Hawkeye Wasted Yelena's Story - Why She Deserved More

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Hawkeye season 1.

Hawkeye's season finale accomplishes a milestone for Yelena Belova in teaching her the truth of Natasha's death, but it doesn't make up for her wasted appearance in the Disney+ series. Florence Pugh's Yelena made her grand entrance in the MCU with 2021's Black Widow as the titular character's adopted younger sister. The duo reconnected after 21 years apart and destroyed Dreykov's Red Room together alongside their parents Melina and Alexei. Reintroducing Yelena as a minor character—this time in the MCU's present day—Hawkeye doesn't provide the spotlight the character warrants, proving that her story would have been better suited for a solo Disney+ series or movie.

Black Widow's post-credits scene confirmed Yelena's Hawkeye role when Valentina Allegra de Fontaine tasked her with killing Clint Barton under the notion that he was responsible for Natasha's death in Avengers: Endgame. Hawkeye centers on Jeremy Renner's Clint and his budding partnership with 22-year-old skilled archer Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) as the two run into trouble with the Tracksuit Mafia. Yelena first appeared at the end of Hawkeye episode 4, engaging in Clint and Kate's rooftop fight with Maya Lopez. The opening sequence of episode 5 reveals that Yelena was Blipped between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.

Yelena’s presence in Hawkeye certainly doesn't hurt the series, but it comes across as superfluous. Her journey of grappling with her sister's death after disappearing for five years warranted a stronger focus rather than being relegated to a side plot in Hawkeye's already jam-packed story. Additionally, Florence Pugh is so much of a scene-stealer that she overshadows the show's main characters. Hawkeye's season finale provides the necessary emotional closure surrounding Natasha's Endgame death for both Yelena and Clint, but it does so rather hastily and in the most predictable fashion, without serving a larger purpose for the characters or the series.

Yelena stands and looks down in Hawkeye (2021)

Hawkeye's main storyline revolving around Kate and Clint's involvement with Maya and the Tracksuit Mafia was compelling enough and should have been the series' main focus. Throwing Yelena into the mix at the tail end in an entirely different plotline undermines the significance of her appearance. Yelena’s mission could have been better explored if it were drawn out in a separate Disney+ series or a Black Widow sequel film. While Yelena and Clint's fight and subsequent conversation about Natasha in Hawkeye's finale are rightfully poignant, the sequence unfolds predictably and falls short of establishing Yelena's MCU future. Yelena was never going to kill Clint and one could have easily assumed that he would be the one to convince her of his innocence in Natasha's demise.

Florence Pugh is so brilliant in Hawkeye that she steals the spotlight from the main stars, Steinfeld and Renner. Pugh effortlessly captures both the comedic and emotional essence of her character in her limited screen time, and the segments of dialogue between Yelena and Kate are easily the highlight of the show. After her stellar outing in Black Widow that had many claiming she was the film's true star, Pugh's talent necessitates a lead role. Thus, the problem with her Hawkeye appearance lies in its narrow scope for Yelena that still somehow manages to outshine everyone else.

Even though she had only appeared in the MCU once before, Yelena's character is too big for her limited role in Hawkeye. It's not yet known when Yelena will return, but Marvel can make up for her wasted Hawkeye appearance with a solo film or Disney+ series in the future. Even with her learning the truth behind Natasha's death, there is so much more to address with Yelena, such as her dealings with Valentina or the possibility of crossing paths with other MCU figures. Disney and Marvel would be remiss not to grant Florence Pugh the chance to star in a solo Yelena project.

Next: Marvel Confirmed Yelena Will Never Be An Avenger