Contains spoilers for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”
When Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man (Tom Holland), runs into the strange term “V-Maxx” in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” he looks for answers from a fellow New York-based hero who now counts herself among The New Avengers. It’s not one of Spidey’s most familiar comic book allies, and it isn’t a Marvel Cinematic Universe hero he previously fought beside across his three solo MCU movies. Instead, Peter seeks out Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh), whose office happens to be a steam bath. In true Spider-Man fashion, he strips down — mask still firmly on — before asking her about the mysterious phrase.
The scene brings Spider-Man into direct contact with a member of the New Avengers, creating a clear bridge between “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and recent Phase Five MCU storytelling, particularly “Thunderbolts*.” That film established that Belova is now living in New York City alongside her fellow New Avengers teammates. Her appearance also extends Yelena’s growing habit of crossing paths with New York superheroes, following her memorable encounter with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in “Hawkeye,” while adding another notable chapter to her best and worst MCU moments so far.
Considering audiences last saw Belova in the “Thunderbolts*” post-credits scene, which helped set the stage for “Avengers: Doomsday,” it is only natural to wonder what her “Brand New Day” cameo might mean for the character’s next move in the MCU.
Does this cameo tease anything about Yelena’s MCU future?
Marvel Studios
During her first exchange with Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Yelena makes it clear that she and the rest of the New Avengers are focused on what she calls “big potatoes” — the kind of world-ending threats that go far beyond ordinary bank robberies. The line does more than reinforce Spider-Man’s current place as a street-level hero. It also hints at what the New Avengers see as their mission. Belova and her teammates appear intent on following the path of the original Avengers, taking on massive enemies in the vein of Ultron (James Spader) and Thanos (Josh Brolin), rather than simply enjoying their new status.
One of the film’s subtler details arrives near the end, when Detective Jean DeWollf (Liza Colón-Zayas) reveals that Belova is helping track down and assemble incriminating information about Damage Control. That thread probably will not become a major plot point in “Avengers: Doomsday,” but it does show that Spider-Man’s activities have grown significant enough to attract the attention of a New Avenger. Beyond that, however, Belova’s appearance in “Brand New Day” stops short of offering a detailed roadmap for where she is headed next.
That restraint is welcome. One of Marvel’s biggest post-“Avengers: Endgame” missteps was crowding movies and Disney+ shows with too many setup scenes for future projects. Here, Belova functions well on her own terms within “Brand New Day.” At most, the film shows her settling into life as a New Avenger and becoming more comfortable in that role and in her New York surroundings — which, given the looming events of “Avengers: Doomsday,” likely means that comfort will not last for long.
