Kevin Feige Reveals If Yelena Belova Will Appear in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ — And Fans Will Absolutely Love It
Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova has spent the last few years quietly becoming one of the most important figures in the MCU’s next chapter, evolving from a supporting Black Widow character into a central piece of Marvel’s post-Endgame future.
Since her introduction in ‘Black Widow’ and subsequent rise through ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘Thunderbolts,’ Yelena has steadily built the kind of fan following usually reserved for franchise leads, and speculation about her trajectory has only intensified as ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ approaches.
Marvel confirmed that Yelena Belova and Red Guardian would return alongside the wider Avengers roster, joining names like Steve Rogers, Shuri, Thor, and the newly formed New Avengers in a synopsis that hinted at just how sprawling this crossover would be. That confirmation only fueled speculation about how much screen time Yelena would actually get once the film hits theaters in December.
Now Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has weighed in directly. Feige addressed Yelena’s role head-on, saying that fans of the character should wait until ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ where Yelena plays a big part, though those unwilling to wait might catch her a little sooner in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’
Feige’s comments line up with months of reporting suggesting Yelena has quietly become one of the film’s most prominent characters. According to insider reports, Yelena reportedly has the most screen time of any female character in the film, while Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and Owen Wilson’s Mobius are also expected to return. Other reports have echoed that sentiment, describing Yelena as set to play a huge role across both ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and its follow-up, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’
Leaked details from an early CinemaCon screening reportedly showed the Avengers assembling under a rebranded red and white logo, with Yelena lined up alongside Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, Joaquin Torres, and Scott Lang. The same footage reportedly featured Yelena inside the X-Mansion facing off against Mystique, who shapeshifts into Yelena’s own form during the confrontation.
Within the MCU’s current storyline, Yelena has been carrying the emotional weight of Natasha Romanoff’s death since the end of Avengers: Endgame, having been raised alongside her as an adoptive sister in the Red Room before their family eventually reunited to help dismantle it. That grief-driven arc, paired with her leadership among the Thunderbolts turned New Avengers, positions her as one of the more compelling emotional throughlines heading into this next crossover.
Do you think Yelena deserves a major role in the MCU's future?
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, featuring an ensemble led by Robert Downey Jr as Doctor Doom, marking his first MCU appearance since Tony Stark’s death in Endgame. The film is set to release in theaters on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on December 17, 2027. If Feige’s comments are any indication, Yelena’s journey from Black Widow supporting player to Avengers centerpiece is about to hit its biggest moment yet.
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