Take Aim: Prepare for FLORENCE PUGH’s Yelena!
In an article posted to the official Marvel website, actor Florence Pugh dished on a ton of details about what it was like for her to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Yelena Belova, a fellow Widow who is something of a sister figure to Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff.
When Black Widow (finally) arrives on July 9th, 2021, everyone will be talking about this new character, not just ScarJo. However, you can get some tantalizing hints about what’s in store for Black Widow and Yelena right now, Marvel Blog True Believers, just read on!
Black Widow
When Black Widow arrives in theaters and on Disney+ (with Premiere Access) on July 9th, we’ll see Romanoff face off against a conspiracy that’s tied to her past. Soon, she’ll be forced to mend some of the relationships she’s broken along the way, including the one with her sister-figure, Yelena.
In the interview, Pugh teases that Yelena is “exaclty what you’d expect a younger sister to be,” but also made it clear that the relationship between Yelena and Romanoff was at the heart of the highly anticipated movie.
Johansson and Pugh’s sisterhood on the Black Widow set. Photo: Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios
While little is known about the MCU’s Yelena at this time, we are aware that she will be making an appearance in Hawkeye when it arrives on Disney+ later this year. Furthermore, we can tell from the promotional videos featuring Johansson, Pugh, and father-figure actor David Harbour that the trio will be a ton of fun to watch on screen.
Harbour and Pugh on the set of Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOW, in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. Photo: Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios
Plus, Pugh is an accomplished actor in her own right, having been nominated for Academy Awards and appearing in show-stopping roles in movies like 2019’s Little Women (meaning that the actor has plenty of experience playing an annoying younger sister already).
Florence Pugh On Set
Pugh also has some very nice things to say about working for Marvel Studios, and alongside her talented co-stars, in the interview.
Is Harbour telling dad jokes on set? Photo: Marvel Studios
In fact, apparently, Pugh turned to Johansson for advice on getting her bearings as a new member of the Marvel family.
She said that while working on this “incredibly daunting” project, it was really helpful to talk to her co-star about “what she said about the last nine years of her career in this Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Photo: Marvel
As far as Pugh’s other co-stars go, she said that it was fun to explore the theme of found family and how to fix broken relationships alongside Harbour and Rachel Weisz (who plays Melina).
“It’s obviously tricky because they all have the same patterns as when they were kids and parents,” shared Pugh, before adding, “Figuring all that out has been so much fun, especially with David and Rachel.”
Melina (Weisz), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Johansson) and Yelena (Pugh) in Black Widow. Photo: Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios
The theme of found family not only runs throughout the four actors personal relationships with one another on set, but it also runs through the film itself. Pugh said that despite the humor and levity shown in the Black Widow trailer, the film carries weight in the real world, thanks to the allegory of the Red Room’s Widow training program.
Pugh remarked, “That’s one of the heartbreaks about this film,” highlighting the system these women are stuck in, the conditions they are made to endure, and how her character aims to free them.
Red Room. Photo: Marvel Studios
Arriving July 9th
Will you be catching Black Widow on the big screen or streaming on Disney+ on July 9th? Are you counting down the weeks until Yelena appears on Hawkeye? We’re waiting to hear from you, Marvel Blog True Believers! Let us know what you’re thinking in the comment section, but first watch this official clip from Marvel Studios introducing Yelena to the MCU:
