While Black Widow (2021) was all about giving Natasha Romanoff a solo adventure and a proper sendoff before her inevitable demise in Avengers: Endgame, the film also had another surprise. Florence Pugh; Yelena Belova, also Natasha’s sister in the film, give a breakout performance that is absolutely a joy to watch.
The quippy banter in the film never stops
While Black Widow deals with the somber instances of torture and imprisonment that female assassins of the Red Room have to go through, there are some quippy moments peppered throughout for comedic relief. David Harbour’s Red Guardian provides the most bunch of jokes in the film with his clumsy demeanor and endless positivity bouncing off of the tortured souls of Natasha and Yelena.
However, Harbour’s Red Guardian is overshadowed by Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, who is sharply sarcastic and witty. With her nihilistic take on life and fate, Yelena Belova complements the more serious and stout Natasha Romanoff. She holds her own against the quips of her adopted father, Red Guardian.
In particular, Yelena making fun of Natasha’s fighting poses was one quip that remained relevant till the end. Starting the film by noting Natasha’s peculiar fighting pose and ending the film by trying out the pose herself and immediately regretting it, Yelena Belova transformed from a reluctant side character to an important member of the MCU ready to fill in Natasha’s shoes.
FLORENCE PUGH FUNNY MOMENTS
Funny scenes aside, Pugh also displays a lot of emotions throughout her performance. From being teary-eyed when reuniting with Natasha after several years to displaying bravery and camaraderie when fighting against the villain Taskmaster and her goons, Yelena Belova complemented Natasha’s farewell arc really well. In addition, Pugh’s heartfelt performance ensured that the character, who was stiff and uptight at the start, transformed into a lovable but dependable sidekick to Natasha Romanoff by the end.
This transformation was important from a franchise perspective as well. With Scarlett Johannson saying goodbye to the MCU, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova would be the perfect candidate to step into her shoes. Belova could even take up the mantle of Black Widow down the line as well, with Marvel’s expansive film and television synchronization giving plenty of opportunities for side characters to become important in the narrative fabric of the universe.
Yelena Belova is now a fan favorite and will be back.
Given the nature of the post-credits scene in Black Widow (2021), it may not be far-fetched to assume that Pugh’s Yelena will be back in one of the forthcoming MCU Disney+ series, Hawkeye, with a shadowy figure using her to settle her old scores with the surviving Avengers. Black Widow (2021) was as much about giving Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff the proper goodbye before her exit from the MCU as it was about introducing and cementing Pugh’s Yelena Belova and taking this new character in unexpected and exciting ways to new possibilities.
If Pugh’s fantastic performance in the film is anything to go by, we will see her character Yelena Belova pretty soon in a forthcoming MCU project.