Black Widow star Florence Pugh has spoken about her future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and whether she will take over the mantle from Scarlett Johansson.
The Oscar nominee makes her MCU debut in the new movie as Yelena Belova, and it seems that she is ready to carry the baton as Natasha Romanoff takes her apparent final bow.
"First of all, I think when I came on board there wasn't even any conversations of whether there'd be this scene or that scene or a future Yelena," Pugh told ComicBook.com. "It was just like, 'Get involved, get stuck in.' And I was so grateful to be invited.
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"Going forward, I think the most wonderful thing and the scary thing is that, obviously, I've got major shoes to fill. It's just been really wonderful seeing all the ways that Scarlett's changed conversation about her character.
"And I think for me, whatever future there is, I would love to, I suppose, follow in her footsteps in that way. How do we make Yelena different, how do we make her stand out? How do we make her powerful?" the star continued.
"And that's going to be an ongoing, I hope, conversation. Yeah, I suppose follow in Scarlett's footsteps in that way, changing it."
We certainly will be seeing more of Yelena in the future, as she will be appearing in the upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ series.
Related: How to watch Black Widow online at home
Black Widow is finally out this week after numerous delays, with the movie already in cinemas ahead of a Disney+ Premier Access release tomorrow (July 9).
Digital Spy's three-star review said: "At the end of the day, Black Widow is the latest in a long line of MCU movies that has to somehow fit into a general continuity, a goal that sometimes overshadows the films' artistic visions.
"Whether or not this is the end for Scarlett Johansson in the MCU remains to be seen (never say never when it comes to Disney). If so, it will at least have given Natasha Romanoff a more complete (if too thin) story and finally puts her in the solo spotlight she always richly deserved."
Black Widow is out now in UK cinemas and debuts on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 9. In the US, it will be released on July 9 both in cinemas and on Disney+ with Premier Access.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
