Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has indicated that Florence Pugh's character, Yelena Belova, will make an appearance in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" before her scheduled role in "Avengers: Doomsday."
During an event in Shanghai, Feige stated, "If you’re a fan of Yelena, wait until Avengers: Doomsday. Yelena plays a big part in that. But if you don’t want to wait until then, you might see Yelena a little bit sooner in the movies."
With "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" being the only Marvel Cinematic Universe film slated for release before "Avengers: Doomsday," Feige's comments strongly suggest Yelena's inclusion in Peter Parker's next cinematic adventure.
Pugh first portrayed Yelena, the adoptive sister of Natasha Romanoff, in the 2021 film "Black Widow." She later reprised the role in the Disney+ series "Hawkeye" and was part of the antihero team in "Thunderbolts," which concluded with the group officially becoming the New Avengers. This sets up a significant role for Yelena in "Avengers: Doomsday," which is also expected to feature characters from "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" and other familiar faces from "Avengers: Endgame."
"Avengers: Doomsday" is also slated to feature Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU, not as Iron Man, but as Victor Von Doom. Feige shared Downey's sentiment regarding the role: "His exact words were: ‘I played the best hero. I can play the best villain.’"
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" will star Tom Holland as Spider-Man, alongside Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk and Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will reprise their roles as MJ and Ned, respectively. Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman, Liza Colón-Zayas, Eman Esfandi, and Marvin Jones III are also part of the cast in undisclosed roles.
Details about the plot of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" remain under wraps. However, early script notes have offered a glimpse into Peter Parker's mental state, describing him as "completely alone" at the film's beginning and experiencing "a small, sharp headache." These notes suggest that living in the shadows is affecting Peter, indicating a potential change in his character.
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 31.