Early reactions to Marvel’sThunderboltsare here, and I’m really glad to see that one post-Endgamecharacter has been embraced by Marvel Studios. On the whole,Thunderboltsis a big ensemble film as some of the MCU’s most fascinating characters join together for the first time as a brand-new team. However, it seems as though one new Thunderbolt is specifically receiving the bulk of the movie’s early praise.
Bringing together some of the most unlikely allies,Thunderboltswill see Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, John Walker’s U.S. Agent, Yelena Belova, Ghost, and Taskmaster joining forces. Together, they’ll be trying to stop the new threat ofThe Sentry/Voidin New York City.However, early reactions toThunderboltshave me very excited for one member of the new MCU team in particular: Yelena Belova.
The Thunderbolts* Reactions Are Praising One MCU Actor More Than Others
Florence Pugh As Yelena Belova
As seen in various social media posts aboutThunderbolts*,Florence Pugh’s performance as Yelena Belova inThunderbolts*is being highlighted by most, if not all, of the movie’s early reactions. Yelena is said to be carrying most of the film’s best dramatic moments, while also being a notable fan-favorite character alongside Lewis Pullman’s Sentry. Pugh is also described as being the MVP of the new MCU movie with a truly superb performance.
Yelena Belova first debuted in 2021’sBlack Widowas a former Widow trained in the Red Room and the younger sister of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanov. Since then,Yelena also made an appearance in theHawkeyeseries the same year, where she tried seeking vengeance on Clint Barton for her sister’s death inAvengers: Endgame.However,Thunderbolts*is Yelena’s first real opportunity to have a leading role in the MCU, so it’s exciting to see how popular she is based on the movie’s early reactions.
An Entertaining & Tragically Complex Character Played By A Fantastic Actress
On the whole, Yelena Belova is truly one of the MCU’s greatest current characters. A breakout star and one of the best parts of theBlack Widowmovie, Yelena continued to be a fan-favorite when she appeared inHawkeye, providing some of the best scenes both comedically with Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop and dramatically when she finally faced Clint Barton to have her reckoning over Natasha’s death inHawkeye’sfinale. She’s arguably the best MCU character introduced since 2019’sAvengers: Endgame.
The main reason Yelena is so great is largely due to Florence Pugh’s continually strong performance as the former Black Widow, who herself can easily be considered one of Hollywood’s best current actresses. As a result, I’m very glad to see that Marvel Studios is embracing Pugh’s talent.Likewise, Yelena being such a fan-favorite character in the upcoming MCU movie also bodes well for the franchise’s future beyondThunderbolts*itself.
I’m Relieved Florence Pugh’s Yelena Is Already Confirmed For Avengers: Doomsday
It’s important to note that the cast ofThunderbolts*has already been confirmed to appear in 2026’sAvengers: Doomsday.Additionally, one can guess their roles might continue into 2027’sSecret Warsto close out the Multiverse Saga.With that in mind, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova will hopefully have a leading role in the next two MCU crossovers, helping to save reality and fight Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
WhenThunderboltsmore than likely performs well at the box office, it stands to reason that Marvel will want its stars to be meaningfully involved inDoomsdayand likelySecret Warstoo.There’s a huge cast already confirmed forAvengers: Doomsday,and Marvel Studios is not even done announcing actors for the upcoming crossover. However, Yelena Belova being confirmed after being the ostensible lead ofThunderboltslikely means she’ll have an important role to play going forward.As such, it’s a pretty good thing that Florence Pugh’s MCU role is already receiving such high praise in these early reactions forThunderbolts*.
