Is This Why Black Widow Characters Were Not In Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame?

The latest TV spot for Black Widow dropped on Sunday night during the Super Bowl, unveiling a bit more than a few seconds of new footage for the first entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4. Black Widow, while moving the collection of titles forward in a new phase, is a prequel set during the events of Phase 3. As a result, many are wondering where characters like Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova and Davis Harbour’s Red Guardian are during the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. As it turns out, they might have been locked up in jail.

By the end of Captain America: Civil War, any super hero activity without the permission of the government was ruled as illegal. Black Widow, The Falcon, and Captain America decided to go underground before turning up again in Avengers: Infinity War. When they did pop up, it was just the trio of heroes ruled as criminals in the eyes pf Thaddeus Ross and other lawmakers and, as a result, were said should be arrested during a conversation where they encounter War Machine later in the movie. War Machine, a loyal friend, assisted them as Thanos was marching closer, instead. However, Thaddeus Ross might have already had some super heroes under arrest.

By the end of the new TV spot, it is revealed that Natasha Romanoff is not alone at the bottom of where all of the debris from some sort of high altitude action sequence is landing. She is with Yelena, Melina, and Alexei (whose face might be covered to indicate a change in his beard that could give some sort of hint in regards to the timeline).

In another trailer, a convoy and Thaddeus Ross are seen en route to a location which looks like it could be similar to this one. Could he be on his way to arrest Black Widow’s first family, locking them up, and explaining their absence in the events of the two Avengers movies which follow this?

Furthermore, it seems Natasha might somehow be unaware of their jailing, which is the missing piece of this entire mystery/theory. Everything about this trailers and promos indicated to me that Yelena Belova would somehow perish, thus passing on her green vest and influencing Natasha’s choice on blonde hair in Infinity War. Now, I think Natasha might somehow think that Yelena is dead but really Thaddeus Ross has her captive or prisoner, only to be unleashed somewhere down the line as a the new Black Widow for the MCU and possible member of a Thunderbolts roster.

Perhaps, like the Hulk in Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War‘s trailer, the above image is fake and Yelena is not there, already prompting Natasha’s presumption of her being dead?

The movie is only getting closer but we will see, soon enough, why the characters were not in Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame. What’s your theory? Leave it in the comment section or send it my way on Instagram or Twitter!

Black Widow hits theaters on May 1.