Florence Pugh was told she wouldn't be cast in indie movies after signing on for Marvel

Florence Pugh as Yelena in Black Widow
(Image credit: Disney/Marvel)

Florence Pugh is about to star in Zach Braff's new indie A Good Person. Written specifically for her, she stars as Allison, a young woman navigating grief after an unimaginable tragedy. However, Pugh reveals in the new issue of Total Film magazine, with Renfield on the cover, that she was told she'd never be cast in an indie movie again after joining Marvel. Pugh plays Yelena Belova in the MCU, who's appeared in Black Widow, Hawkeye, and will star in the upcoming Thunderbolts.

"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," she explains to Total Film. "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." 

She adds: "It’s also good for my brain to dabble in all areas. I would love to direct. I know how important it is to have a good dialogue with your director. I know how crucial it is. And I just feel like you can’t just throw yourself at it, and hope that the spaghetti sticks. I need to learn a bit more, and understand why things go where [they do], and really watch all these people that I have been watching. 

"But I personally would feel too terrified that I’d accidentally say the wrong thing, or accidentally screw up someone’s day because I said, 'Maybe not that way.' I don’t know. All the things that I have personally felt before while acting. I think I’ll probably just need a few more years of practicing the knack of leading a ship into a storm, and pretending like everything’s fine. But I would love to one day."

A Good Person is released in cinemas on March 24 and is on Sky Cinema from April 28. For much more from Zach Braff, Florence Pugh, and Morgan Freeman, grab a copy of the new issue of Total Film magazine when it hits shelves (and digital newsstands) this Thursday, March 2. Check out the covers below:

Total Film's Renfield covers.

(Image credit: Universal/Total Film)

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(Image credit: Total Film)
Editor-in-Chief, Total Film

Jane Crowther is a contributing editor to Total Film magazine, having formerly been the longtime Editor, as well as serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Film Group here at Future Plc, which covers Total Film, SFX, and numerous TV and women's interest brands. Jane is also the vice-chair of The Critics' Circle and a BAFTA member. You'll find Jane on GamesRadar+ exploring the biggest movies in the world and living up to her reputation as one of the most authoritative voices on film in the industry.