When Yelena & Other Black Widow Characters Appear Next In The MCU

Warning! This post contains spoilers for Black Widow.

Black Widow is the long-awaited solo movie for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff, but since she died in Avengers: Endgame, when will Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and other characters in the movie appear next? Marvel Studios has built the MCU on its interconnectivity and the idea that every Marvel movie — and now Disney+ show — plays a part in the overall story. Even something like Black Widow, which is an MCU prequel set during Captain America: Civil War, can introduce new characters and ideas for future storylines.

The plan to make Black Widow answered the decade-long call from fans to give Johansson a solo MCU movie. She was a major supporting character or co-lead in her previous seven film appearances, but Natasha Romanoff never got her own story. Marvel Studios corrected that error to make Black Widow the first movie of Phase 4. By and large, the film gives Johansson a great chance to explore Natasha's history and flesh out various parts of her backstory that the MCU didn't reference before. As the first MCU Phase 4 movie, though, there was also the expectation that Black Widow will lay the groundwork for more stories, even if Johansson is ready to hang up Black Widow's leather costume.

With Johansson in the lead and no major established MCU characters appearing alongside her, Black Widow introduced audiences to a brand new collection of characters. Surprisingly, the movie's main cast faired quite well when it came to surviving the movie, as only the film's main villain Dreykov (Ray Winstone) perished by the end. This leaves Marvel Studios with the ability to bring back just about anyone from Black Widow's cast for future movies and shows. The long-term plans for most of these new characters are not yet confirmed by Marvel, but here's when and where Yelena and other Black Widow characters can appear next.

Yelena Belova

Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova is one of the breakout stars of Black Widow. The younger "sister" of Natasha brings a very different approach to fighting, but she also isn't afraid to get her hands dirty or risk her life to accomplish the goal in front of her. It has already been confirmed that Yelena will be the MCU's next Black Widow, so her future was bright even before the movie arrived. Now that fans have seen Black Widow, her immediate future is finally official. Black Widow's post-credits scene shows Yelena receive her next target from Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus): Clint Barton aka Hawkeye. He's been blamed as the reason that Natasha is dead since she sacrificed her life on Vormir to get the Soul Stone and let him live. Yelena's immediate future will see her appear in the Hawkeye Disney+ show and presumably try to kill Clint Barton. Whether or not she's successful remains to be seen, but this could lead to Yelena and Clint having an honest conversation about what went down and give the MCU another chance to honor the legacy of Natasha Romanoff's heroics.

Now that Yelena's appearance in Hawkeye is confirmed, her future beyond the Disney+ show has plenty of possibilities. The reception to Pugh's new super-spy character has been incredibly high, so it won't be surprising if Marvel Studios decides to make Black Widow 2 with her as the lead. This would confirm the passing of the baton between Natasha and Yelena. There is also the likelihood that Yelena will eventually be included in the Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts project Marvel Studios is very clearly building towards. Perhaps she'll even break away from Valentina and be part of a future Young Avengers project or be included in Avengers 5 or the A-Force movie Marvel has been talking about. It might not be known where Yelena will appear next after Hawkeye, but it is clear that she'll be a big part of the MCU going forward.

Red Guardian

There are no confirmed plans for David Harbour to return as Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian, but that seems increasingly likely to happen. Red Guardian has been another fan-favorite addition to Black Widow's cast. Harbour clearly had a fun time with the role too, so Marvel Studios should look to bring him back in some capacity. The most logical place for him to appear next is in Black Widow 2, if it happens. Marvel has other options at their fingertips too depending on what exactly they want to do with Red Guardian. Harbour could become the lead of his own Disney+ show following Russia's superteam the Winter Guard potentially. There's even the chance that Red Guardian could next appear in Captain America 4 or the rumored project involving Chris Evans' Captain America and give him the chance to actually fight the Star-Spangled Man.

Melina Vostokoff

The future of Melina Vostokovv (Rachel Weisz) is also not currently known. The mother figure to Yelena and Natasha spent most of her life working for the Red Room, so her future is now wide open after its destruction. Melina doesn't have a clear home in any upcoming and officially announced Marvel Studios movies or TV shows. However, it would be expected that she'd return in a theoretical Black Widow sequel starring Yelena. There are already shades of grey to Melina, so her next appearance could be where she takes the turn to become Iron Maiden. She is part of the Thunderbolts for some time in the comics though. If Melina makes the transition into Iron Maiden, perhaps she'll join or replace Yelena on Valentina's upcoming superteam.

Taskmaster

Taskmaster was one of Black Widow's characters that fans of the comics were most interested in seeing brought to live-action. The movie revealed that Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko) was actually Taskmaster and controlled by her father. Since Antonia is freed from Dreykov's mind control by the end of Black Widow, her future as Taskmaster is unknown. It would be expected that she'd appear in some form in a sequel, potentially even as an ally to Yelena if she worked with the other former Widows. Beyond a return for Black Widow 2, Taskmaster could also be a fit on the Thunderbolts or Dark Avengers roster. The character has had run-ins with various characters in the comics, and Taskmaster's photographic reflexes make her a threat to anyone she faces. Maybe she'll return for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' fighting tournament or as a physical foe in Moon Knight. Antonia could even decide to leave the Taskmaster suit in her past, opening up the door for someone else to wear it down the line.

Mason

Mason (O-T Fagbenle) was one of the favorite choices to actually be Taskmaster in Black Widow, but the character proved to be nothing more than a guy with great connections. He helped get Natasha new identities, a helicopter, and even an Avengers jet by the end of the movie. It's unclear if Mason will be back in future MCU properties, but Yelena also knows of him and could call upon his services in Black Widow 2 or Hawkeye potentially. If he has other connections throughout the MCU, then Mason could be a frequently recurring character who pops up to help heroes (or villains) when they are in a tough spot.

Thunderbolt Ross

Secretary Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) returns for a small role in Black Widow, as he is on the hunt for Natasha after she broke the Sokovia Accords. The movie ends with her managing to evade his capture one more time though. Since Black Widow is set in 2016, Ross has already been seen again in the MCU after this point thanks to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame cameos. His future is unconfirmed, but there have been rumors and plenty of speculation that Ross will appear in She-Hulk in some form. Many believe this could be where Ross finally makes his transformation into Red Hulk even. If he does become an enhanced individual, then Ross' Red Hulk could be another candidate to appear in a Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts project too.

Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine

Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine talking to Yelena Belova in Black Widow

The post-credits scene for Black Widow also featured the return of Valentina. After appearing in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier first, her appearance here confirms that Yelena is another recruit to the team she asked John Walker to join. It appears Marvel Studios is using Valentina to slowly build the Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts, but she still has a long way to go before her team is complete. This could mean that fans will see her throughout Phase 4 in different properties to find more recruits. Some potential landing spots for her include She-Hulk, Hawkeye, and Secret Invasion. We might know exactly when Valentina will return, but Black Widow certainly won't be the last time she is seen during Phase 4.

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