The Three Ages Of Yelena Belova: How Old Is The MCU's New Black Widow In Thunderbolts*?

The question of "how old is Yelena Belova" is one of the most complicated age-related queries in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), thanks to the infamous five-year time jump known as "The Blip." As of today, December 15, 2025, Yelena Belova—the razor-sharp former Black Widow and sister-figure to Natasha Romanoff—has two distinct ages: a chronological age that reflects the time passed since her birth, and a physical age that reflects how much she has actually aged since her life was put on pause by Thanos’s Snap. The most up-to-date calculation places her in her late 30s chronologically, but significantly younger in physical terms, a detail that will be crucial as she steps into a leading role in the upcoming *Thunderbolts* movie.

To accurately determine Yelena’s age, we must first establish her birth year, which is consistently placed around 1989 based on the timeline established in the Black Widow film. She was six years old during the 1995 flashback in Ohio, making her birth year 1989. Following the MCU's complex chronology through Black Widow, her appearance in the Hawkeye series, and projecting forward to the Thunderbolts* movie, her age fluctuates dramatically, making her one of the most fascinating characters to track in Phase 5 and beyond.

Yelena Belova Biography and Key Timeline Entities

Yelena Belova’s life is defined by her forced childhood in the Red Room, her surrogate family, and the pivotal five-year period when she ceased to exist due to the Blip. Her story is a key bridge between the original Avengers and the new generation of Marvel heroes, especially as she assumes the mantle of the new Black Widow.

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• Full Name: Yelena Belova (Russian: Еле́на Бело́ва)
• Portrayed By: Florence Pugh
• Date of Birth (Estimated): 1989
• Place of Birth: Moscow, Russia
• Affiliations: Red Room (formerly), Black Widow Program, Thunderbolts (upcoming)
• Family (Surrogate):
  • Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow (Older Sister-figure)
  • Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian (Father-figure)
  • Melina Vostokoff (Mother-figure)
• First MCU Appearance: Black Widow (2021, though set in 2016)
• Key MCU Appearances: Black Widow (2021), Hawkeye (2021), Thunderbolts* (Upcoming Phase 5 Film)
• Status: Active (Resurrected after the Blip)

The Blip Effect: Calculating Yelena’s Chronological vs. Physical Age

The discrepancy in Yelena Belova’s age is entirely due to the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. When Thanos snapped his fingers in 2018, Yelena was among the half of all life that was turned to dust—a process known as the Blip (or the Snap). She was brought back five years later in 2023, meaning her body did not age during that time, while the rest of the world’s timeline continued to progress.

Yelena’s Age at Key Cinematic Milestones

By pinpointing her age at critical moments in the MCU timeline, we can accurately track her complex journey:

1. In Black Widow (2016): The main events of the Black Widow film take place shortly after Captain America: Civil War, which is set in 2016.
   • Chronological Age: 2016 – 1989 = 27 years old.
   • Physical Age: 27 years old.
2. The Blip (2018–2023): Yelena was ‘blipped’ in 2018 and returned in 2023.
   • Age when Blipped: 2018 – 1989 = 29 years old.
   • Time Un-aged: 5 years.
3. In Hawkeye (2024): The Hawkeye series is set approximately one year after the Blip reversal, placing it in late 2024.
   • Chronological Age: (Age when Blipped) + (Time Passed) = 29 + 6 = 35 years old.
   • Physical Age: (Age when Blipped) + (Time Aged since return) = 29 + 1 = 30 years old.

Yelena’s Age in the Upcoming Thunderbolts* Movie (2027)

The most current and forward-looking information about Yelena Belova's age is determined by the timeline of the highly anticipated Thunderbolts* movie. As the final film of MCU Phase 5, Thunderbolts* is strongly rumored to take place in 2027, making it one of the latest entries in the current Marvel timeline. This film is expected to position Yelena Belova as the de facto leader of the anti-hero team, a significant step up from her previous appearances.

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Using the consistent 1989 birth year and the 2027 setting, we can calculate her age for her biggest cinematic role to date:

Yelena Belova's Age in Thunderbolts* (2027 Timeline):

• Chronological Age: 2027 – 1989 = 38 years old.
• Physical Age: (Chronological Age) – (Time Lost to Blip) = 38 – 5 = 33 years old.

This means that when Yelena Belova teams up with other key figures like U.S. Agent (John Walker), Taskmaster (Antonia Dreykov), and Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) in Thunderbolts*, she will chronologically be 38 years old, but her body will have only aged 33 years. This five-year gap is a crucial piece of her character's history, as the world she returned to was vastly different from the one she left.

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Topical Authority: The Red Room and the New Black Widow

The complexity of Yelena’s age only adds to the depth of her character. Unlike her sister Natasha Romanoff, who died at the chronological age of 39 (and physical age of 39) in 2023, Yelena has been given a second chance. Her life in the Red Room, where she was trained as a master assassin, meant she was robbed of a normal childhood. Now, as the new Black Widow, she carries the legacy of her lost sister and her own traumatic past.

Yelena's journey from a brainwashed Red Room operative to a free agent seeking justice for Natasha makes her a compelling anti-hero. Her relationship with Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, her confrontation with Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and her future leadership in Thunderbolts* are all influenced by her relatively young physical age combined with the immense chronological history and trauma she carries. This dual-age status is a unique narrative device that keeps her story fresh and her potential for future appearances—like Avengers: Doomsday—virtually limitless.

In summary, while the simple answer to "how old is Yelena" might be 38 years old chronologically, the more meaningful answer is that the MCU’s new Black Widow is only 33 years old physically as she begins her next major chapter in the MCU's Phase 5.