally brave".[12]

Pugh next appeared as the character in the Disney+ series Hawkeye (2021).[13] On the character, Pugh noted that the show "sets up a whole different challenge" as she was now up against her sister's fighting partner, Clint Barton.[14] She added that it was "really wonderful to kind of jump ahead and see [how the character] has been surviving".[14]

For Thunderbolts*, the actors were given substantial input into the portrayal of their characters in the film.[15] Pugh said that her character has been affected by the traumatic events of recent MCU projects, including the death of Romanoff.[d] In the film, Belova jumps off the top of the Merdeka 118 without the use of stunt doubles in which Marvel Studios was initially reluctant to allow.[17] Pugh noted that she had to push for the scenes to happen.[17] Pugh also advocated for changes to the opening scene that resulted in the character performing the initial mission dressed in a sweatsuit rather than spy gear, reflective of her overall dour mood.[15] Pugh also advocated for the script to include references to Romanoff's death, noting that "In the original script, there wasn't anything to do with Natasha".[18] Throughout her MCU appearances, Pugh noted that Belova's actions have always shown that "she's always trying to help the person that maybe isn't as strong, or maybe needs a bit of love", citing her adoption of a dog in the post-credits scene of Black Widow, her treatment of Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, and her compassion towards Bob in Thunderbolts.[18]

Pugh is set to reprise the role in the film Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and the Disney+ limited miniseries Marvel Zombies (2025).[19]

Differences from the comics

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The MCU version of Belova differs from her comic book counterpart in several respects, most notably in having been raised as Romanoff's sister, which is not an aspect of the comic book character, who was instead merely a fellow Red Room student.[20] Physically, comic book Belova is relatively tall (5' 7") with blue eyes, while Florence Pugh, portraying Belova in the MCU, is 5' 3" with green eyes.[20] An additional story element is that Belova in the MCU first meets Clint Barton while pursuing him in the belief that he killed Romanoff, while in the comics they first meet when Barton pursues Belova to stop her use of extreme methods to hunt down Hydra agents.[20]

Reception

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Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com said Pugh was the MVP of Black Widow, and had found "just the right shades of strength and vulnerability".[21] Caryn James at the BBC also praised Pugh in the film and said Belova was "more lived-in than most action-movie characters".[22] Writing about Pugh's performance in Hawkeye, Carly Lane of Collider stated "The arrival of Florence Pugh's fan-favorite character shakes things up for the Disney+ series — in a good way".[23] The Direct noted that a "good chunk of the reactions towards the prequel praised Pugh's portrayal of Yelena, and the anticipation for her return in Hawkeye is high after the positive reception".[10]

Caroline Siede of The A.V. Club, reviewing the Hawkeye episode "Ronin", felt that Pugh stole the show and thought that "everything that made Yelena Belova such a hit in the Black Widow movie is back and arguably better here".[24] Reviewing the Hawkeye finale, "So This Is Christmas?", Siede praised Bishop and Belova, calling their "Princess Bride-style respectful friend fight" charming. She also felt that Romanoff's death finally truly mattered, finding it emotional to watch Barton and Belova fight through their pain.[25] Ross Bonaime, reviewing the episode for Collider, liked the way the show integrated Belova into the story and making her essential to both Barton and Bishop's stories.[26] Matt Purslow of IGN praised the scene of Barton and Belova fighting and grieving over Romanoff's death, although Purslow felt that the special whistle moment felt too convenient.[27]

Pugh's role in Thunderbolts* also received positive reviews with Jane Coyle of the Associated Press writing that "Pugh commands every bit of the movie".[28] Nicholas Barber of BBC Culture also praised Pugh's performance.[29]

Accolades

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Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
2021 Black Widow People's Choice Awards Female Movie Star of 2021 Nominated [30]
Action Movie Star of 2021 Nominated
2022 Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actress in a Superhero Movie Won [31][32]
Hawkeye Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy Nominated [33]
2025 Thunderbolts* Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Butt-Kicker Pending [34]

Notes

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  1. ^ As depicted in Captain America: Civil War (2016)
  2. ^ As depicted in the films Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
  3. ^ Identified off-screen as the Fantastic Four's spacecraft and logo, arriving in Earth-616 from their home reality.
  4. ^ As depicted in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019).[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Shortland, Cate (director) (July 9, 2021). Black Widow (motion picture). Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  2. ^ Kit, Borys (March 18, 2019). "Florence Pugh in Talks to Join Scarlett Johansson in 'Black Widow'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (March 18, 2019). "Scarlett Johansson's 'Black Widow' Movie Adds Florence Pugh". Variety. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  4. ^ Kroll, Justin [@krolljvar] (March 18, 2019). "Marvel has been high on Florence since December for the part but did open it up at the top of the year with other actresses meeting (Saorise also in the mix) but in the end she wins the coveted role" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (April 3, 2019). "David Harbour Set For Disney/Marvel 'Black Widow' Standalone". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  6. ^ Sanders, Savannah (April 27, 2025). "Black Widow Actress Announces Surprise Return In 2025 MCU Movie". The Direct.
  7. ^ Travis, Ben (July 6, 2020). "Black Widow Movie Will 'Hand The Baton' To Florence Pugh, Says Cate Shortland – Exclusive". Empire. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  8. ^ "Black Widow Advance" (PDF). Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  9. ^ Aurthur, Kate (July 7, 2021). "'Black Widow' Stars Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh on Their Epic Journey and Natasha's Final Bow". Variety. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Eclarinal, Aeron Mer (September 22, 2022). "Black Widow: Scarlett Johansson Reveals Alternate Version of the Movie That Just Didn't Work". The Direct. Archived from the original on March 17, 2025. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  11. ^ Robinson, Ashley (June 15, 2021). "Scarlett Johansson on the Sexualization of Natasha Romanoff and Why It Took 10 Years to Make 'Black Widow'". Collider. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  12. ^ Sheperd, Jack (September 17, 2020). "Florence Pugh and Scarlett Johansson discuss the future of Black Widow". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  13. ^ Behbakht, Andy (April 29, 2025). "The Biggest Difference Between Yelena In Thunderbolts* Vs. Black Widow & Hawkeye Revealed By Florence Pugh". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 29, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Vary, Adam B.; Aurthur, Kate (July 10, 2021). "'Black Widow' Star and Director Break Down That Post-Credits Scene (Spoilers)". Variety. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Edward, Molly (May 1, 2025). "The Thunderbolts cast were given "ownership," over their characters, which meant Florence Pugh could change that death-defying opening scene for the better". Games Radar. Archived from the original on May 3, 2025. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  16. ^ Travis, Ben (February 11, 2025). "Yelena Belova Is 'A Completely Different Person' In Marvel's Thunderbolts*, Says Florence Pugh". Empire. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Sharf, Zack (April 14, 2025). "Florence Pugh Says Marvel Didn't Want Her to Jump Off the World's Second Tallest Building Due to 'Thunderbolts' Insurance Risk; She Emailed Kevin Feige: 'It'll Do Wonders for the Press Tour'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 15, 2025. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
  18. ^ a b Jackson, Angelique (May 2, 2025). "Florence Pugh on Yelena's Emotional Journey in 'Thunderbolts*' and Why Having So Many Stars in 'Avengers: Doomsday' Is 'Nutso Sauce'". Variety.
  19. ^ Perine, Aaron (July 22, 2022). "Comic-Con 2022: Marvel Zombies Characters and Villains Revealed". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  20. ^ a b c Leroy, Kath (December 16, 2021). "7 Things About Yelena Belova The MCU Changed From The Comics". Game Rant.
  21. ^ Tallerico, Brian (June 29, 2021). "Black Widow". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  22. ^ James, Caryn (June 29, 2021). "Black Widow: the least Avenger-like movie in the series". BBC. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  23. ^ "'Hawkeye': Why Yelena Belova Is More Than Just a Glorified MCU Cameo". Collider. December 15, 2021. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  24. ^ Siede, Caroline (December 15, 2021). "Hawkeye celebrates "girls night!"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  25. ^ Siede, Caroline (December 22, 2021). "Hawkeye's finale occasionally hits the mark". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  26. ^ Bonaime, Ross (December 22, 2021). "'Hawkeye' Season Finale Review: Marvel Wraps Up Their Christmas Present of a Series With an Excellent Bow". Collider. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  27. ^ Purslow, Matt (December 22, 2021). "Hawkeye Episode 6 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  28. ^ Coyle, Jake (April 30, 2025). "Movie Review: 'Thunderbolts' is Marvel, and Florence Pugh, in high gear". Associated Press.
  29. ^ "Thunderbolts* review: 'The greatest Marvel offering in years'". BBC. April 29, 2025. Archived from the original on April 30, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  30. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (October 27, 2021). "Here are the nominees for the 2021 People's Choice Awards". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  31. ^ Couch, Aaron (February 22, 2022). "'Spider-Man,' 'Shang-Chi' Lead Critics Choice Super Awards Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  32. ^ Nolfi, Joey (March 17, 2022). "Spider-Man, Squid Game, WandaVision win big at 2022 Critics Choice Super Awards: See the full list". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  33. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (August 14, 2022). "HCA TV Awards: 'Severance,' 'Ted Lasso,' 'Dopesick' Win Top Streaming Awards on Night 2". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  34. ^ Petski, Denise (May 15, 2025). "Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar & Selena Gomez Lead 2025 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Nominees; Tyla To Host". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
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