Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Hawkeye 

Hawkeye has proven that Yelena Belova is better than Black Widow. After crashing into the Disney+ series, Yelena quickly commandeers the screen in Hawkeye episode 5 — and, though her appearance is brief, it is more than enough to cement her position as the superior Black Widow. As the MCU sets up Yelena to replace Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) as the Black Widow, Hawkeye is only continuing to prove that Yelena is a serious upgrade.

Yelena Belova made her MCU premiere in Black Widow. As Natasha's pseudo-sister, Yelena underwent the same Black Widow training as Natasha; however, when Natasha escaped, Yelena was left behind. The sisters eventually reunited — after they expressed their emotions via hand-to-hand combat — and combined forces to take down the Red Room once and for all. With Natasha leaving to face the consequences of siding with Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War, Yelena is tasked with cleaning up the aftermath of the Black Widow program. All of that is put on pause, however, when she is tasked with killing Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) for his part in Natasha's death.

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Ultimately, Yelena has everything an Avenger needs; the style, the banter, and the deadly fighting skills. There is no doubt that Natasha was a force to be reckoned with, but as a character, she frequently fell flat. In comparison to Natasha, Yelena is a breath of fresh air. Her sense of humor surrounding boxed macaroni and cheese and sightseeing in New York City makes it easy to become enamored with her, and her grief over her sister's death is palpable. It's clear she has received just as much training as Natasha, if not more, and she manages to pull it all off while remaining effortlessly cool. The edge of her threats against Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) is balanced out by the compassion she shows in warning Kate of her mother's involvement with Kingpin — and all of it comes back to her struggle to find her identity after leaving the Black Widow program. After a few appearances, Yelena has managed a depth that Natasha was ultimately never able to achieve as a character.

Yelena Belova eats mac and cheese from a pot in Hawkeye.

In just a few Hawkeye scenes, Yelena manages to steal the show. Her scene with Kate Bishop is easily one of the best of the series, both for its humor and for Pugh and Steinfeld's incredible on-screen chemistry. The pair have proven they have a dynamic that is natural and fun, which could be integral for the future of the MCU. With Kate and Yelena poised to succeed Clint and Natasha, it's only fitting that they have incredible chemistry. This dynamic could mean some serious Kate-Yelena team-ups are in store for the MCU's future, and Yelena's warning to Kate could mean that team-up is coming sooner than we might think.

Yelena may just be beginning her time in the MCU, but she has already proven that she's able to fill her sister's shoes, and then some. She's hilarious and relatable, yet downright scary when she demonstrates her skills. Yelena is everything the MCU aimed to make Black Widow the first time around with Natasha — and, in Hawkeye, Yelena had the chance to truly shine as a standalone character. With Yelena, the MCU is taking their second chance to get the Black Widow right.

Next: Kingpin's Return Will Fix The MCU's Long-Running Villain Imbalance

Marvel's Hawkeye airs every Wednesday on Disney+.

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