Black Widow released last week, and it marks the last film where we see Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, and her journey in the MCU comes to an end. So who will fill in her shoes? Will Natasha’s sister Yelena become the next Black Widow or a White Widow?
In the comics, Yelena Belova successfully replenishes the role of the Black Widow after her death in the Secret Empire comic. However, the character arc of Yelena and her relationship dynamic with Natasha is not the same as depicted in the MCU.
In comics, the two are sworn enemies for the longest time, and Yelena’s arc for redemption is a long twisted one filled with complexes that make her introspect and transform who she is to embody the spirit of the Black Widow.
With the origin story of Natasha being depicted in the Black Widow solo film, we see the sister duo have a strained relationship, but they aren’t enemies. In fact, far from it. So after Natasha’s Death in End Game, will Yelena be the next Black or White Widow?
There is no official news of Yelena (Florence Pugh) being the next Black Widow. But, the Black Widow post-credit scene hints at a major role for Yelena in the Hawkeye series.
In Black Widow, Yelena is seen as a former assassin who was trained in the Red Room along with Natasha and numerous other little girls. When she crosses paths with her sister and so-called parents, we see multiple facets to this profoundly layered character.
Besides being a spy trained for highly covert operations and a mercenary whose combat skills are off the charts, she is that little girl who believed she had a family. She believed she had a sister and felt abandoned when she deflected the Red Room and joined the Avengers.
In one scene, we also hear her saying that it was all ‘REAL’ for her. This innate need for someone you can call your own makes Yelena so similar to Natasha. We see the sisters go toe-to-toe in combat when they see each other and even make the perfect tag team against enemies.
Florence Pugh as Yelena is so convincing that I want her to be the next Black Widow or White Widow even. Yelena is more evolved with her ideology. She doesn’t see things as Black or White but knows it’s all grey. And beyond all this, It is Yelena who best embodies the spirit of Natasha, aka Black Widow. So it is only natural for her to take on that mantle after Natasha.
Though there’s no official news yet of Yelena being the next Black Widow, there are a couple of hints which might point in that direction.
In Black Widow’s post-credits scene, we see Valentia Allegra De Fontaine give Yelena her next target – “The man responsible for Natasha’s death” and shows Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton’s picture. Unfortunately, Yelena, who doesn’t have the complete picture, believes Valentina as the screen turns dark.
This is a major easter egg for all the Marvel fans. It’s a massive hint that Yelena will be playing a significant role in the upcoming Hawkeye series. Whether or not it is as Black Widow, we’ll just have to wait to find out.
However, there’s a couple of things to take into account before we jump to conclusions. I know we are already doing that but let’s be more informed while we do so.
The studio wouldn’t have an actor as big as Florence to give her a one-off appearance in a film. Furthermore, in an interview with Comicbook.com, Florence said that it’d be difficult stepping into Scarlett’s shoes. This could mean that she would either be the next Back Widow or play a similar but much more evolved role as Natasha.
If only I could travel to the future to find out. Either way, I am pretty psyched to see Yelena in the Hawkeye series that will unfold her character and maybe even shed light on her future arc. I’ll stop right here cause I need to keep my fingers crossed and hope that it comes true!
About Black Widow
Black Widow is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Directed by Cate Shortland and written by Eric Pearson, the movie stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz.
It will be the first film in Phase Four of the MCU, and was delayed three times from an original May 2020 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disney confirms Marvel Studios’ Black Widow will release on Disney+ for no extra cost to existing subscribers after its Premier Access release, October 6.
The film follows Natasha Romanoff as she confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
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