Will Yelena Belova Be a Part of Thunderbolts After 'Hawkeye'?
The 'Thunderbolts' line-up remains to be unveiled, but many fans expect Natasha Romanoff's sister to be a part of it.
Despite being one of the main candidates for joining Thunderbolts, ex-Black Widow Yelena Belova might want to reconsider after the events of 'Hawkeye ' and the way Valentina Allegra de Fontaine tricked her into thinking that Clint Barton was to blame for Natasha Romanoff's death.
In a post-credit scene in 'Black Widow', Yelena is being recruited by Val, who also approaches John Walker in 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' – two events that fans deem to be the beginning of 'Thunderbolts'.
However, after Yelena met Clint Barton herself, she might have realized that Val is not the most trust-worthy person in the world. This could push her away from joining Thunderbolts, many fans have suggested.
Still, there is a possibility that Belova will be up to team up with other Thunderbolts, whether because Val executes some kind of leverage on her, or due to Yelena's own hidden intentions.
After all, isn't Belova a spy and a Black Widow?
"Or Yelena is there to spy on Val to see what her end game is. That would be a very spy thing to do. Maybe Yelena is in touch with Fury and his team of whatever the hell he's running." – /Worthyness
Others think that Natasha's philosophy could also be reflected in Yelena's motivations.
"I think Yelena might still join the team knowing Val is corrupt. It would be a nice call back to Nat's philosophy of signing the Sokovia Accords so they can "keep one hand on the wheel" and try to guide the team to do good." – /ray_kats
One fan suggested that it was possible that the majority of Thunderbolts will eventually be "lured away" from Val. Initially, people could sign up for the team because they would think they're doing the right thing, but it's likely that Val will task them with something totally different – for example, taking out the Young Avengers.
'Thunderbolts' premieres in theaters on July 26, 2024.