Summary
There is a lot of hype and attention surroundingAvengers: Doomsdayright now. It will be released on July 10, 2025, and will be the first majorAvengersfilm sinceAvengers: Endgame, which was released on June 17, 2025. However, just one year later, it will be followed byAvengers: Secret Wars, which might be going under the radar right now but is set to be a crucial film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A lot of the focus is going on the fact that the X-Men have been teased to join the MCU after that movie or potentially even during it. However, other characters haven’t been involved in theAvengersmovies that are expected to be part of these two films. The likes ofDeadpool and Daredevil have been rumored to have roles in them, but now another upcoming MCU character is reportedly set to be involved.
According to Alex Perez, during the latestCosmic Circus Q&A, Florence Pugh’s character Yelena is set to play a significant role inAvengers: Secret Wars. It remains to be seen whether or not she’s going to be part ofAvengers: Doomsday, but it’s clear that Marvel Studios has big plans for theThunderbolts*character, who has already appeared in two previous MCU projects. She was involved inBlack Widowwhere Marvel introduced her and showcased the close connection she has to Natasha Romanoff, while that storyline was then continued inthe Disney Plus series,Hawkeye.
Yelena will be returning to the MCU later this year asshe’s part of theThunderboltsteam, and the fact that she’s expected to be involved in future projects is a sign that she is going to survive the threats that will be posed in that movie. It could also be a sign that she will end up being the leader of the unconventionalThunderboltsteam, as Marvel Studios is going to want to position her in an impressive manner to build her up as a top character inAvengers: Secret Wars.
It’s unclear at this point if everyone fromThunderboltswill end up being involved in the upcomingAvengersprojects, but it could be an interesting way to continue their story by blending them in. If Marvel wants tomakeThunderboltsa franchiseon its own, then this would be one way of doing that in a similar manner to how the Guardians of the Galaxy have popped up in the past. However, the focus could just end up being on Yelena, which would also make sense as there is a Black Widow-shaped hole in the Avengers lineup now.
Anthony Mackie revealed that his version ofCaptain America will choose the next Avengers lineupmoving forward as a new group has to be created due to the events ofAvengers: Endgame. Considering Yelena is a rather new MCU character, she could end up slotting into the new-look Avengers team, with her skills likely providing something different for the group. However, whether she ends up being an Avenger or not, Yelena is set for a bigger MCU future beyondThunderbolts*with herAvengers: Secret Warsrole.
