Natasha Romanoff’s ‘Sister’ Will Not Take On The Mantle Of Black Widow, Says Actress

Black Widow will be the next film released by Marvel Studios, and there is quite a bit of hype around it. The movie’s first trailer proved to be a force, with tons of action and a hint of espionage, much like Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The trailer debuted Florence Pugh as Natasha Romanoff’s “sister”, Yelena Belova, who many were speculating would take over the mantle of Black Widow in future movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It turns out, that’s not the case at all, as Pugh discussed her relationship with Scarlett Johansson’s character in a recent interview with UPROXX.

Yelena also is known as Black Widow, as all women who participated in the Russian training program were given the same moniker. But she will not be taking the name moving forward into the MCU (probably), and it’s unknown if she’ll appear in any phases after next’s year’s film.

“I actually will say when we were making it, it wasn’t anything like that at all. And I am saying it very honestly, it certainly didn’t feel like a passing of the torch kind of film when we were making it,” Pugh noted. “And I think the direction and the feeling and the vibe behind it was genuinely just trying to make this complicated and painful story. And do it justice because a lot of fans have been waiting for her film. And also a lot of people I think will appreciate this story.”

Since Natasha Romanoff is dead, there’s no way for her solo movie to evolve into a series unless someone took over her role, something that probably wouldn’t be well-received by fans. The character met her demise in Avengers: Endgame and her solo flick is expected to be a one-off.

Yelena has a lengthy stint in the Marvel Comics, but she is not rumored to play any sort of major role in the MCU moving forward. Studio head Kevin Feige has already announced the new characters who will be bigger players in the future, which includes Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk. Yelena is also not rumored to appear in the upcoming The Falcon and the Winter Soldier television series, which will debut on Disney Plus.

Black Widow debuts May 1, 2020. The film also stars Stranger Things actor David Harbour and Rachel Weisz. Robert Downey Jr. is rumored to make an appearance as well, but many are suspecting it will be a flashback from another MCU film.