Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova to Anchor ‘Avengers: Doomsday’? Kevin Feige Hints at Major Role

Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova could be at the centre of "Avengers: Doomsday". Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has hinted that the upcoming MCU crossover will be “anchored” by Pugh’s character, according to a new Vanity Fair profile of the actor. The wording offers the clearest indication yet that Yelena’s role in the December release extends beyond that of another member of its already crowded superhero ensemble.

The distinction is important. Feige has not formally announced Yelena as the film’s sole protagonist, nor has Marvel described "Avengers: Doomsday" as a Yelena-led film. Rather, Vanity Fair’s description of Feige’s comments suggests that the character will provide an important narrative centre for a film bringing together characters from several corners of the Marvel universe. The official Marvel cast includes Pugh alongside Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu and several returning X-Men actors.

That makes the “anchor” description notable. In a crossover of this scale, a character functioning as an anchor can serve as one of the narrative threads through which the different teams, characters and conflicts are connected. It does not necessarily mean Yelena will have more screen time than every other character, but it does indicate that her perspective and storyline could be central to how the film moves between its different corners.

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Feige had already signalled that Yelena would have a substantial role in "Avengers: Doomsday". During an appearance at Bilibili World in Shanghai in July, he told a fan dressed as Yelena that the character “plays a big part” in the film, while also teasing that audiences would see her sooner. That tease preceded Yelena’s appearance in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day".

Yelena’s increased importance also follows the events of "Thunderbolts*". Pugh’s character was part of the group of antiheroes at the centre of the 2025 film, which ended with the team being publicly recognised as the New Avengers. Marvel’s official material for "Avengers: Doomsday" includes Yelena alongside Bucky Barnes, U.S. Agent, Red Guardian and Ghost, as well as members of the Fantastic Four, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Thor and the returning X-Men.

The character has now appeared across "Black Widow", "Hawkeye", "Thunderbolts*" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day", giving Yelena a direct connection to multiple parts of the MCU. Her relationship with Natasha Romanoff remains another major thread in her story, following the death of her adoptive sister in "Avengers: Endgame".

For "Doomsday", that history gives Marvel an established character who can connect the newer generation of MCU heroes with the larger conflict unfolding around Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. The film’s official synopsis describes heroes from three distinct universes being brought together as they face an existential threat.

"Avengers: Doomsday" is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Stephen McFeely. It is scheduled to release exclusively in theatres on December 18, 2026.

For now, the precise extent of Yelena’s role remains under wraps. But Feige’s latest hint changes the way her presence in the film can be read: she may not simply be one member of a huge returning cast, but one of the characters around whom the story itself is structured.