Four Years Later, the MCU Is About to Reunite the Franchise’s Best Duo

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of great partnerships. Tony Stark, the franchise’s original hero, doesn’t go anywhere that his best friend, James Rhodes, won’t follow. Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson are also inseparable, to the point that the latter is willing to go to prison to save the former’s old war buddy from getting killed or worse. However, with Steve and Tony gone, there’s a void in the MCU that is in desperate need of filling. Sam and Bucky Barnes have their moments as a duo, but they’re not on good terms on account of the whole New Avengers thing.

With nowhere else to turn, Marvel Studios is about to bring an underrated duo back together for the first time in four years. They won’t have much time to mingle because they’ll have their hands full, but if the chemistry is still there, the stage could be set for them to reunite on an even bigger stage.

Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova Stole the Show in Hawkeye

Disney+’s Hawkeye is a great addition to the MCU because it lets the most underrated member of the Avengers shine. Avengers: Age of Ultron spends a little time at Clint Barton’s home, but not enough to allow the hero to walk into the sunset without his own solo projects. After defeating Thanos, Clint tries to return to a normal life, taking his son out to a stage show in New York City. However, his past comes back to bite him when his Ronan suit resurfaces and threatens to ruin his image. Kate Bishop, being a big fan of Hawkeye, offers to help Clint, who reluctantly agrees to the partnership. As the new team begins their journey, though, trouble arrives in the form of Yelena Belova, Natasha Romanoff’s adoptive sister.

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Yelena blames Clint for the death of Black Widow and wants her pound of flesh. To get closer to the hero, she meets up with Kate. The first interaction between the two characters makes it clear that they would be the best of friends if they weren’t on opposite sides of a conflict. Yelena sees a lot of herself in Kate, and while Kate is afraid of what Yelena is capable of, she can’t help but be impressed by her new enemy. They meet up again in Hawkeye‘s finale, with Kate trying one last time to stop Yelena from killing Clint. She fails in her mission, but Yelena stops herself from going too far, which keeps her in Kate’s good graces. While it’s been a long time since the two have shared the screen, the MCU is going to bring them back together for an epic event.

Marvel Zombies Will Test Kate & Yelena’s Resolve

The multiverse remains a major part of the MCU. Doctor Doom is sure to threaten the stability of it in Avengers: Doomsday, but he won’t get the job done before Marvel Zombies releases. Set in the same post-apocalyptic world as What If…?‘s zombie episode, the animated series will be all about a group of heroes fighting for survival. The Marvel Zombies trailer indicates that Yelena will be a major part of the action, and she won’t be alone. Her adoptive father, Red Guardian, is going to be in her corner, as will Kate Bishop, who may very well have a showdown with an undead Clint.

While it’s tough to imagine that both Yelena and Kate will make it out of Marvel Zombies in one piece, their stories don’t have to end there. Yelena is the leader of the New Avengers on Earth-616, and Kate is helping Kamala Khan put together a group of young heroes. With plenty of adventures ahead for both parties, the MCU’s best duo isn’t going anywhere.

Marvel Zombies drops on September 24, 2025.

Are you glad that Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova are going to appear in the same show again? Do you think they’ll survive the events of Marvel Zombies? Let us know in the comments below!