From the quaint stages of an Oxfordshire school nativity play to free-falling off the world’s second tallest skyscraper, Florence Pugh’s journey to superstardom reads like a Marvel origin story in its own right. Now, with her explosive return as Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts, Pugh isn’t just adding another blockbuster to her résumé—she’s redefining what it means to be a leading woman in the superhero genre.
Her daring skyscraper stunt is more than a Marvel spectacle—it’s a statement
There’s a moment in Thunderbolts that’s already capturing audience and critic imaginations alike, and it’s not just for its visual punch. In a jaw-dropping sequence shot atop Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 building, Pugh herself performs a death-defying jump—without a stunt double. The production team begged her to reconsider. Marvel Studios even expressed safety concerns. But Pugh, ever fearless, made her case so convincingly that she directly lobbied Kevin Feige via email to greenlight the scene.
“I’m not scared of heights,” Pugh said during the London premiere. “I needed a lot of adrenaline to jump out of the world’s second-largest skyscraper. After it was over, I was panting for three hours to see if my brain had calmed down.”
It’s the kind of off-the-charts commitment that separates mere stars from icons. And for a performer who’s already earned Oscar nods and critical acclaim for roles in Little Women, Oppenheimer, and Dune: Part Two, this kind of physical bravado adds a new layer to her ever-evolving legacy.
Yelena Belova’s emotional depth shines through the chaos
While the explosive action might draw fans to theaters, it’s Pugh’s emotional resonance that’s striking them most. In Thunderbolts, her character Yelena Belova is more than just a slick assassin with a sharp wit—she’s a soul grappling with trauma, identity, and trust. Pugh has described the film as “the movie we all need right now,” and critics are echoing that sentiment, praising her performance as the one that “shines the brightest” in a cast full of Marvel heavyweights.
“I think we need to understand mental health a bit more,” Pugh said. “Everyone is battling with their own demons—and this is a movie that certainly tackles that.”
For a franchise often criticized for prioritizing spectacle over substance, Thunderbolts appears to strike a rare balance, thanks largely to Pugh’s portrayal. Her Yelena is raw, relatable, and undeniably human—a superhero grappling not just with external threats, but internal ones as well.
From "Floss" in Oxfordshire to Marvel’s Most Relatable Heroine
It’s easy to forget that Pugh’s meteoric rise began in the same small English town where her former teacher Claire Hooper still works. Speaking to the BBC, Hooper fondly recalled casting “Floss” in a school play—where she delivered her lines in a random Yorkshire accent just because she could. Even then, she “always had star quality.”
Hooper says she sees Pugh now as she always did: “That tiny child with really striking and incredible vocal quality, and the ability just to become a different person.”
Her first big-screen role in The Falling came when she was still in sixth form. Since then, she’s shattered typecasts and taken on roles as varied as the cult horror Midsommar, the psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling, and the interstellar epics of Dune. And through it all, she’s maintained a kind of grounded authenticity that critics and fans alike describe as her superpower.
Balancing blockbuster allure with emotional authenticity
Film critic Anna Smith, who’s followed Pugh’s career since she was 16, puts it best: “Audiences seem to respond to her authenticity. While she’s very versatile, she brings a warmth and wit to many of her roles that people can relate to. It’s not overly ‘Hollywood.’”
Smith believes it’s only a matter of time before Pugh wins an Oscar. Until then, she’s busy starring alongside Marvel legends like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Doomsday—and stealing the show in every frame.
She’s not just playing roles—she’s owning who she is
On the red carpet in London, Pugh spoke with the same blunt honesty that has become her trademark. “I don’t ever want to be caught out for something that I’m not,” she said. “I’d much rather know that everything I’ve done is 100% me than have to apologise for something that was half me later.”
And that, perhaps, is the most powerful thing about Florence Pugh. Whether she’s soaring off skyscrapers, diving into emotional wreckage, or simply standing her ground, she does it all with a confidence that’s unmistakably her own. She’s not just surviving in the superhero world—she’s thriving, and she's bringing everyone along with her.
Florence Pugh’s Thunderbolts performance doesn’t just elevate the film—it cements her place as one of the most dynamic, daring, and downright real stars of this generation. And frankly, it’s only the beginning.