Is a Black Widow favorite about to swing into Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Marvel really does love a cameo, don't they? Normally, they're tighter than MI6 with spoilers, but sometimes the big teases come right from the top brass. Remember Tom Holland with his notoriously loose lips? Or Mark Ruffalo, who once streamed an entire premiere from the inside of his jacket pocket? Well, here's another one for the books—straight from Kevin Feige himself, no less.

Feige Lets Slip in Shanghai

This past weekend, Feige pitched up at Bilibili World 2026 in Shanghai—think Comic-Con with more dumplings—and started talking Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who’s quickly become one of Marvel’s post-Endgame MVPs. He officially confirmed she’ll play a 'big part' in Avengers: Doomsday, which arrives on December 18, 2026. Then he dropped the real clanger:

'If you’re a fan of Yelena, wait until Avengers: Doomsday. Yelena plays a big part in that. But if you don’t want to wait until then, you might see Yelena a little bit sooner in the movies.'

No translation required. Fans immediately put two and two together. The only MCU film scheduled ahead of Doomsday is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, set for a 31 July 2026 release. So unless they're stashing her in something nobody knows about, the safe bet is—hello, Yelena cameo in the next Spider-Man?

Keeping Yelena in the Spotlight

Pugh's Yelena turned up first in Black Widow back in 2021 as Natasha Romanoff's considerably more sarcastic adoptive sister, then popped up again in Hawkeye. She’s since fronted 2025’s Thunderbolts* (the one where her crew got rebranded as the New Avengers by the end—bit on the nose but there we are). Now that squad’s set for a starring role in Avengers: Doomsday, it makes sense to keep Yelena front-and-centre in the lead-up. Marvel’s clearly aware she's become one of their most bankable post-Endgame assets, and they're not about to let her fade into the background.

The State of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'

Worth noting: Brand New Day is already pretty packed when it comes to cast. Zendaya’s MJ and Jacob Batalon's Ned are both back. The newcomers list is a proper who’s who: Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman, Liza Colón-Zayas, Eman Esfandi, and Marvin Jones III. Plus, fans won’t drop those Sadie Sink-Jean Grey rumours (no confirmation yet, but the chatter’s relentless). And with persistent talk of The Hand, people are still hedging on a Daredevil link.

• Zendaya: MJ (returning)
• Jacob Batalon: Ned (returning)
• Sadie Sink: mystery role (rumoured Jean Grey)
• Tramell Tillman: supporting cast
• Liza Colón-Zayas: supporting cast
• Eman Esfandi: supporting cast
• Marvin Jones III: supporting cast

X-Men Reboot? Not Yet.

On the other side of things, Feige apparently told the Shanghai crowd that Marvel's proper X-Men reboot won't show up until after Avengers: Secret Wars. That one’s scheduled for 17 December 2027, according to Marvel's site. Feige’s previously hinted that Secret Wars won’t just be another big crossover, but a sort of reset—'reset' being his word—not just a reunion-but-slightly-different scenario. Essentially, Marvel’s using it as a fresh start and to set up whatever’s next.