Florence Pugh Says Tom Holland Landed Her the 'Spider-Man' Role

Florence Pugh credits Tom Holland for her role in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." She made the claim on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Monday night.

"This all happened because of Tom," Pugh said. She then explained how a single red-carpet answer from Holland years ago set the pairing in motion.

"Years ago, when I just started my relationship with Marvel and 'Black Widow' came out, my Yelena wasn't as obviously big as all of the other big superheroes," Pugh said. "He, on the red carpet of his previous movie, when someone said, 'Who do you want to be in the next movie with?… And he said, 'No, actually, I want to do it with Florence Pugh, who plays Yelena.' So because of that, fans were then so excited about the idea of it."

Pugh has played Yelena Belova since 2021, when she debuted in "Black Widow." She reprised the role in 2025's "Thunderbolts*" and again in 2026's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." Within the MCU, Yelena is an assassin and the successor to the Black Widow title.

The film has become a box-office phenomenon. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which premiered on July 31, has grossed $2.49 billion at the domestic box office, making it the third highest-grossing movie of all time. It trails only 2009's "Avatar" ($2.92 billion) and 2019's "Avengers: Endgame" ($2.88 billion).

Pugh celebrated the milestone with a one-line tribute: "Well done, Spidey!"

Her December schedule is crowded. On Dec. 18, Pugh returns as Princess Irulan Corrino in "Dune: Part Three" from director Denis Villeneuve. The same day, she reprises Yelena in "Avengers: Doomsday," the Anthony and Joe Russo-directed follow-up to "Avengers: Endgame."

The double release means Pugh will headline two major franchises in theaters on a single date — a rare feat that cements Yelena's rise from supporting player to centerpiece of Marvel's next phase.