When one character kicks the bucket, another replacement waits for their chance to shine. We may be seeing the last of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow when her solo film comes out later eventually, but it appears that Marvel is going to be using the opportunity in that story to also pass the shock-baton and introduce us to a new Widow whose story will continue throughout the MCU, similar to how Johannson’s Natasha Romanoff was a large part of the first three phases of MCU films.
Many fan theories have suggested that Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh in the movie, would be that person to possibly continue the Black Widow legacy. In the comics, Yelena Belova shares Natasha’s origin story and was a subject of the Red Room. Yelena initially served as an enemy who was determined to prove herself better than Natasha, but as her faith in the Red Room gradually crumbled, she became a freelance operative. Belova eventually became the next Black Widow, following Natasha’s apparent death in the comics.
According to a new interview with Black Widow director Cate Shortland in Empire Magazine, it appears that the movies will indeed be following the same approach from the comic books:
[Kevin Feige] realized that the audience would expect an origin story so, of course, we went in the opposite direction. And we didn’t know how great Florence Pugh would be. We knew she would be great, but we didn’t know how great. Scarlett is so gracious, like, ‘Oh, I’m handing her the baton.’ So it’s going to propel another female storyline
I think this is something which makes a lot of sense and will allow Marvel to have another strong character to focus on in the future. Given that the Black Widow movie takes place before Avengers: Infinity War, the film will not just need to set this storyline up but possibly also provide a reason for why Pugh’s character is then not in the later movies. Some fans have suggested that Belova could die at the end of the movie – or face a disappearance of sorts.
Whatever the reason, I certainly look forward to this movie and how it will further bolster the already superb MCU films. And the possibility of it setting up a new and exciting Black Widow only makes that anticipation higher.
Last Updated: July 7, 2020
