Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton may be joined by the next Black Widow when the archer returns for his own standalone series. Florence Pugh is reportedly reprising her role as Yelena Belova in Marvel Studios' Hawkeye series for Disney+.

Pugh is set to make her first appearance as Yelena Belova in Marvel Studios' Black Widow, the long-awaited standalone film focused on Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff. Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War and before Romanoff sacrificed her own life in Avengers: Endgame, the film is expected to lay the groundwork for Pugh to take over the Black Widow mantle largely due to the fact that Belova is the second modern-era character to assume the moniker in the comics.

RELATED: Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and Cruella Remakes Could Move to Disney+

While The Direct reports Pugh will return as Belova in Hawkeye, the full extent of the character's role in the Disney+ series is currently unknown. However, the outlet's sources claim Belova will wear a "Ronin-inspired" costume at one point in Hawkeye. Renner's Barton wore such an outfit in Avengers: Endgame during the character's time as a vigilante after his family was murdered by Thanos in the Mad Titan's decimation. While the possibility of seeing Belova don a Ronin outfit may raise questions about her potential future as the next Black Widow, Pugh has previously indicated that the character's fate is not set in stone and may depend on the audience's reception to her debut.

Marvel Studios' Hawkeye is said to further explore Barton's time as Ronin while the archer trains Kate Bishop to take over the title as his successor. Hailee Steinfeld was said to have been eyed for the role of Bishop, though the actress has reportedly long since stepped away from the project. Production on Hawkeye began in late November with Jonathan Igla on board as lead writer and executive producer alongside a team of directors that includes Amber Finlayson and Katie Ellwood, a.k.a. Bert and Bertie, and Rhys Thomas.

Marvel Studios' plans for Pugh may be more clear once Black Widow is released in theaters, though that debut has taken longer than expected on account of the global pandemic. Initially scheduled to launch the summer blockbuster season of 2020, Disney eventually pushed back Black Widow's release date to November of the same year before postponing the film again until May 2021.

Fortunately, fans don't have to wait until then for Marvel Studios' Phase 4 to officially begin. WandaVision, a series focused on Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany's The Vision, will launch the next era of the MCU when the series premieres on Disney+ in January.

Black Widow is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 7, 2021

MORE: What You Need to Know Before Watching WandaVision

Source: The Direct