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The fourth phase of the MCU has so far mostly focused on introducing new superheroes and replacing the old heroes with new faces. One of them is Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, aka the new Black Widow. As Natasha Romanoff's adoptive little sister, Yelena has been trained in the same way, which means she possesses a plethora of superior fighting skills.
Yelena first appeared in the MCU in Black Widow (2021) which revealed that she and Natasha grew up together for a while. Her latest appearance happened in the fourth episode of Hawkeye when Yelena showed up to kill Clint Barton, the man she blames for her sister's death. It remains to be seen what the MCU will do with Yelena in the future, but for now, there are some things only comic book fans know about her.
7 She Has A Different Connection To Cuba
An interesting detail that many people might have missed concerns Yelena's connections to Cuba. In Black Widow, Cuba is the place where the fake spy family goes after their escape from their home. It's also there where the fake parents give up Natasha and Yelena, leaving them with Dreykov.
However, Yelena has a more pleasant association with Cuba in the comics. It's where she goes when she decides it's time to retire from being a Black Widow. Yelena leads a more peaceful existence in Cuba, is a businesswoman, designs lingerie, and even becomes a successful model. It's unlikely any of this will happen in the MCU considering the last time Yelena showed up, she was still working as an assassin.
6 She Doesn't Join The Good Side
In the movie, Yelena works for Dreykov initially and only later switches sides to help Natasha. The post-credit scene then reveals that after Natasha's death, Yelena works as an assassin. Her career path takes her in a different direction in the comics.
Yelena becomes a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. which, for example, leads to her going to the Savage Land. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been mentioned in Black Widow but only in passing, and for now, it looks like Yelena and the organization have no connection whatsoever.
5 She And Clint Are Hostile To Each Other
Judging by the fighting scene in the fourth episode of Hawkeye, Clint Barton doesn't know Yelena by name when he sees her and doesn't know her importance in Natasha's life. While their meeting in the comics also isn't peaceful, it happens in a different way.
When Yelena becomes the new Black Widow after Natasha dies, she travels the world and is killing the remaining members of Hydra. However, not everybody likes her methods, and Hawkeye and Bucky Barnes decide to go after Yelena and persuade her there's a different way how to handle this.
4 She Isn't A Superhero
Even though Yelena belongs among the Widows in the MCU, she isn't the Black Widow. Quite the opposite. Yelena mocks Natasha's superhero life repeatedly and makes fun of her superhero poses.
In the comics, though, Yelena eventually takes on the mantle of Black Widow after Natasha's tragic death and she works alongside the Avengers, including Captain America. It's more than possible she'll make this switch in the MCU as well once she realizes that Clint didn't kill Natasha, as Yelena's employer Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine would like her to believe.
3 She And Natasha Are Sisters, Not Enemies
By far the biggest change the MCU made in regards to Yelena's character is her relationship with Natasha. When they reunite in Budapest, they fight for a moment but quickly start working together, and they reconcile for good, or so it seems. The movie Black Widow starts by portraying their idyllic bond while they were children and lived in Ohio. Natasha even calls Yelena her little sister in the movie's finale.
In the comics, the two women both underwent the same training in the Red Room but they were never a family. Instead, Yelena initially went after Natasha because she wished to prove she was the real Black Widow, the best one. They only started working together later on but also clashed multiple times.
2 Her Appearance Differs
Other than Yelena's background, it's also her appearance that differs a little in the MCU. In the comic books, Yelena has blonde hair and blue eyes, while Florence Pugh has green eyes.
An even bigger difference is her height. In the comics, Yelena stands tall at 5ft 7inch while Pugh is 5ft 3inch. It's a small detail since no actress can look exactly like the comic book character she plays, but it's interesting for fans of Yelena to compare her live-action version and the comic book one nevertheless.
1 She Doesn't Identify As Asexual
A somewhat missed opportunity is for Yelena to identify as asexual in the MCU since there isn't enough representation of asexuality in Marvel movies. According to writer Devin Grayson, the co-creator of Yelena, she's more likely to identify as asexual, which differs her from Natasha.
Yelena didn't have the time to pursue any romantic relationships in the MCU considering how busy she's been so far and also because of the fact she was one of the victims of Thanos's snap, but in the future, the movies might point out that she approaches relationships differently than her older sister Natasha.