Florence Poug is one of the few movie stars to divide his time between giant superhero tents and small indie dramas. However, many in the independent film community were upset with Pugh for joining Marvel.
Why were the indie film people mad at Florence Pugh for joining Marvel?
Pugh signed on to play Yelena Belova, the highly skilled assassin and sister of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), in April 2019. She made her MCU debut in 2021’s Black Widow. Now, Pugh has shared how the move has been received by members of the independent film world.
“So many people in the independent film world were really pissed at me. They were like, ‘Great, now she’s gone forever,'” Pugh told Time. “And I’m like, no, I work just as hard as I used to. I’ve always done back-to-back movies. It’s just people are watching them now. You just have to be a little more organized with your job of the time.
Since Black Widow, Pugh has oscillated between independent films and blockbusters. In 2022, Pugh starred in mid-budget thriller Don’t Worry Darling and Netflix short film The Wonder. In 2023, Pugh appeared in the indie drama A Good Person and will star in two upcoming big-budget films: Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two.
After starring in Black Widow and appearing in three episodes of Hawkeye, Pugh will return as Yelena in Thunderbolts, Marvel’s take on an anti-hero team-up movie. Filming for the film Phase Five is set to begin this summer, with an expected release date of July 26, 2024.