MCU Theory: Will The Black Widow Prequel Introduce A New Version Of The Character?

1. Could Florence Pugh Portray Yelena?

Which brings us - finally - to Florence Pugh. The actress has garnered plaudits from right across the board for her appearances in Lady Macbeth, Outlaw King, and Fighting with My Family, the last raising her profile even more. The fact she's set to appear in Black Widow only reaffirms the steep, upwards trajectory her career is on.

While it would be easy for Marvel to have Pugh appear in Cate Shortland's film as a supporting character and call it a day, Black Widow's story shouldn't just conclude in the past. It needs to have closure in the present, and if Pugh's character actually is Belova, carrying the story through to the modern day would account for the relative lack of attention Nat received in Endgame.

That's if, of course, Marvel opt to make Belova a hero. There's every chance they could instead choose to make her an antagonist, but with the wiggle room to make her a reluctant ally to the Avengers on occasion.

There are other things to take into account, including the setting of the film and the time-jump following Endgame, but the MCU has dealt with that sort of thing before. The point is Belova would be a great addition to the MCU, and if Pugh were to take on the role, the Black Widow could take on a whole other kind of salience altogether.