Florence Pugh Discusses Yelena's Unconventional Father-Daughter Relationship

Florence Pugh recently shared insights into her Marvel character, Yelena Belova, and her intricate relationship with her father, Alexei, aka Red Guardian, portrayed by David Harbour. During the promotion of the upcoming film ‘Thunderbolts’, Pugh discussed how, despite the complexities of their characters, Yelena and Alexei maintain a genuine father-daughter bond. 

The dynamic between Yelena and Alexei, first introduced in the 2021 film ‘Black Widow’, is set to be further explored in ‘Thunderbolts’. In an appearance on Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con 2024 video suite, Pugh hinted that the film will delve deeper into their relationship. She expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to portray such a nuanced and human connection, especially with Harbour as her co-star.

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David Harbour humorously noted that their relationship "starts out terrible, and then it ends pretty terrible too," teasing the ongoing challenges they face. He added that the film will build on their previous interactions from ‘Black Widow’, beginning a few years after the events of that film.

At Comic-Con, a preview of ‘Thunderbolts’ showed Alexei living alone in a cluttered apartment when Yelena unexpectedly visits. Despite Alexei’s attempts to present a facade of success, Yelena sees through it, reflecting their complicated yet evolving relationship. ‘Thunderbolts’, which features a team of anti-heroes on a special mission, is set to be released in 2025.

–Farheen Ali