MCU Theory: Will The Black Widow Prequel Introduce A New Version Of The Character?
Could Florence Pugh play Yelena Belova?
With the announcement that Spider-Man: Far From Home will no longer be the start of MCU Phase Four, and instead be the real ending of the Infinity Saga, that means Cate Shortland's upcoming Black Widow prequel will be the first film to kick of the MCU's new era, and we still know next to nothing about it.
Scarlett Johansson will return, while Jac Schaeffer has completed the latest draft of the script. Apart from that, though - as well as a rumour that Sebastian Stan could return as the Winter Soldier - details are relatively hard to come by. However, with Florence Pugh (Fighting with My Family) having joined the cast, theories are already starting to emerge surrounding how the film could influence subsequent productions.
SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: ENDGAME FOLLOW!
Currently, the major thing regarding the Black Widow film is that Natasha Romanoff died in Avengers: Endgame. We've known the film would be a prequel for a while, but the character's death in the last Avengers film raises the prospect that legacy could be a driving factor in the prequel.
We've already seen legacy influence Endgame conclusion with Sam Wilson becoming the new Captain America, but just as there were multiple Captain Americas in the comics, so too were there multiple Black Widows. Just like Steve Rogers, Nat was even replaced for a period in the comics, by none other than Yelena Belova.
A fellow product of the Red Room, the KGB program Nat herself was a part of, Yelena was Marvel's 'main' Black Widow for a brief period around the millennium and The Hollywood Reporter have stated that Pugh's character is "a spy with a skill level equal to Natasha’s and will be pit against Black Widow as her moral opposite." Could this be Belova? It's possible, and even if fans are still coming to terms with Natasha's death, they should also consider that Marvel may want a figure to replace her on the Avengers going forward...