Black Widow"s MCU Replacement Continues A Heartbreaking Winter Soldier Trend

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Black Widow"s MCU replacement is set to be fully established in Thunderbolts*, but this will continue a heartbreaking trend that has already plagued Bucky Barnes" Winter Soldier for several years. Scarlett Johansson"s Natasha Romanoff was a crucial part of the Infinity Saga, so her Avengers: Endgame death and final farewell in her retrospective solo movie, Black Widow, have left a noticeable void in the MCU. Marvel Studios has set up the perfect replacement for the MCU"s Black Widow, however, and Thunderbolts* may make this official.
Marvel Studios" upcoming Thunderbolts* movie will bring together a number of reformed villains and antiheroes from the MCU"s history as a brand-new superpowered team. While she won"t be appearing on-screen, Thunderbolts* will also mark Scarlett Johansson"s return to the MCU, as she is an executive producer on the Phase 5 movie. This supports a major theory that states Marvel Studios" new Black Widow will finally emerge in Thunderbolts*, but while this is exciting, it also continues a devastating MCU trend.
Thunderbolts* May Make Yelena Belova The MCU’s New Black Widow Yelena Belova Wears A Black Widow Belt In Thunderbolts*

The perfect candidate to take over the Black Widow moniker from Natasha Romanoff is, of course, Yelena Belova. Florence Pugh"s Yelena Belova debuted as another Black Widow assassin in the eponymous 2021 movie, and was introduced as a sister-figure to Romanoff, so she is primed to continue her fallen sister"s legacy. Thunderbolts*" first teaser trailer seems to have confirmed this evolution, as some eagle-eyed viewers, including @hailbishova, have spotted Yelena Belova with the Red Room"s Black Widow symbol on her new costume"s belt buckle.
Natasha Romanoff previously sported this Black Widow logo on her MCU costumes, depicting the hourglass shape that appears on the bodies of female black widow spiders. This reflects the Black Widow assassins" equipment and acrobatic skills, namely the wrist-worn Black Widow Bite, which allows them to electrocute their enemies at close range. Since Yelena Belova was also a Black Widow assassin, it makes sense that she would sport this icon and officially take over the mantle, though she may be reluctant to do so.
Yelena Taking On The Red Room Logo Is Heartbreaking Yelena Belova May Not Want To Be Associated With The Black Widows Close In the first teaser trailer for Thunderbolts*, Yelena Belova expresses frustration about her life after being freed from the Red Room"s mind control. This has pushed her to continue doing contract work, this time for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, but she hopes instead to forge her own path. The fact that Yelena will still use the Black Widow logo and moniker even after taking back control of her own life is heartbreaking, and mirrors the overarching MCU narrative of another upcoming Thunderbolts member, Bucky Barnes" Winter Soldier.
Sebastian Stan"s Bucky Barnes has spent years trying to come to terms with and move on from his Winter Soldier identity after HYDRA"s conditioning was broken in Wakanda. This was an important storyline in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the title of which proved that Bucky may never escape the Winter Soldier moniker, despite perhaps wanting to shift into becoming the MCU"s White Wolf. This is the same as Yelena Belova"s relationship to the Black Widow moniker, but this superhero title is actually perfect for the up-and-coming hero.
Why Yelena's Official Moniker Would Be So Perfect Becoming Black Widow Would Be A Sign Of Development For Yelena Belova

Although the Black Widow moniker has horrible roots in the Red Room, Natasha Romanoff"s career as an Avenger using the name Black Widow transformed the title into a force for good. Yelena Belova adopting this moniker in Thunderbolts* would ensure that she continues the themes established by Romanoff, and is the perfect way to pay homage to and honor her late sister. It"s also a natural evolution for Yelena - she is already referred to as a Black Widow assassin, but it would be fantastic to see her become the Black Widow, a bona fide hero.
Thunderbolts Member
Actor
Debut Project
Bucky Barnes" Winter Soldier
Sebastian Stan
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Ava Starr"s Ghost
Hannah John-Kamen
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
John Walker"s US Agent
Wyatt Russell
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Yelena Belova
Florence Pugh
Black Widow (2021)
Alexei Shostakov"s Red Guardian
David Harbour
Black Widow (2021)
Antonia Dreykov"s Taskmaster
Olga Kurylenko
Black Widow (2021)
Beyond honoring Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova assuming the Black Widow moniker would also be a brilliant way to prove to the other members of the Thunderbolts team that they are united and defined by their past trauma. Each of them have been through hardships, and have left damage in their wake, and they shouldn"t ignore this when setting out to do good, but should respect it and use to show how far they"ve come. Yelena Belova becoming the new Black Widow in Thunderbolts* would be a powerful statement, and would be exciting for the MCU"s future.

Thunderbolts* (2025) Not Yet Rated AdventureAction Marvel's Thunderbolts* is a superhero movie based on the comic team of the same name. The movie acts as a part of the MCU's fifth phase of films. The film sees the likes of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell, the Red Guardian, and more as an unlikely group of heroes and villains brought together to fight for good.
Director Jake Schreier Release Date May 2, 2025 Studio(s) Marvel Studios Writers Lee Sung-jin , Eric Pearson , Joanna Calo Cast Florence Pugh , Sebastian Stan , David Harbour , Wyatt Russell , Olga Kurylenko , Hannah John-Kamen , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Geraldine Viswanathan , Lewis Pullman , Joshua Mikel Upcoming MCU Movies