In the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War and the lead up to Avengers: Endgame, one question echoed out across the Marvel Cinematic Universe: who got Snapped, and who stayed? Black Widow‘s Yelena, played with characteristic aplomb by English actress Florence Pugh, is the latest in what is sure to be an ongoing line. Was Yelena Snapped and how might the answer impact her character’s journey moving forward?
The Black Widow Post-Credits Scene
In the post-credits sequence, we see Yelena visiting Natasha’s grave, signaling that the scene takes place after Natasha’s death in Avengers: Endgame and, therefore, after the people who were Snapped are returned to the universe. It’s here, if anywhere, we get clues into Yelena’s Snapped-or-not status. Perhaps it is important that Black Widow doesn’t confirm nor deny Yelena’s Snap status because it leaves the franchise the option to go either way. Should the Black Widow movie do well financially and Marvel decides to greenlight another Widow-centric movie, it could ostensibly be set during the five-year time jump that takes place in the Endgame first act. If Yelena wasn’t Snapped, she could have been one of the people Natasha relied on to keep the Avengers initiative running.
Yelena Was Probably Snapped
The biggest clue that Yelena was indeed Snapped, however, is the fact that she doesn’t seem to know who Hawkeye is when Valentina gives Yelena his file and calls him the person responsible for Natasha’s death. If Yelena wasn’t Snapped, it seems likely that Natasha would have told her sister about best friend Clint Barton, especially as Natasha was so worried about Clint. No doubt Natasha would have asked Yelena for help keeping tabs on Clint as he committed global killing sprees. If the Marvel Powers That Be haven’t yet decided if Yelena was Snapped or not, can I put a vote in for “no?” If Yelena was Snapped, this adds yet another tragic twist to the Natasha-Yelena relationship, which is already a thoroughly depressing and heartbreaking story. If Yelena were Snapped, then Natasha would have had to live those five years without seeing her sister—which is particularly upsetting because they were only just reunited in Black Widow, just prior to the events that would lead to Thanos’ Snap. For two characters who have been forced to endure such trauma, I would like to imagine this as a period of relative happiness together.
