Florence Pugh just snatched the spotlight in Marvel’s latest flick, Thunderbolts — and let’s be real, it’s basically Yelena Belova: The Movie.
The movie dropped and fans are already raving about Florence bringing the heat, the humor, and that no-nonsense energy we fell in love with in Black Widow. She’s got the sass of Natasha, the grit of a superspy, and the comic timing of someone who’s been doing this since birth.
Marvel handed her the reins, and she ran with it. HARD.
“Florence Pugh is the beating heart of Thunderbolts,” said Vanity Fair. “Without her, it risks flatlining.” Yikes — but also, fair.
She leads a misfit crew of antiheroes that includes Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, and Wyatt Russell’s John Walker. The group’s thrown together on a black-ops mission led by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ shady CIA boss.
It’s chaotic. It’s messy. It’s basically The Suicide Squad with better costumes and more emotional damage.
But Florence makes it click. She’s cracking jokes, throwing punches, and carrying Marvel’s darker, grittier vibes like a boss.
Oh — and let’s not ignore her chemistry with Lewis Pullman, who plays the deeply unstable but weirdly lovable Bob (aka The Sentry). That pairing? Kinda awkward, kinda explosive, totally magnetic.
The film’s not all flashy fights either. It digs into trauma and redemption, which sounds heavy… but don’t worry. There’s still enough one-liners and awkward family dynamics to keep things fun.
Critics are mostly on board. Rotten Tomatoes has it at a solid 88%, and Metacritic gave it a 69. Not bad for a team-up movie without Iron Man or Cap.
Is it Marvel’s boldest move yet? Not really. But it is their smartest — giving Florence Pugh the spotlight and letting her own it.
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