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Florence Pugh Addresses Marvel Cinematic Universe Role Criticisms
Florence Pugh has contributed her two cents to the ongoing debate regarding the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was kicked into full gear in recent years as a result of comments made by respected filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. Pugh, who began her career in indie films like Midsommar and Lady Macbeth, made her MCU debut as the former Russian assassin Yelena Belova in 2021's Black Widow, later appearing again in the Hawkeye Disney+ series. The British actress is now poised to become a leading figure in the sprawling superhero franchise with Thunderbolts, the highly anticipated finale to Phase 5 set to hit theaters in the summer of 2024.
On the promotional campaign for the Zach Braff-directed new drama, A Good Person, Florence Pugh revealed comments made to her by other filmmakers as she first considered signing on with Marvel Studios. In speaking to Total Films (via Gamesradar), Pugh had this to say about the criticisms she's heard about the MCU:
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"When I first signed onto Marvel, lots of people from the indie-film world were all telling me that I was never going to go back to small movies again, and it always kind of wound me up. Because I think there’s beauty in all types of those films. There’s beauty in the massive, epic storylines like Dune, like Marvel, like even Oppenheimer that I did. They’re amazing, mega movies. And then there’s also beauty in all these little ones that not everyone is going to see, but are going to affect the right person at the right time. I’ve never, ever only thought that I was going to just do one type of movie. I’ve always known that I want to dabble in all areas."
Unlike certain other filmmakers, Pugh seems to be of the opinion that each film occupies a unique space in cinema. While there is beauty in smaller, more emotion-driven films, there is a similar importance to the spectacle of franchise films. Moreover, Pugh has certainly proven her naysayers wrong, continuing to appear in indie features long after her breakout role in Black Widow.
Has The MCU Lost Its Magic Touch?
In the wake of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's poor reviews, some critics might contend that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has lost its magic touch. Despite the Infinity Saga's unprecedented eleven-year run without a single film being ranked "rotten" on Rotten Tomatoes, the Multiverse Saga appears to have hit a few snags along the way. Highly anticipated films like Eternals and Quantumania both achieved disastrously low critical scores upon their release, causing some to wonder if directors like Scorsese and Tarantino were correct in their assessment of the franchise after all.
While the lower-than-average reception to some of Marvel's recent projects should be concerning, it isn't quite accurate to say that the MCU has lost its magic touch. Recent acclaimed films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which happens to be nominated for several Academy Awards, prove that Marvel Studios is just as capable of producing an all-around hit as they ever were. The franchise may be going through growing pains, but it will remain a solid source of entertainment so long as executives like Kevin Feige learn from both their successes and failures in recent years.
The MCU's recent increase in projects released each year has certainly contributed to the criticisms that the franchise has received during the Multiverse Saga. Phase 4 alone exceeded the runtime of the entire Infinity Saga, with seven films, eight Disney+ series, and two special presentations. However, Marvel's commitment to slowing down releases in Phase 5 proves that the studio is eager to learn from its mistakes. If Marvel Studios corrects its course based on constructive criticism and continues to put its faith in strong talent like Pugh, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will remain at the very top of popular culture for a long time.
