An exclusive sneak peek at the 2024 D23 Expo has teased the long-awaited return of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hence, this sneak peek has got fans even more excited as Pugh’s portrayal as Yelena Belova in the MCU has received recognition for the dedicated fan base that the Marvel enthusiast community has shown for the character, and she has gained a leading position in Hollywood. Pugh will be seen in an MCU film for the first time after her part in the 2021 film Black Widow in the upcoming Thunderbolts*.
According to Fandango, the Disney Entertainment Showcase panel at D23 Expo began with a sizzle reel. The reel featured glimpses of some of Disney’s upcoming offerings, while hinting at past Marvel stories. Among the highlights was a really short but prominent appearance from Yelena Belova at the 1:53 mark, looking more like her Black Widow self than ever before. This new footage, which has not been seen before, confirms that its source is indeed from the upcoming Thunderbolts film.
The last time viewers saw Yelena was in the Disney+ series Hawkeye, where she was trying to kill Clint Barton, who she mistakenly believed was the man who killed her sister Natasha. But when Clint and Kate Bishop finally told her the truth, Yelena’s story took another path, leading her into the events of Thunderbolts*. The quick shot of Yelena in the D23 sizzle reel shows that it’s been a while since Hawkeye, as she certainly looks different.
The same Yelena is seen with much shorter hair than she had in Hawkeye. This above-the-shoulder look suggests that Thunderbolts* takes place at least sometime after the series. Furthermore, the costume, which is similar to the original Black Widow costume, matches what fans have seen in recent set videos of Pugh for Thunderbolts. Even though this look was somewhat fleeting, it certainly raised anticipation for the film’s release.
However, recent events in Hollywood have caused a lot of chaos in the lineup. The dual strikes have caused the release of several major films to be delayed; some have even been rescheduled to 2026. People thought that such delays might end once the strike issue is resolved, but Marvel Studios has released a list of further changes to its release calendar.
These changes in release dates weren’t entirely unexpected, since, quite simply, pre-production for Thunderbolts was already underway before the strike; in contrast, The Fantastic Four has only just now had its casting confirmed. Furthermore, fans of Marvel’s first family will have a longer wait to see their favorite superheroes hit the big screen.
As it is, Thunderbolts* still has a May 2, 2025 theatrical release date set for now, and hype is building as fans eagerly await the opportunity to see Yelena Belova in action again in the MCU.
Also read: Sebastian Stan said this about Thunderbolts co-stars Florence Pugh and David Harbour
