Who is Yelena Belova?
Yelena was raised in the Red Room, the secret Soviet program that turned girls into assassins, and as a child she lived undercover in Ohio with Natasha Romanoff as her "sister." That family was fake, but the bond was not. In Black Widow, set after the events of Captain America: Civil War, the two women meet again as adults, both trained killers, both carrying a lot of anger about what was done to them.
She is funnier and blunter than Natasha. She mocks her sister's superhero landing poses, complains about her vest pockets, and hides real pain under a stream of sarcasm. After losing Natasha, she has to figure out what a former Widow does with her life.
Yelena Belova's movies in order
- Black Widow (2021, film, optional on our list)
- Hawkeye (2021, series, recommended): a follow-up to the Black Widow credits scene
- Thunderbolts* (2025, film, essential)
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026, film, recommended)
- Avengers: Doomsday (2026, film, essential)
- Avengers: Secret Wars (2027, film, essential)
- Marvel Zombies (2025, series, optional): an alternate-universe animated appearance
Our cast data lists her in the last three titles. We are keeping her part in Brand New Day out of this page, and the two Avengers films have no announced plot details yet, so we will not guess.
Turning points in her story
Black Widow is about breaking free. Yelena discovers how much of her life was controlled, and the film ends with her finally choosing for herself. Its credits scene matters a lot, because it gives her a reason to be angry going forward, and the Hawkeye series picks up that thread directly. Thunderbolts* picks her up later, working jobs that feel empty, and pushes her toward leading a group of people with pasts as messy as hers. That shift from loner to reluctant leader is the core of her current arc.
Her family and team
Red Guardian (Alexei) is the Soviet super soldier who played her father in Ohio, a loud, embarrassing, oddly lovable man she cannot quite give up on. John Walker, Ghost and Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) join her in Thunderbolts*. Walker is a former Captain America with a temper, Ghost (Ava Starr) can phase through solid matter, and Bucky brings the most experience of anyone at being used as a weapon.
Florence Pugh as Yelena
Florence Pugh makes Yelena both very funny and very sad, sometimes in the same line. Her comic instincts keep the character from being a copy of Natasha, and her dramatic range makes the quieter moments hit. Outside the MCU she played Amy March in Little Women, led the horror film Midsommar, appeared in Oppenheimer and played Princess Irulan in Dune: Part Two.
How to watch Yelena's story
Watch Black Widow first. It is optional for the big MCU picture, but it is her origin and makes Thunderbolts* much richer. Then watch the Hawkeye series and Thunderbolts*. If you want more background, Captain America: Civil War explains where Natasha is in Black Widow. After that, follow the upcoming films in release order. Our characters page has profiles of the rest of the Thunderbolts*.