Thunderbolts* could give Yelena Belova a mᴀssive, horrific power upgrade from a dark Marvel Comics storyline if this MCU movie theory is to be believed. Thunderbolts* MCU story will see the тιтular team come together for the first time, ᴀssembled by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to fight a threat to Earth in the absence of the Avengers. The villain of Thunderbolts* is expected to be Sentry, who, despite mostly being an overpowered Marvel hero, has a darker side named The Void that was teased in the film’s various trailers.
In Thunderbolts* ensemble cast, Sentry/The Void is expected to be played by Lewis Pullman. Thanks to the character’s two halves, Pullman’s Bob will likely be both an ally and a hindrance to the team, with Yelena, Bucky, and their allies trying to stop him when he becomes the latter. However, Sentry’s immense strength means the mostly underpowered team members of Thunderbolts* will have a tough time doing so. That is unless a major theory about Thunderbolts* comes true and gives Yelena a significant power upgrade that has a harrowing past in Marvel Comics.
Yelena Has Been Positioned As The Lead Of Thunderbolts* Thus Far
Yelena Will Likely Lead The Fight Against Thunderbolts* Villain
Since the marketing for Thunderbolts* began, Marvel has not exactly hidden that Yelena Belova will likely be the lead of the film. While it is being pitched as a team movie, Yelena is likely going to be the central focus of Thunderbolts* for many reasons. For one, Florence Pugh is an immensely popular and talented actor, meaning it makes sense for Marvel to position her as the lead of the film. Even when other cast members or the film’s director have promoted Thunderbolts*, they have singled out Pugh and her performance as a main selling point of the movie.
Moreover, Yelena is one of Marvel’s best new characters post-Avengers: Endgame. Many, myself included, have wanted to see much more of Yelena since her debut in Black Widow, with Thunderbolts* giving us that chance. With Yelena as the film’s focus, she will likely be integral to stopping whatever threat the Thunderbolts face. If the hints are true and Sentry/The Void is the film’s main villain, Yelena will be important in overcoming him in a way that befits her status as Thunderbolts* main character.
Yelena Did Get A Major Power Upgrade From Sentry In The Comics
Yelena Has Once Fought Fire With Fire
Naturally, though, the main question will be how someone with no powers like Yelena will overcome one of the most powerful beings in Marvel Comics. No matter how capable Yelena is, the gulf in power is stark. However, one Marvel Comics storyline could answer this. In one storyline in the mid-2000s, Yelena worked for A.I.M., who turned her into a Super-Adaptoid, a being capable of mimicking and using the powers of anyone on Earth. Yelena was used by A.I.M. as a weapon to fight the Avengers, leading her to come into conflict with Sentry.
Using Sentry’s abilities – and those of several other Avengers – Yelena almost succeeded in taking down the team…
Using the Super-Adaptoid’s abilities, Yelena siphoned the powers of both Sentry and his darker side, The Void. Using Sentry’s abilities – and those of several other Avengers – Yelena almost succeeded in taking down the team before succumbing to The Void’s madness. A.I.M. then disabled her, turning Yelena’s story into a truly horrifying one given she had no real control over her actions. Nonetheless, the power upgrade given to Yelena via her abilities was huge, with one theory claiming this is how Thunderbolts* depicts her defeating The Void.
The MCU Has Set A Backdrop For A Version Of Yelena’s Power Upgrade
A Lesser-Ranked MCU Story Could Make This Theory Come True
When thinking about how Yelena’s power upgrade that could see her go toe-to-toe with Sentry could be applied to the MCU and Thunderbolts*, one story comes to mind. The story is one of the lower-ranked MCU TV shows: Secret Invasion. Secret Invasion‘s reception aside, it teased some intriguing plot points such as the Harvest, a collection of superhero DNA from across the MCU that could allow Super Skrulls to emulate their abilities. In a way, the MCU’s concept of Super Skrulls was very similar to Marvel Comics’ concept of Super-Adaptoids.
Although it is unlikely for Thunderbolts* to tie to Secret Invasion and the Harvest, the MCU has at least teased a way for powers to be inherited. This theory could lead to the Harvest having been perfected so that anyone can siphon powers rather than just Skrulls, potentially allowing Yelena a way to do the same to Sentry as she does in Marvel Comics and combat him in Thunderbolts*. While the theory sounds farfetched, it is certainly possible and could allow a big upgrade of Yelena’s powers from the source material to come to fruition in the MCU.
