Florence Pugh says Scarlett Johansson kickstarted her MCU journey, admits she misses her presence and hopes to make her proud

Florence Pugh made her MCU debut alongside Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow (2021), stepping into the role of Yelena Belova, the heir apparent to Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. The film, a long-overdue solo outing for Johansson’s character, not only provided insight into Natasha and Yelena’s origins but also set the stage for Pugh’s character to take on a larger role in the MCU, particularly as a key member of the Thunderbolts ensemble.

In the film, set in the early ’90s, Natasha and Yelena pose as the daughters of Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) while living undercover in Ohio. Their mission is abruptly cut short, leading them to be sent to the Red Room’s Black Widow Program. This marked the beginning of Pugh’s journey in the MCU, one that was directly influenced by Johansson’s mentorship and trust in her abilities.

During the global promotions for Thunderbolts, Pugh opened up about how much she misses working with Johansson. “My whole journey with Marvel was because of Scarlett trusting me and wanting me to join her movie (Black Widow) six years ago,” Pugh shared. “So I always miss her presence, and I always feel like it was such a mean thing to begin the journey with someone and then you never get to work with them again on it.”

Pugh continued, acknowledging the bittersweet nature of their collaboration. “It was kind of wild that Black Widow was the first and the last time I would get to experience this world with her. But I am genuinely always just hoping that she’s proud. I always have that in the back of my head, like, ‘Oh, I hope she’s happy that we came in.’ So I do miss her a lot on set, yes. We would have a lot of laughter.”

As Thunderbolts marks a new chapter for Pugh in the MCU, her tribute to Johansson highlights the deep bond and respect the two share, cementing Johansson’s lasting impact on Pugh’s career within the Marvel universe.