Draft:Yelena Belova (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Yelena Belova is a fictional character portrayed by Florence Pugh in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name.

Pugh was introduced as Yelena Belova in Black Widow (2021) and reprised her role in the Disney+ series Hawkeye (2021). Pugh will appear again in the upcoming film Thunderbolts* (2025), while an alternate version of Belova will appear in the Disney+ animated series Marvel Zombies (TBD).

Early life
Yelena Belova was born Soviet Union in the late 1980s. When she was 3, Dreykov assigned her the role of the youngest daughter of Alexei Shostakov and Melina Vostokoff, as well as the little sister of Natasha Romanoff.

Going after Clint Barton
Shortly after Romanoff's death, Belova is met by her handler, La Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, at her sister's grave, setting Yelena after Clint Barton, telling her that Barton is to blame for her sister's death.

Zombie apocalypse
Belova from an alternate timeline is set to appear in the Disney+ animated series Marvel Zombies (TBD).

Background and development
Yelena Belova was the second modern Black Widow after Natasha Romanoff and initially a Russian spy of the GRU. Belova had a brief debut in Inhumans (Vol. 2) #5 (March 1999), and was fully introduced in the 1999 Marvel Knights mini-series Black Widow. A second miniseries also titled Black Widow featuring Natasha Romanoff and Daredevil followed in 2001. The next year, she did a solo turn in her own three-issue miniseries, Black Widow: Pale Little Spider under the mature audience Marvel MAX imprint. The storyline by writer Greg Rucka and artist Igor Kordey was a flashback to her taking on the mantle of the second modern Black Widow.

Casting and appearances
Pugh was in negotiations to join the cast of Black Widow by March 2019. Marvel had been considering Pugh for the role since late 2018, but began looking at other actresses, including Saoirse Ronan, in early 2019. The studio returned to Pugh after she received strong reviews for her performance in the film Fighting with My Family (2019). The following month Pugh was confirmed to have been cast in the film.

Characterization
Director Cate Shortland said that Romanoff would be "handing [Belova] the baton" in the film, which would "propel another female storyline". Johansson said Belova would stand on her own in comparison to Romanoff, while Pugh said there was a "generational difference" between the two, noting, Belova is "unapologetic, and confident in herself, and curious ... and emotionally brave". As well, Pugh stated Belova "knows exactly how to function in the areas in which she's been trained, but she has no clue how to live as a human being," calling her "a lethal weapon but also a bit of a kid". Johansson wanted to avoid the dynamic between the two characters of each "trying to take each other down" as that felt "very old fashioned and not true". Instead, Romanoff and Belova have a relationship "grounded in a shared experience and a knowingness and a sisterhood" that at times can still be contentious. Pugh characterized Belova's relationship with Romanoff as "a sister story that really hones in on grief, on pain, on abuse, on being a victim — and living with being a victim".

Reception
Writing about Pugh's performance in Hawkeye, Carly Lane of Collider stated "The arrival of Florence Pugh's fan-favorite character shakes things up for the Disney+ series — in a good way."