Yelena Belova is a character who was introduced in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Disney+ series Hawkeye. She is played by actress Florence Pugh and is the sister of Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. Yelena was an agent of the Red Room, the organization that trained Natasha to be an assassin. At the end of Hawkeye, Yelena was continuing her sister’s mission to take down the remnants of the Red Room. This has led many fans to speculate that Yelena will join forces with Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, in future MCU projects. There are several reasons why Yelena may end up aligning with Hawkeye and joining his team of heroes.
Yelena’s Connection to Natasha
Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame to help the Avengers defeat Thanos. Before she died, Natasha freed Yelena from the control of the Red Room and the two reunited. They promised to have each other’s backs moving forward. With Natasha gone, Yelena may feel a strong desire to carry on her sister’s legacy and work with the people Natasha called family – namely, the Avengers. Hawkeye and Black Widow were close friends and allies. Yelena may see teaming up with Hawkeye as a way to honor Natasha’s memory. She could view it as finishing Natasha’s mission of taking down threats and making the world a safer place.
Yelena’s Skills
Yelena was trained in the Red Room to be an elite assassin, just like Natasha. She has many of the same skills – expertise in hand-to-hand combat, weapons handling, stealth infiltration, intelligence gathering, and more. These abilities could make her a highly valuable member of Hawkeye’s team. Together, their complementary skill sets could make them a formidable duo against all manner of criminals and evil organizations. Yelena brings training and capabilities to the table that none of Hawkeye’s other known allies possess.
Combat Abilities
- Expert martial artist
- Skilled with firearms and improvised weapons
- Knowledge of human anatomy for precision strikes
Stealth and Infiltration
- Master of disguise and deception
- Ability to sneak into secure locations undetected
- Evasion tactics to disappear from pursuers
Intelligence and Analysis
- Fluency in multiple languages
- Photographic memory retention
- Investigation and assessment of targets
Having these complementary abilities could make Hawkeye and Yelena an efficient, well-rounded team.
Yelena’s Drive for Justice
At the end of Hawkeye, Yelena was fiercely determined to track down the remaining agents who worked for the Red Room so she could get justice for the harm they did to her, Natasha, and countless others. She wants to stop them from hurting anyone else ever again. This drive aligns well with Hawkeye’s motivation to protect innocent people from dangerous criminals and organizations. They are united in their desire to take down groups who exploit and endanger others. Teaming up to fight these common enemies could help Yelena and Hawkeye watch each other’s backs while working towards shared goals.
Personal Vendetta Against the Red Room
- Anger over her stolen childhood and autonomy
- Disgust at the Red Room’s brutal training methods
- Sorrow over losing her sister Natasha
Protecting the Innocent
- Hawkeye helped save Yelena from the Red Room
- Wants to stop villains from harming others
- Believes justice must be served for past crimes
Their complementary motivations could fuel their partnership and make them a force to be reckoned with against those who would prey on the helpless and exploit the weak.
The Setup from Hawkeye
The way Yelena’s storyline was left at the end of Hawkeye provided a setup for her to continue working with Clint Barton in the future. After getting vengeance on Eleanor Bishop for her involvement with the Red Room, Yelena chose not to kill Hawkeye as she had been hired to do. Instead, they seemed to reach an understanding, and Yelena let him live so he could spend Christmas with his family.
| Clues Yelena May Team Up with Hawkeye | Evidence from Hawkeye Series |
|---|---|
| Did not kill Hawkeye when she had the chance | Chose to spare him, suggesting she saw him as an ally against evil |
| Has access to Hawkeye’s gear | Took one of his trick arrows from Eleanor’s office |
| Knows Hawkeye’s family | Met his wife and children at their apartment |
| Shares intel on the Red Room | Told Hawkeye the RR agents were gathering in New York |
Rather than ending their connection as enemies, the door was left open for them to collaborate again. Yelena learned that there are still more Red Room agents to take down, and she may return to Hawkeye for assistance with this mission. Their formidable skills and now mutual respect could combine to form an impressive partnership moving forward.
Unresolved Red Room Storyline
As mentioned earlier, Yelena is still hunting the remaining Red Room agents around the world. This storyline was not resolved within the Hawkeye series and provides an obvious reasoning for Yelena to team back up with Hawkeye. She could return to New York to enlist Hawkeye’s help in tracking down and neutralizing Red Room agents. He has valuable connections and resources through S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers that could aid Yelena in her quest for vengeance. This unresolved plot point gives the perfect narrative explanation for their paths to cross again.
| Unfinished Red Room Business | How Hawkeye Could Help |
|---|---|
| Finding hidden Red Room agents | Use his connections to gather intel on their whereabouts |
| Infiltrating Red Room bases | Provide backup and diversion for Yelena’s missions |
| Taking down Red Room leaders | Fight alongside Yelena against powerful enemies |
| Recovering lost Red Room secrets | Decode encrypted data to unravel RR mysteries |
Hawkeye’s resources and capabilities could greatly assist Yelena in getting the closure she seeks. This mutual goal could solidify them as allies.
Conclusion
Based on Yelena Belova’s connections to Natasha Romanoff, her impressive skill set, her drive for justice, the setup from Hawkeye, and the unresolved Red Room storyline, there are compelling reasons to think Yelena will continue working with Hawkeye in future Marvel projects. Their complementary abilities and shared motivation to take down sinister organizations make them a great match as allies. Fans are excited at the prospect of seeing these two badass characters team up to dispense justice throughout the MCU. Only time will tell, but the pieces are certainly in place for Yelena to join forces with Hawkeye again very soon. Their combined might would be a powerful force against the evils of the world, living up to Natasha Romanoff’s heroic legacy.