Black Widow Sets Up Yelena To Avoid The MCU’s Worst Natasha Romanoff Mistakes

The MCU may have made lasting mistakes in their portrayal of Natasha Romanoff, but they’ve set up her heir Yelena for success with Black Widow. The standalone movie creates a solid foundation for Yelena’s character by diving deeply into her backstory. Showing Yelena’s childhood, escape from the Red Room, and grief after Natasha’s death gives her character a good foundation from which to grow and change.

Even before Natasha’s poor death scene in Avengers: Endgame, her character was wasted by writers. From her first (sexualized) appearance in Iron Man 2 to her ill-fated romance with Bruce in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Natasha’s character was misused repeatedly. In the beginning, Natasha was framed as a super-spy, leaving her character with no real identity. Her mysterious background and secretive nature made it difficult for audiences to relate to Natasha’s Black Widow and for the MCU to create a compelling arc for her character. During Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Natasha asked Steve, “Who do you want me to be?” The MCU seemed to take that line to heart, shifting Natasha into different roles to fix plot holes or fill out the stories of other characters, leaving the portrayal of her character inconsistent from movie to movie. At times, she was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a sidekick, a traitor, an Avenger, or a love interest, which suited her character’s espionage background but made it harder for audiences to get a handle on her.

While many fans hoped Black Widow would fill in the gaps in Natasha’s background and tell her origin story, the movie somewhat failed to deliver on those promises. Instead, Black Widow focused on Yelena, Natasha’s adopted sister and eventual successor. The movie’s biggest accomplishment was telling Yelena’s origin story, making her identity, motivations, and goals much clearer than Natasha’s. Black Widow ensures the MCU won’t make the same mistakes with Yelena’s character, with the post-credits scene setting her up for multiple Phase 4 storylines.

By the end of Black Widow, it’s clear Yelena’s love for Natasha is what will drive her forward, at least for now. The two sisters had reconciled before Natasha’s death, making the short time they spent together especially bittersweet. During the post-credits scene, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine seemingly tasks Yelena with the assassination of Hawkeye, describing him as the man responsible for Natasha’s death. Yelena’s background and the way Black Widow explored her familial relationships give what might otherwise be an uninteresting, run-of-the-mill conflict between Hawkeye and Yelena an emotional edge. If either dies at the hands of the other, it will be a tragedy.

Likewise, there is a personal note to any story involving Yelena and the Dark Avengers, a group of supervillains masquerading as superheroes who appear to be forming in the MCU sooner rather than later. The post-credits scene suggests Yelena could join the group as Val attempts to recruit her. If Yelena does join the Dark Avengers, however, it will be a betrayal of everything her sister died for. By exploring Yelena’s background, Black Widow created high stakes for her character going forward. After seeing her take down Dreykov and the Red Room, fans are sure to be rooting for a happily-ever-after ending. Regardless of where Yelena ends up, there is sure to be a big emotional payoff.

About The Author

Jasmine Gallup
(115 Articles Published)

Jasmine Gallup is a writer for ScreenRant, covering fantasy, science fiction and superheroes. She’s worked as a freelance reporter since 2018.

By day, Jasmine writes for a small North Carolina newspaper near her hometown of Cary. By night, she explores the depths of film and television alongside her twin sister.

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