Florence Pugh / Black Widow
It’s been the best of times for rising star Florence Pugh. After appearing in the critically acclaimed horror flick Midsommar, the Oxford-raised actress earned a coveted Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. And now she’s about to co-star opposite Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming female superhero blockbuster, BLACK WIDOW, opening in May. How has the gifted 24-year-old performer adjusted to her meteoric rise up the Hollywood ladder?
“What’s so funny is that when you’re in it, you’re constantly looking forward to the next thing,” Pugh says. “You rarely stop and have a look around to see who has got you there and how you got where you are. We’re always hurrying to the next goal so there’s little time to breathe and rejoice.”
She added: “I still feel like I’m just at the beginning of everything and it’s all very exciting and new. I love the unpredictable side of it all.”
In Black Widow, set in the aftermath of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Pugh plays Yelena Belova, arch nemesis to Johansson’s Natasha Romanov/Black Widow. Florence is sworn to secrecy when it comes to plot details, however. “Aside from the big explosions, it’s a very small and unique and painful story,” she said.
Given that Johansson’s Romanoff later dies in Avengers: Endgame, there is speculation that Pugh’s character is being positioned to occupy a far larger role in the Marvel Comics Universe which is currently retooling itself. Indeed, in the original comic books, Pugh’s Belova eventually becomes a second Black Widow.