The 10 Funniest Yelena Belova Quotes in the MCU
Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) stole every scene in Marvel Studios’ Black Widow (2021), directed by Cate Shortland. Smart, a bit odd, and wildly funny, Yelena has already cemented herself as a fan favorite in the MCU. That’s partially due to Florence Pugh’s brilliant acting, chemistry with all her screen partners, excellent facial expressions, and the unique personality she brought to this largely underused Marvel Comics character.
But Yelena’s charm is also due to Pugh’s amazing delivery of her lines, which balances tragedy and comedy. They merge the humor of youth along with Yelena’s unique form of joking, something which developed after decades of social isolation due to the Black Widow program. This script formula has made her one of the most hilarious members of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup. Below, let’s look at just 10 of Yelena Belova’s funniest quotes.
“Great plan. I love the part where I almost bled to death.”
Black Widow
Earlier in Black Widow, Yelena told Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) she had a “shit plan.” The sentiment continues to the end of the film, though with even more added sarcasm. After nearly undergoing surgery, almost blowing up, and then free-falling from the sky, Yelena has a few choice comments about her sister’s ability to plan missions. Can you blame her?
“Coming here makes you seem desperate. I want a raise.”
Black Widow
In the Black Widow post-credits scene, Yelena visits her sister’s grave. It’s Yelena’s day off, yet Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) approaches her with a mission. Because she’s on vacation, Yelena berates the Contessa’s brashness and impulsivity and tells her she wants a raise. Blunt and confident, this quote makes us laugh plus makes us love Yelena even more.
“Come on! That is so annoying.”
Hawkeye, “So This is Christmas?”
Yelena’s goal during Hawkeye is to assassinate Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), AKA Hawkeye, for his involvement in Natasha’s death. In an absurd turn of events, all that stands in her way is an elevator and a very determined Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). While riding to the top floor, Kate presses every single one of the buttons to cause their ride to slow down. Yelena’s exasperated response is hilariously on-brand, and echoes the teasing rapport she once shared with Natasha.
“This would be a cool way to die.”
Black Widow
Yelena is constantly endangered during Black Widow. She never minds the peril, but she does catalog each instance as either a good or bad way to die. Naturally, the scale for measuring how she would prefer to die all depends on its coolness factor. After hours of all not-very-cool ways to go, she finally gets a heroic moment that would totally impress anyone. That death is deemed worthy.
“I made macaroni if you want some.”
Hawkeye, “Ronin”
Kate Bishop’s first meeting with Yelena is a rooftop fight. Kate Bishop’s second meeting with this master assassin is when said assassin breaks into Kate’s apartment — but it’s not to hurt her. Yelena makes herself some boxed mac ‘n’ cheese, then politely offers Kate her own dinner portion. The unexpected nature of this encounter is side-splitting, especially with Yelena’s earnest nature.
“I don’t have any weapons on me. Okay, I take that back.”
Hawkeye, “Ronin”
Although a trope-y line, this one gets a giggle because of Yelena’s careful deliberation. She wants to be honest with Kate Bishop and not come across as a threat, but she’s just been talking about killing Clint Barton for the last 10 minutes. The full quote even ends with her insisting she doesn’t have any weapons in her hands, but quickly reconsidering when she remembers she’s wearing jewelry.
“That was disgusting.”
Black Widow
Jumping from the ceiling, Yelena lands in the classic “Black Widow pose” with her leg outstretched and hair thrown back. It’s the stance that has been long established in the comics and was heavily utilized in Iron Man 2. As soon as Yelena lands, though, she cringes and flails, disgusted with herself. Besides being hilarious, it’s a refreshing moment for a female hero.
“I was about to talk about fallopian tubes, but okay.”
Black Widow
One of the many horrors of the Red Room includes a forced hysterectomy. Due to the anger she displays at her adoptive father Alexei (David Harbour), the man asks Yelena if she’s on her period. She replies with a detailed explanation of the surgery she and the other Widows underwent, causing Alexei much-deserved discomfort. He cuts her off. Yelena frowns and notes she was just about to finish, and it’s the pure practicality of it that adds humor to the situation.
“Are you really not hungry? That fight was so long. It’s really tasty.”
Hawkeye, “Ronin”
We just can’t get over the whole macaroni thing. What makes it even funnier is Yelena’s insistence that Kate Bishop join her for dinner, and Yelena’s continued attempts to make the meal appealing to Kate. Yelena compliments the smell, sweetens the deal with hot sauce, and sits at the dining table across from Kate. Yelena really is just looking out for the young hero, but it’s so funny how Kate can’t let her guard down. We can’t blame her, of course.
“You’re a total poser.”
Black Widow
What better way to usher in the age of a new MCU Black Widow than by lovingly ribbing the old? In this playful scene, Yelena and Natasha stop to get first aid supplies after a fight with Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). They share a sisterly bonding moment through classic mockery. Yelena says Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is a more powerful Avenger than Black Widow. And she also says one of the most memorable Black Widow quotes when she calls Natasha out for doing ridiculous fighting poses. This running joke repeats throughout the film, and rightfully so.
What do you think is the funniest Yelena quote? Did it make our list? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!