Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova Has a Bigger Role in 'Black Widow' Than Fans Thought

Marvel Studios' Black Widow is coming to theaters this fall, and Natasha Romanoff fans everywhere are grateful for the character's reprieve. The much-anticipated film follows Scarlett Johansson's titular character on a solo adventure that forces her to contend with her past, bringing her back together with the family she left behind. Granted, Marvel fans have been given hints and vague, menacing explanations about her past, but this November we will finally be given a look into how Natasha became the highly-skilled assassin, world-class spy, and hand-to-hand combat expert.

The film also features an impressive supporting cast that includes David Harbour, Florence Pugh, and Rachel Weisz. Pugh plays Yelena Belova, a sister-figure to Romanoff who was also trained in the Red Room. As reported by Screen Rant, Yelena will play a bigger role in Black Widow than fans might've initially predicted.

Director Cate Shortland revealed to Empire Magazine that Black Widow will also be an origin story for Yelena. "[Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige] realized that the audience would expect an origin story so, of course, we went in the opposite direction. And we didn’t know how great Florence Pugh would be. We knew she would be great, but we didn’t know how great. Scarlett is so gracious, like, ‘Oh, I’m handing her the baton.’ So it’s going to propel another female storyline."

I seriously can't wait to see howPugh's character fits into the MCU. Hopefully, the Natasha-centric film will start off Phase 4 of the MCU with a bang. Black Widow is expected to hit theaters in the U.S. on Nov. 6, 2020.