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Spider-Man: Brand New Day confirms that the MCU has a new Black Widow
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has reportedly confirmed Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova will appear, reinforcing her position as the MCU’s successor to Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff as Black Widow. The appearance would further connect the next Spider-Man film to Marvel’s wider Avengers storyline and its newer generation of heroes.
Yelena, Natasha’s adoptive sister, was introduced in Black Widow and has since appeared in Hawkeye and Thunderbolts*. Brand New Day stars Tom Holland and is due to be released on 31 July 2026; the film is also expected to feature other established MCU characters, including the Punisher and Hulk.
In short
- Florence Pugh’s Yelena is set to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
- Yelena is now the MCU’s main Black Widow figure.
- The film arrives on 31 July 2026.
Explained simply
Black Widow was among the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most prominent characters throughout its first three phases, played by Scarlett Johansson as Soviet-trained spy Natasha Romanoff. Natasha was central to the Avengers franchise and her story arc only concluded when her character died in Avengers: Endgame.
Yelena Belova, Natasha's adoptive sister, first appeared in the 2021 Black Widow film, played by Florence Pugh. The character has since featured in the Disney+ series Hawkeye and the recent film Thunderbolts*, progressively becoming established within the MCU.
The MCU typically replaces major characters who depart by developing successors to inherit their roles and continue their legacies. This allows the franchise to maintain narrative continuity across its interconnected films and shows whilst evolving its cast of heroes with younger or new generations of characters.
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