Marvel Studios recently released the fourth episode of Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye on Disney+, and the new entry delivered a thrilling entry from various angles even for being the shortest episode to date. Giving fans a look at Clint Barton's growing bond with Kate Bishop and Maya Lopez's increased efforts towards revenge was only the start of the madness; fans also wondered about when Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova would make her presence felt.
More than a year ago, The Direct exclusively reported that Pugh would make her second MCU appearance in Hawkeye after introducing the world to Yelena Belova in Black Widow. At the time, it was still unclear how exactly that would happen, although answers to that question came in a big way once Pugh made her MCU debut in July 2021.
The first three episodes of Hawkeye went by without so much as a hint of Pugh's presence in the show, which fans looked forward to considering Yelena spent eight in-universe years completely in the shadows. Then, everything changed in a big way in the episode's final moments, which Pugh celebrated on social media with a clear message.
Florence Pugh Celebrates Disney+ Debut
Warning - This article contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Hawkeye.
Following the premiere of Hawkeye's fourth episode, Yelena Belova star Florence Pugh took to Instagram to share her reaction to her first appearance on the show.
Pugh posted two screenshots of her character from the episode, first capturing the shot of her from behind after she knocked Hawkeye around and removed her mask.
The new addition to the Black Widow legacy followed up with the first reveal of her face as she turned to Kate Bishop, including the simple but effective caption "...She's here."
Kate Bishop actress Hailee Steinfeld shared her reaction to the news in her Instagram story by posting the image of Pugh along with the caption "TY GOD 4 FLORENCE PUGH:"
Pugh Ready for Major MCU Return
Florence Pugh almost immediately became an MCU fan-favorite after portraying Black Widow assassin Yelena Belova in the 2021 Black Widow movie alongside Scarlett Johansson. That film helped set up her own journey as a hero/antihero in future MCU projects, particularly with the post-credits scene showing her relationship with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
As Pugh made her return in Hawkeye, Yelena jumped right into Episode 4's final battle against Echo and came at Clint Barton with the vengeance fans expected after she was told he murdered Natasha Romanoff. She utilized her comic-accurate mask for most of the fight before Barton removed it, although she made it clear that she meant business without saying one word even after showing her face.
The big question now is how much the next episode will dive into Pugh's return with Clint and Kate's relationship slightly on the rocks. Fans are wondering if Hawkeye will get the opportunity to tell Pugh's Yelena what really happened with Natasha Romanoff, although that's only the tip of the iceberg in regards to the issues he still has to face.
Episode 4 of Hawkeye is now available to stream on Disney+.
