How Yelena’s Thunderbolts* Story Sets Up Her Doomsday Role

While a relatively new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Yelena Belova quickly became a fan-favorite character due to her complex personality, her ties with Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and the brilliant performance by Florence Pugh. The good news is that Thunderbolts* makes the most of Yelena by giving her the screen time she needs to become the heart of the MCU’s new superhero group, proving she’s much more than a Black Widow replacement. The better news is that Pugh is confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday, where her character development should reach new heights as the heroes of the Sacred Timeline face Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Thunderbolts*

At the beginning of Thunderbolts*, we learn that Yelena is suffering from depression. While the disease is never explicitly named in the movie, she goes through the motions of life listlessly, crushed by a constant feeling of loneliness and lack of meaning. She tries to push forward, using all her energy to work nonstop as one of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) black ops specialists. Yet, she has no one to return home to, and she often tries to drown her sorrows in alcohol. As Yelena puts it, the sadness grew inside of her once she learned about her sister’s death. However, by the time Thunderbolts* starts, her woes have become a void, slowly swallowing her soul and making life tasteless.

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As Thunderbolts* unfolds, Yelena learns to once more trust the people around her. At first, she bands together with John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) out of survival when the three find themselves trapped inside Valentina’s desert facility. However, their common goal and Yelena’s genuine willingness to do something good in the world led her to become the unexpected leader of the band, pushing the others to take a stance against injustice. The events of Thunderbolts* also allow Yelena to reconnect with her father, the Red Guardian (David Harbour), who drove her away because he also didn’t know how to deal with the death of Natasha. All this newborn kinship helps Yelena find the perspective she lacked, recognizing that human connection is essential to survive in a ruthless world. She eventually shares that lesson with Bob (Lewis Pullman), saving the world from the Void.

By the end of Thunderbolts*, when Bob fully becomes the Void, spreading his darkness all over New York City, Yelena takes a leap of faith and jumps inside the shadows, determined to reach out to Bob. Her teammates soon follow, inspired by her example. Together, they convince Bob he can overcome the calling of the Void, as he now has people who are there for him and who will not leave his side. Valentina, aware that the Thunderbolts’ actions make them look like heroes, quickly pretends she was always behind the team, introducing them to the press as the New Avengers. Yelena and the others sustain Valentina’s lie in exchange for a clean slate and the opportunity to become actual heroes. However, Yelena lets Valentina know she will be kept on a short leash, as the New Avengers can blow the whistle and crumble her empire anytime.

Yelena Will Lead the New Avengers in Avengers: Doomsday

The post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* takes place 14 months after Yelena and her teammates subdued the Void. For over a year, the New Avengers have operated as government-sanctioned superheroes from the Watchtower, previously known as the Avengers Tower. While they are now a cohesive team and have a lot of experience protecting the planet from all sorts of threats, the New Avengers still struggle with public scrutiny, as not everyone is willing to recognize their value, given their complicated backstory. Complicating matters, there’s Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who’s willing to form an Avengers team of his own and even threatens to sue the New Avengers for copyright infringement.

As the moral leader of the New Avengers, Yelena will have to keep steering her colleagues in the right direction in Avengers: Doomsday. The crossover event will once again put the entire MCU at risk, meaning the New Avengers will have to find a way to deal with Captain America and other Sacred Timeline heroes to stand against Doctor Doom. That means doubling down on the lessons learned in Thunderbolts* and relying on genuine human connection as their ultimate shield against evil.

The post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* also reveals that the New Avengers are the first to detect the interdimensional ship of the Fantastic Four. That makes Yelena responsible for deciding how her team will contact the unexpected visitors, working together for the common good.

Thunderbolts* is now available in theaters. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

Are you excited about Yelena’s return in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments!