O-T Fagbenle praised Florence Pugh's debut Marvel Cinematic Universe performance in Black Widow. Pugh is set to star as Yelena Belova, a sister figure to Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff and the person who may be taking on the mantle of Black Widow when all is said and done. Pugh will also star in the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye, set to premiere sometime in the latter half of 2021, but audiences are eagerly awaiting her debut in the film.

Pugh's star power has grown exponentially in the last few years after the actress made a splash with her performance in 2016's Lady Macbeth. It was 2019 that really put the actress on the map, though. Fighting with My Family, Midsommar, and Little Women debuted that year, with Pugh scoring a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Oscars for her role in the latter. Black Widow's Yelena Belova may be one of the most exciting new characters to debut in 2021, and it sounds like Pugh's performance will live up to the hype.

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In an interview with ET, Fagbenle briefly touched on his time working on Black Widow. While the actor couldn't give away too much, he did single out Pugh as a highlight of the film. Fagbenle says that Pugh "smashes it" in the role of Yelena Belova and that he can't wait to see the final product when it debuts later this year.

I’m really excited to see that my homie, Florence Pugh, smashes it. She’s so good… I’m excited to be part of it.

Yelena sits next to Melina

As the MCU expands, Marvel is picking up some of the most exciting talent working in Hollywood today, and Pugh is no exception. The actress recently wrapped filming on Olivia Wilde's upcoming second directorial feature, Don't Worry Darling, but it's her future in the Marvel world that has some more excited. In addition to starring in Black Widow and Hawkeye, Pugh seems primed to have a presence in future MCU projects, especially if she takes over as Black Widow.

While Black Widow is Johansson's swan song, it may not be the titular character's. With an expanding slate of content in both theaters and on Disney+, it's more than possible that Pugh could find herself taking the lead as the high-powered assassin in a Black Widow series or follow-up film. Marvel certainly wouldn't want to waste an actress like Pugh on just a few appearances. Despite taking place in the past, Black Widow could have a big impact on the MCU's future, and it certainly seems like Pugh is a major part of it.

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Source: ET

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