WARNING: This article includes SPOILERS from Thunderbolts*Thunderbolts* star Florence Pugh opens up on the future of Yelena Belova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as she gets ready to bring the character back in Avengers: Doomsday. As of May 2025, Phase 5 has come to an end with the Thunderbolts* film, while the MCU gets ready to proceed to Phase 6, which will be crucial for The Multiverse Saga. While the movie may not have had any Avengers in the story, the Thunderbolts* ending definitely set things into motion for Avengers: Doomsday.
In a new interview with Variety, Pugh was asked about the reveals of the first set of Avengers: Doomsday cast members, including Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan, as she opened up about freaking out about seeing the original surprise announcement with the chairs. When elaborating on who else she got excited to see be in Avengers: Doomsday too, Pugh shared the following:
100%! Oh, god, there’s too many people in it [to choose]! Pedro Pascal, obviously, always and forever. Paul Rudd, yes, so funny. Genuinely, the idea that all of those people are going to be in the same movie is nutso sauce.
As Avengers: Doomsday is now in production, with Pugh set to return as Yelena, the trade also asked about her character now finally having that “front-facing role” that she had asked for in Thunderbolts*. Pugh shared the following about what she is most looking forward to getting to tackle with Yelena after the events of Thunderbolts*:
I hope that she’s happy now. I hope that she feels fulfilled, like she has purpose. And I hope that we get to see some of her light and her charm and her color again, because I loved playing that before.
What Florence Pugh’s Avengers: Doomsday & Thunderbolts* Comments Mean For Yelena’s MCU Future
One of the takeaways from Thunderbolts* is that even though it’s a comic book movie, the themes of the MCU installment focuses heavily on mental health for all of the characters, including Yelena. From the many Easter eggs and references that were in Thunderbolts* to the huge action beats, the plot is very intimate for the characters as they find not only a way to work together, but the ability to start healing from their respective traumas. As Pugh mentions herself, Thunderbolts* was very much about Yelena finding purpose in life again and starting to see how she has been living in a very dark place.
That is why it will be incredibly exciting to see Yelena in the context of Avengers: Doomsday, especially after the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene, as her team is now established as the New Avengers. The next time fans see her in the MCU, some time will likely have pᴀssed since the events of Thunderbolts*, which may mean that audience members will see Yelena even mentally stronger as she has this new role in her life. Given that Thunderbolts* saw Yelena learn how to work with a team, it will be even more fascinating to see when she gets in contact with the many characters confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday.
Our Take On Florence Pugh’s Avengers: Doomsday & Thunderbolts* Comments
With Pugh’s commentary about Yelena’s progression in Thunderbolts*, it will be fun to see her back in the MCU timeline in 2026 for Avengers: Doomsday. Given the huge variety of characters that are lined to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, it is bound to create some intriguing dynamics between Yelena and various players. But until then, the world can relive Yelena’s adventures in Thunderbolts*, playing in theaters now.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday
- Release Date
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May 1, 2026
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- Release Date
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July 31, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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Source: Variety
