Florence Pugh first joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Cate Shortland’s 2021 Black Widow. Introduced as Natasha Romanoff’s (Scarlett Johansson) adoptive sister, Yelena Belova, she worked for General Dreykov (Ray Winstone) as a Red Room operative and Black Widow. She reprised her role in the Disney+ series Hawkeye, where she confronted Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) after the death of Natasha. Several years later, Yelena is set to return to the big screen in the upcoming MCU film Thunderbolts*, where Pugh teases that fans are about to see a different side of Black Widow.
In a talk on The Official Marvel Podcast, the star-studded cast of Thunderbolts*, composed of Pugh, David Harbor, and Wyatt Russell, talked about their crossover movie. Since her first appearance in Black Widow, Pugh played a supporting role in the MCU. Now, that’s about to change, as she will soon lead Thunderbolts* alongside a band of misfits.
“To be able to come back again. But show another side of what it is to be a human, going through life in the way that she does, that may not necessarily be the way that we would assume that they live, is beautiful for me,” she said about her character’s return.
Harbour said that none of the group will be in a good place when the movie is released. In fact, fans will see him eating something strange and gaining weight when they finally watch the film. Russell, meanwhile, laughed at Harbour’s comment before Harbour took a shot at him.
“We do see you scrolling through your phone, looking for bad press!” Harbour said about Russell. “Like Googling himself and saying, 'If I don't find the nasty comments, then I'm not finished.”
Marvel Studios Shares First Official Footage for Thunderbolts*
In celebration of Marvel Comics’ 85th anniversary, Marvel Studios has shared a compilation video of its upcoming projects, including Thunderbolts*. The clip gives the best look at President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) as he transforms into the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World. It also shows Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) from Daredevil: Born Again and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) from Ironheart.
As for Thunderbolts*, Ghost (Hanna John-Kramen), Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker / U.S. Agent (Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Red Guardian (Harbour), and Yelena Belova (Pugh) are seen together when the elevator door opens. The group is all suited up as they get ready for action.
A full trailer for the movie leaked online previously, giving a first look at Lewis Pullman’s role as Sentry. Though it was already deleted, there are rumors that Marvel Studios is about to release an official trailer for the movie soon.
With Pugh’s tease, fans may soon see what makes Yelena different from the last time they saw her in Hawkeye when Marvel Studios finally drops its trailer. It will surely provide more clues about how these antiheroes will work together as a team to fight off the enemies in the MCU.
Thunderbolts* is slated to release in theaters on May 2, 2025.
