Marvel fans may have just gotten another reason to get excited for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. While speaking at Bilibili World in Shanghai, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige appeared to let slip that Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova will be part of Tom Holland’s next Spider-Man film. Although Marvel hasn’t made an official casting announcement, Feige’s comments have sent fans into full speculation mode.
Yelena has quickly become one of the MCU’s most popular newer heroes since making her debut in Black Widow. After memorable appearances in Hawkeye and Thunderbolts, she’s now firmly established as one of the New Avengers. If she does appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it would mark her first time sharing the screen with Holland’s Peter Parker.
The timing also makes perfect sense. Brand New Day is the final Marvel Cinematic Universe film set to release before Avengers: Doomsday, meaning it has the perfect opportunity to start bringing Earth’s newest heroes together before the franchise’s next massive crossover event. Feige hinted as much while discussing Yelena’s importance to the MCU’s future, leading many fans to believe Spider-Man’s next adventure will play a much bigger role in setting up what’s to come.
Even without Yelena, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is already shaping up to be one of Marvel’s biggest films. Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker alongside Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, while Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk are also set to appear. New additions to the cast include Sadie Sink and Tramell Tillman, making the film one of the most star-studded Spider-Man outings yet.
Marvel, of course, is no stranger to keeping surprises under wraps. Some of the studio’s biggest reveals have come only after fans spent months piecing together clues from interviews and trailers. Whether Feige intentionally teased Yelena’s appearance or accidentally let it slip, one thing is clear: the speculation has only made anticipation for Spider-Man: Brand New Day even stronger.
If Yelena really is swinging into Peter Parker’s next adventure, fans can expect the road to Avengers: Doomsday to begin much sooner than they thought.