Florence Pugh has officially confirmed that Tom Holland is the reason she landed her role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. During her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, she explained how a casual comment from Holland on a red carpet years ago paved the way for her involvement in the massive franchise.
Pugh shared that back when she was just starting her journey with Marvel and Black Widow had recently hit theaters, her character, Yelena Belova, was not yet the massive household name she is today. As Pugh put it, “This all happened because of Tom.” She recalled that during a previous press event, Holland was asked who he wanted to work with in a future project. He responded by saying, “No, actually, I want to do it with Florence Pugh, who plays Yelena.”
That one moment of support from Holland created a massive wave of enthusiasm among fans. The excitement generated by that interview helped solidify the idea that a collaboration between these two characters was something audiences really wanted to see. Pugh has been portraying the skilled assassin and successor to the Black Widow mantle since 2021. Since that initial debut, she has kept busy, reprising the role for Thunderbolts in 2025 and moving right into the world of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in 2026.
The success of that latest Spider-Man film has been nothing short of staggering
Since it premiered in theaters on July 31, it has pulled in an incredible $2.49 billion at the box office. This performance officially makes it the third highest-grossing movie in history. It sits right behind 2009’s Avatar, which holds the top spot with $2.92 billion, and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, which sits at $2.88 billion. Reflecting on the massive financial achievement of the film, Pugh simply said, “Well done, Spidey!”
Pugh is set to return as Princess Irulan in Dune: Part Three, which is being helmed by director Denis Villeneuve. That film is currently scheduled to hit theaters on December 18.
In a bit of a scheduling quirk, that is the exact same day you will be able to see her back in action as Yelena in the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday. This upcoming project marks a return to the franchise for directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who previously directed Avengers: Endgame.
Published: Sep 30, 2026 04:46 pm