Florence Pugh had a nearly impossible job with Netflix’s East of Eden. Cathy Ames is one of those literary characters people arrive with opinions about already fully formed. Audiences have one major complaint about her take on the character, but I think they’re wildly wrong.

Netflix’s new seven-episode book-to-screen adaptation, created by Zoe Kazan, makes a different choice. Pugh’s Cathy is still capable of horrifying things, but the series gives her experiences and emotional context that Steinbeck largely denied her. Since East of Eden arrived on the streaming schedule on Oct. 1, that decision has become one of the biggest points of debate surrounding the show.

Cathy Ames Is a ‘Born Monster’

The clearest version of the argument comes from The New Yorker, which praised the series overall but argued that its biggest false note is softening Steinbeck’s villain. In the novel, Cathy is described as essentially broken from birth. The adaptation instead gives her childhood abuse and reshapes several early events so viewers can understand how she became the woman we meet later.

Steinbeck left very little room for that kind of interpretation. His Cathy lies, manipulates and murders her way through the novel with the moral temperature of a reptile under a heat lamp. She is a monster because, as Steinbeck presents her, that is simply who she is. The series gives her more motivation, and some readers think that fundamentally changes what the character is doing in a novel so preoccupied with good, evil and the choices people make between them.

That debate spilled onto Reddit after Pugh explained that she does not view Cathy as simply “pure evil,” and some longtime readers were not thrilled:

• u/sumoraiden: No Steinbeck is pretty clear she’s born a monster
• u/snoopwire: There are characters you can humanize, there are ones you can demonize. But when a story is a deep dive into good and evil in a society you can't flip them.
• u/LordJelly: The issue is Cathy as written IS a Lecter, Landa, Goth type character. She has opportunities to redeem herself and turns her nose up at them. She has no redeeming qualities, and there is no hint ever of her having any justification for what she does. She is black and white pure evil.
• u/broganism: The entire point of her character is that John Steinbeck was furious at his wife for having less sex with him when their son was born with health complications. Literally told her he wished their son would just die because the boy was taking up too much of her time. She left him. He wrote a book featuring the worst woman he could think of so he could tell everyone it was based on her.

I understand the concern. Cathy occupies a very specific place in Steinbeck’s moral architecture. The novel repeatedly frames her as something unnatural, almost an embodiment of evil dropped into a book obsessed with whether people can choose good over bad. Although I think people are conflating understanding a character with forgiving one.

Pugh’s Cathy Is Still Evil

Cathy still does terrible things in this adaptation. The show does not suddenly reveal that she was secretly misunderstood all along or send her skipping toward redemption. She hurts people. She manipulates them. She makes selfish, sometimes monstrous choices. What changes is that the Midsommar star can play a complicated woman like she likes, but she also has the scaffolding of a real human character, which she needs to play those scenes convincingly.

The English actress told Radio Times that she had to love Cathy enough to understand her, even while preserving the awful things she does. She said the series was trying to give the character context without pretending she escaped the consequences of her choices.

That strikes me as Actor 101. You cannot spend seven episodes thinking, “I am evil because the author says I am evil.” People rarely wake up believing they're monsters. They have rationalizations, wounds, appetites, blind spots and private logic. An actor needs access to that internal logic, or else the character might ring hollow or become boring.

One Reddit commenter, u/ConsistentGuest7532, made essentially the same point. They wrote:

Frankly, I find that version of Cathy scarier. A woman born with a metaphorical EVIL sign hanging over her head can be fascinating on the page, particularly within Steinbeck’s biblical framework. On screen, though, Pugh lets us glimpse the person underneath all that cruelty, which makes her choices hit harder.

The series gives Cathy reasons for what she does without excusing any of it. For my money, that distinction matters, and I think the Black Widow actress understands it perfectly. And hey, if this interpretation doesn't work for you, there are two earlier adaptations to revisit. The 1955 film starring James Dean takes a more humanized approach to the character, while the 1981 miniseries lets Jane Seymour embrace much more of Cathy’s “born evil” energy.

Florence Pugh is terrific, but she is only one piece of an absolutely stacked cast. Christopher Abbott completely won me over as the family patriarch, and now I’m even more convinced he'll make an incredible Charles Xavier in the MCU’s series of X-Men movies.

The looks Florence Pugh has been rocking in the lead-up to East of Eden’s release on the 2026 TV schedule have been ones for the record books. From bold colors to edgy homages to older times, she’s been pushing boundaries and wearing outfits that I’ll probably never forget. Her latest fashion moment fits right in with that statement, as she wore a clinging nude gown for a trippy photoshoot.

In a BTS photoshoot from the London premiere of Zoe Kazan's book-to-screen adaptation of East of Eden, Florence Pugh can be seen posing for a mirror-like image that shows her in this skin-tight and nude gown six times. Take a look:

Now, let’s dive into the details of this fit. The Dune: Part Two actress is wearing Rodarte’s PS27 Pink Iridescent Slip Gown with Rhinestone Details, according to Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s Instagram. She was styled by Rebecca Corbin-Murray, and per her post, the actress’s look is complemented by Bvlgari jewelry.

Personally, I’m obsessed with the matching scarf she has looped around her neck that goes with the dress perfectly and juxtaposes the form-fitting garment. I also adore the updo Pugh is rocking with this fit, because, to me, it helps give the ensemble a really cool Old Hollywood vibe.

Along with this ensemble being fabulous by itself, it’s also such a cool entry into the catalog of looks Florence Pugh has been curating for the East of Eden press tour. As the countdown to this show’s release ticked down, the actress went out there with a chartreuse corset number, and she went classic with a beautiful, voluminous black gown. Overall, her outfits have shown off her range, and they’ve also all come together to create a classic yet edgy set that helps highlight her new project.

I mean, Pugh has done everything from going full Victorian for one look to rocking statement colors like bright green and butter yellow for others. She’s always been fearless and bold with her fashion (I mean she is a queen of the sheer trend, for example), and she’s proved that in so many ways on this press tour. This nude fit highlights that point as well.

With all that said, if you’d like to see the project she wore all these outfits for, you can stream Zoe Kazan's take on East of Eden with a Netflix subscription now. In it, Pugh plays Cathy Ames, and you can see her performing alongside actors like Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Ciarán Hinds and Joseph Zada.

Then, prepare yourself for more iconic looks from Florence Pugh. That's because she’ll be back out and promoting her releases on the 2026 movie schedule soon, as both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three will be hitting theaters on December 18.

I’m convinced Florence Pugh can (and will) pull off any look. Her sheer pink gown from years ago is still one of the most iconic takes on the naked dress trend, in my opinion. She rocked a little black dress that gave seatbelts in the coolest way one time. Now, she’s turned up to an East of Eden premiere with a chartreuse take on the corset trend, and one fan comment highlights exactly what I thought when I saw this stunning outfit.

Yes, you read that correctly: Florence Pugh wore a chartreuse gown to the New York premiere of East of Eden. It was stunning too. The bright green top was a lovely corset with voluminous shoulders, and she complemented it with a beautiful grey skirt. Take a look:

For more details on this fabulous fit, it’s a custom Vivienne Westwood, and the gold choker around her neck is from Bulgari. Truly, Pugh and her stylist, Rebecca Corbin-Murray, who posted the details on Instagram, slayed with this look.

They also proved that you can make chartreuse work. Let’s be real, it’s a loud and hard-to-wear color. However, the East of Eden star looks absolutely stunning in it, and of course, she’d be the one to be able to pull an outfit like this off. Fans noted that too, as heatherlee0813 wrote in their comment on ET’s IG video of the look:

She really does make looking good in chartreuse look easy. However, that’s how Florence Pugh makes all of her fashion moments look. From reinventing the sheer trend with a '70s-inspired gown to rocking a beautiful and big black dress for a different premiere on her current press tour, she’s constantly playing into trends in her own unique and standout way.

Along with proving to me that she can totally rock chartreuse, this look also got me so excited to see what Florence Pugh does next, both on the red carpet and on screen. She has a big few months coming up too, so we’re going to see a lot of her in both places.

For starters, the book-to-screen adaptation of East of Eden, which she wore this look for, just premiered on the 2026 TV schedule for those with a Netflix subscription. After that, we all need to brace for December, because on the 18th she’ll take over the 2026 movie schedule with the releases of Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday. That day might be nicknamed Dunesday, but I actually think Pughsday is more appropriate.

Anyway, all this is to say that Florence Pugh is having a dominant moment on screen, and she’s absolutely killing the red carpets too. So, as Pughsday gets closer and we continue to celebrate the release of East of Eden, I hope we continue to see her rock other bright and bold colors.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is showing no signs of slowing down, to the joy of fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order. The latest release is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which broke records upon arriving in theaters. That movie featured plenty of familiar faces, including Jon Bernthal's Punisher, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, and Florence Pugh's Yelena. It turns out that the latter actress was included thanks to Tom Holland himself. Let's break it all down.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day's trailer included Bruce Banner and The Punisher, but Yelena was more of a surprise. In a clip from The Tonight Show's Instagram, Pugh explained how her role in that blockbuster actually came about thanks to Holland. She started by offering:

Talk about a fun origin story. While Yelena has become a fan favorite character over the years, she was relatively unknown when debuting in Black Widow (which ish streaming with a Disney+ subscription). So when Tom Holland was asked about what heroes he'd like to see join his Spider-Man franchise, one might have assumed he'd name drop some of the big OG Avengers. Of course, that wasn't the case.

Later in the same interview, the Oscar-nominated actress spoke more about how Tom Holland brought her into the Spider-Man family. In her words:

Tom Holland might be known for accidentally revealing Marvel spoilers, but I've got to give him his flowers here. Despite limited screen time, Yelena was a delightful part of Brand New Day. I loved her calling Spidey's problems "small potatoes" and making him uncomfortable by meeting her in a spa aka her "office." Marvel fans often wonder why The Avengers aren't called in for solo movies, and Destin Daniel Cretton's movie addressed this by Peter going to Yelena for help. Add in the other heroes in the movie, and the latest Spider-Man movie felt like it was ripped straight from the comics.

Pugh will once again reprise her role as Yelena in Avengers: Doomsday as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fans are hoping that Spider-Man: Brand New Day's credits scene means that Holland pop up in that movie or Secret Wars, but it's currently unclear if that'll happen. Fingers crossed we get to see Peter and Yelana back onscreen together soon.

Florence Pugh is an A-list actress and Oscar nominee who is one of the hottest movie stars in the business. She's also a style icon in her own right, responsible for starting the sheer dress trend in Hollywood. She recently stunned in a black dress at a screening for her new show East of Eden (which will be available shortly with a Netflix subscription), although I almost missed her rare comments about her relationship. Let's break it all down.

The Avengers: Doomsday star is currently dating Peaky Blinders actor Finn Cole, but she has been keeping her relationship close to the chest. During her recent interview and cover story at Vanity Fair, the 30 year-old actor spoke about how she's been approaching the public's interest in her personal life, offering:

That certainly sounds like a healthy way of looking at things. While Pugh isn't burdened with trying to keep her relationship with Cole, she also is trying to walk the line of how much she shares with fans. Regardless, it does seem like the pair of actors are happy with how things are going.

Florence Pugh's comments make a ton of sense for those who are familiar with her romantic life. Folks took umbrage with her former relationship with Zach Braff prior to their split in 2022. There was a ton of discourse about their age gap, which got louder once they broke up. So who can blame her for wanting a bit more privacy this time around?

The Little Women actress seems to have a good attitude about her fame and personal life, and it sounds like she and Finn Cole understand that their relationship is a point of interest. In the same interview Pugh said:

It sounds like the pair has a good sense of humor about the speculation about their relationship. So while Pugh has said it's not easy to date her, things see to be going well between her and Finn Cole. The public will likely remain invested in any news about the pair, especially given her previous high profile relationship. She also keeps making headlines for her fashion, you can see the full look at her stunning black gown below:

Personal life aside, Florence Pugh's career continues to thrive. In addition to her new TV show, she's got a major role in both films that make up Dunesday. Namely Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three.

East of Eden will release in its entirety on October 1st as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Then Pugh will star in both Doomsday and Dune 3 on December 28th.

Florence Pugh has turned Yelena Belova into one of my favorite underrated Marvel characters and a standout addition to the post-Endgame MCU. She is deadly, deeply weird and capable of making a scene funny without ever seeming like she is trying particularly hard. That dry delivery has become such a big part of the character that I cannot really imagine Yelena without it. Turns out, we came surprisingly close to getting a very different version before the actress changed it to keep her character from being "boring," and I’m so happy she did.

While revisiting scenes from her career for Vanity Fair, Pugh revealed that she initially rehearsed Black Widow using an English accent. Yelena is Russian in Marvel Comics, but that apparently was not how the studio and filmmakers originally approached the MCU's version. One problem: She thought the character was painfully dull. Pugh explained:

That is pretty devastating feedback on your own character. The breakthrough happened nowhere near Marvel Studios. According to the Oppenheimer star, she was home cooking dinner when she started trying the dialogue with a Russian accent. Suddenly, she found the Yelena we know:

“Everybody” included Black Widow director Cate Shortland and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, who approved the adjustment. For me, the accent itself is almost secondary to what it apparently unlocked in the Little Women star. She said:

Yelena mocking Natasha’s superhero pose in Black Widow, cheerfully eating macaroni with hot sauce in Hawkeye or calling Peter’s problems “small potatoes” in Brand New Day are moments when the actress lets Yelena be strange. She says ridiculous things with absolute sincerity. She has the gravitas to play deep loneliness in a movie like Thunderbolts*, then drop the funniest line as if she were at a dinner party, without missing a beat.

That personality has clearly stuck. Yelena has since appeared in quite a few Marvel movies and shows, with Feige also saying she has a significant role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. All because Pugh got bored during rehearsals and started doing Russian dialogue over dinner. Sometimes character development apparently happens in the kitchen.

Yelena’s next appearance in a new MCU movie is in Avengers: Doomsday, which lands on the 2026 movie calendar on December 18. As for Florence Pugh’s next big role, it is in the upcoming Netflix series, East of Eden. The new page-to-screen adaptation of the beloved John Steinbeck classic hits the streamer on October 1, 2026.

Sure, Alan Cumming is returning as Nightcrawler for Avengers: Doomsday, but don’t ask him to explain the plot. Aside from the fact that the actor is afraid to say anything so that he doesn’t get in trouble with Marvel, he seemingly doesn’t understand what’s going on well enough to risk it. Given how top secret as everything in the Marvel Universe is, that’s probably a good thing, for his sake.

The upcoming Marvel movie is set to hit theaters on December 18^th as part of the 2026 movie schedule, with anticipation building after that initial epic cast reveal and brief appearance by Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. For the first time, The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, The New Avengers, and The X-Men will be teaming up to battle the feared villain, which is sure to bring plenty of superhero shenanigans and mayhem as they work together to save the world and themselves. In a recent Hit 1 interview on SiriusXM, Alan Cumming stated it very plainly:

When you’re an actor in a Marvel project, you have to get used to spending a lot of time in front of a blue screen where things will be added later. As a result of that, it’s not surprising that it would be challenging to completely understand or fully track what’s going on at any given time. The Traitors host seems to have found it more beneficial to just focus on what he’s supposed to be doing in a scene, rather than knowing how it fits into the Marvel multiverse. He said:

As the host of The Traitors, Alan Cumming has become accustomed to treating things as though they’re top secret. But even then, he had an instance when he was talking about his experience working on the mega blockbuster and something he said got misconstrued. After all, the fans are always there to speculate.

With as highly anticipated as Avengers: Doomsday is, the behind-the-scenes tidbits that The Good Wife star shared are really fun to hear. It was particularly wild to know that while Nightcrawler and Yelena Belova shared a moment together, Cumming didn’t actually get to work with Florence Pugh but rather her body double. He explained:

After hearing that, I know that I, for one, will absolutely try to pinpoint which moment that is when I see Avengers: Doomsday. I’m so curious to know whether it will seem like the two actors were actually there together for the scene. It’s not unheard of, in working on a movie as large as this one, that production would have to split cast members across multiple filming days to accommodate scheduling and that body doubles would be needed to step in. Still, it definitely makes me curious to see how it will all come together in the final edit. If you want to watch how Cumming described the experience, here is the full clip:

With a Disney+ subscription, you still have plenty of time to catch up on or revisit all of the Marvel movies in order before Avengers: Doomsday is released, or you can just watch the recommended list of essential projects if you want to understand the next installment in the MCU better than Alan Cumming.

When Florence Pugh dropped that confectionary “pretty princess” purple Emmys look a few days ago, it was very clear she was going to be one of the best-dressed actors of the night. What I didn’t realize at the time was this was just the start of her East of Eden press tour, her splashy new TV release that’s heading to the upcoming Netflix schedule, but only after she delights us with a slew of outfits that are giving us a hint of method dressing, but have also just been so glamorous and romantic.

That held true for her on the celebrity fashion front this week several times. There was the yellow capelet she wore in LA that was also pastel in color and unusual in silhouette. Pugh was seen in Rodarte on Monday in a pair of flowy pants that mimicked a skirt silhouette and a top that can only be described as straight Victoria era, with ruffles and a high collar few could pull off. She did it for this photocall though.

She’s still in London for the press tour, and her makeup team dropped a duo of charming looks with the sweetest black hair bow I’m also still thinking about. One looks like a vintage smoking jacket, which is giving a bit more Edwardian era, and one has the same soft pastel feel her other looks have gone for. You can see the post from makeup artist Alex Babsky, below.

This is hardly the first time Pugh has made a good fashion show. Her partnership with Valentino a few years back made headlines but can also be credited with bringing the sheer dress to the forefront in Hollywood. And her also stunning Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere dress also recently turned heads for its intriguing silhouette.

East of Eden is a period drama, so all the vintage vibes here really make sense to me. It's also set over a long period of time spanning from part of the Victorian era to the Edwardian era, or you can look at it as spanning from the Civil War to the events of World War I. In that time skirts got shorter, fashion got a bit more daring, more skin started being shown, and the fabrics and colors certainly changed. It gives Pugh and her team a lot to work with in the coming weeks, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for her.

With stops in Paris and at Yale reportedly still on the way, I don’t think we’ll have any shortage of awesome outfits to mull over.

But if you are hoping for a story as confectionary as some of these looks have been, I have to tell you, John Steinbeck’s East of Eden is not for the faint of heart. The new miniseries officially drops on October 1st, and also stars Mike Faist, Christopher Abbott, Joseph Zada, Hoon Lee and Joe Anders.

Anyone who has closely followed Florence Pugh’s work can probably see a through-line when it comes to the characters she plays. In Pugh's best movies, she typically portrays women who are placed in tough situations and ultimately come out stronger than before. When Pugh was asked about her distinct acting choices, she shared some bold thoughts on the subject.

Something Pugh deserves credit for is having the courage to break out of her comfort zone to play a part. She previously spoke about her desire to get “dirty” with stunts while also getting emotionally vulnerable to ensure a powerful performance. When asked about her acting choices at The Atlantic Festival, Pugh described playing these tough, vulnerable women as a personal “fetish”:

I really love this explanation. Sure, a number of Pugh’s characters go through immense trauma and make less-than-affable choices. But, despite that, audiences feel every heart-wrenching emotion Pugh brings out and, as a result, they feel for her characters in some way.

The list of movies where Florence Pugh has flawlessly portrayed “trapped” and “complicated” women is endless. Pugh’s breakthrough film, Lady Macbeth, is a perfect example. In the British period film, the BAFTA nominee portrays the 19th-century titular role, refusing to feel stuck in a loveless marriage forced on her.

Of course, Pugh's performance in her A24 horror film, Midsommar, still lives in many viewers' minds rent-free. While playing a grief-stricken woman looking to escape to a Swedish festival, Pugh put herself through intense crying scenes so fierce that even those involved couldn’t pull themselves together after the cameras stopped rolling. Despite forcing herself into a tough mental headspace to reflect her character’s desperation and pain, Pugh still said she was proud of her dedicated performance.

There's also the starlet's Oscar-nominated performance in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. While the classic book adaptation is much more light-hearted than Midsommar or Lady MacBeth, Pugh’s Amy March goes through the struggle of wanting to fulfill her own ambitions compared to depending on a husband to be financially stable. Through that role, Pugh helps convey the idea of a woman simply wanting to be her own person.

And those aren't even all of the roles that can be applied to Florence Pugh's "fetish" for playing complex ladies. I mean, she even does this in the blockbuster space with former Red Room trainee and current Black Widow Yelena Belova of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and she'll reprise that role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday).

Quite frankly, Pugh's distinct acting choices have been great, and they're arguably what help make her one of the most interesting actors of her generation and one of the marquee talents of the 2026 movie schedule.

Actress Florence Pugh is an accomplished, Oscar-nominated actress who is constantly working. Case in point: she's starring in both of the movies that make up the nickname Dunesday, aka Dune: Part Three and the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Doomsday. She's also a fashion icon, with Pugh responsible for starting the sheer dress trend in Hollywood. Although lately she's switched that out for pastels, this time breaking the internet by wearing a capelet as a top. Let's break it all down.

Honestly, it's not unusual for Pugh's fashions to set the internet ablaze, and it doesn't look like that's going to stop anytime soon. Just days after going viral for her Vivienne Westwood Emmys gown, she wore a Rodarte two-piece to the premiere of her new series East of Eden (which will arrive for those with a Netflix subscription in October). You can check out the look for yourself below:

I mean, how gorgeous is that? This set of images, shared by Rodarte's official Instagram, features Florence Pugh wearing a two-piece yellow dotted ensemble. While it's not the "free the nipple" sheer look she's previously turned heads for, it's certainly ethereal. Although I have to assume there's some fashion tape or something that's attempting to stop anything unwanted from happening.

While the Thunderbolts* actress became synonymous with Hollywood's sheer dress trend, it looks like she's in her pastel era currently. It's hard not to make the connection between her look above, and the gorgeous gown she rocked at the 2026 Emmy Awards over the weekend. As a reminder, you can check out that look below:

Pugh was on many people's best dress list for this year's Emmys, and it's clear why. And just days later she's once again stunning on the carpet, this time for her new Netflix series East of Eden. She'll play protagonist Cathy Ames in the upcoming book to screen adaptation, and she (obviously) made a splash at its premiere event in Los Angeles. Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising, as she's a celebrity fashion icon in addition to being an accomplished A-list actress.

Fans who are eager to see more red carpet outfits from Pugh are in for a treat this coming December. As previously mentioned, she's starring in both Dune: Part Three and as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast. Pugh is doubtless going to be the real (fashion) winner of Dunesday, and it should be fascinating to see what she wears to the premieres for the two blockbusters, although with Zendaya possibly around, she may have some stunning red carpet competition. Of course, that's assuming that she'll be able to promote both projects. Talk about a crazy schedule.

East of Eden will premiere October 1st on Netflix as part of the 2026 TV schedule. As for those to upcoming movies, they'll both arrive on December 18th.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Florence Pugh had one of the most memorable 2026 Emmy looks (outside of maybe the Baywatch cast method dressing in red). The actress presented with Julia Garner ahead of the release of her upcoming Netflix series East of Eden, and she wore a confectionary – or as she put it “pretty princess” -- dress that really was giving Disney. She later revealed two facts about this .dress and the night I would never have known had she not pointed them out.

First, here’s a look at Pugh behind the scenes in her gorgeous dress. She wasn’t one of the Emmy winners of 2026, but I feel I can safely say she was one of the fashion winners. Her gown was custom made by Vivienne Westwood and Bvlgari helped her out with the matching jewelry. Take a look.

This brings me to the two facts I did not realize about Florence Pugh at the Emmys. The first was this was her very first Emmys ever. Pugh’s seemed as if she’s been everywhere the last few years, but when I think about it now, I’m realizing she’s been all over the big screen. She did some TV work early in her career, but lately it’s been stuff like Dune, Marvel, and Oppenheimer that have occupied her.

Secondly? The second thing she shared was a moment we didn’t get to see on the red carpet or on our TV screens. She said after donning the dress she met a little girl who told her she looked like a “princess” and she’d taken on the “pretty princess” moniker ever since. Cute story, and one that definitely fit her vibe for the night.

We don’t see as many “pretty princess” ballgowns on the red carpet as Hollywood did back in its heyday, but Vivienne Westwood’s vintage sensibilities as a brand really did lead Pugh to the perfect dress, in my opinion.

A few short years back, when Halle Bailey was promoting The Little Mermaid, she did rock another Disney Princess-esque pastel dress. The Tiffany-colored ballgown was one of the most memorable on the Oscars red carpet back in 2023, and proves that with the right gown and shade, a princess dress can still really work in the celebrity fashion realm.

The Housemaid co-stars Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried both wore poofy, romantic gowns recently as well -- though not for their shared project. Sweeney rocked one for Christy while Seyfried wore a princess gown for The Testament of Ann Lee.

To me, though, Pugh's entry is one of the best-looking and most memorable, and it's crazy how great she looks in an outfit for an awards ceremony she wasn't even nominated for. I guess if you are going to do something for the very first time, you might as well make a splash.

I’m always here for celebrities who are wanting to get yolked, and if takes an Aperol Spritz or two to do it even better. Florence Pugh’s been in Venice to promote Netflix’s East Of Eden, but let’s be honest, she really seems to be there for the content. Her latest was the weightlifting Aperol Spritz video I didn’t know I needed.

Pugh was out in the Italian sun with a pal who was instructing her on her Aperol Spritz hammer curls. She opened up about how she sometimes leans forward to get those right, and you can hear her taking instruction in the background, with the filmer humorously noting,“I think you may need to take a sip of the left one to make sure they’re even.”

She really looks like she's stretching and straining in the video, which amuses me, although I would assume there’s a fair amount of liquid in the glass and if you did enough of those you would, in fact, feel the burn. She clarified in the comments she was supposed to be meeting with her personal trainer during this day of travel, but said, "by the time I got there there was only 30 minutes spare so I sent him this."

On her Stories, she also jokingly referred to the moment as “necessary gains.”

Listen, when you are an actor, you get busy, and I assume you gotta get those workouts in when you can. If you can get fit while also getting a buzz, more power to ya Florence Pugh. It’s certainly not a bad way to kick off a work week…

In this case, it’s like the opposite of someone like Mark Wahlberg, who gets up at 4 a.m., has a home gym and uses as much equipment as possible to be as fit as possible. It’s not just Mark Wahlberg who are overcommitted to the gym, either. JLo, Dwayne Johnson, Kim Kardashian and many more commit to those early morning, hardcore workouts. Kudos to all of them, but if I can do hammer curls in the Italian sun while double fisting Europe’s spritz of choice, I’m gonna hard-stop choose that path over whatever it is Tom Holland is doing here.

Pugh was spotted in Venice earlier in September, and the outfit she’s wearing in this video is one she was seen in while sightseeing during her trip on September 8th. She later went on the red carpet where she was “dripping in Max Mara” and that far less casual look was probably the most memorable from the week. A lot of celebrities roll out content over a period of time so as not to give away their whereabouts following the Kim Kardashian robbery a few years back, and it’s still great content to kick the week off with.

She’s doubtless no longer taking in the languid Italian sunsets, as she’s expected to appear at LA’s Peacock Theater tonight in order to present one of the categories of nominees at the 2026 Emmys. At least we know she’ll look swole doing it.

Florence Pugh is far from just one of the best actors working in Hollywood today, as she’s also established herself as a true fashionista. Over the years, the starlet has sported a number of stunning outfits, from a lavender sheer dress to a silver ensemble with a beautiful fringe. More recently, the Oscar nominee has been gracing the Venice Film Festival with her presence and, unsurprisingly, she’s been serving serious looks. Her first night at the event saw her crush it on the red carpet, and I can’t take my eyes off her stunning diamonds.

Pugh is currently at Venice to promote her upcoming limited series, East of Eden, which is set to premiere as part of the 2026 TV schedule this year. Throughout the festivities, she has rocked a few notable looks, but the one she sported for the release of a new perfume Max Mara Le Parfum, really took the cake. Pugh wore a peach Max Mara twisted crop top along with an embellished skirt. She also sported some Bulgari jewels that were perfectly accessorized with the ensemble, and that can be seen in the Instagram post below:

Seriously, does she ever miss when it comes to a fashion moment? I’m of the thinking that she’s yet to do so. While the entire outfit is immaculate, it’s really hard not to highlight those diamonds. The shining pieces of jewelry suit the Midsommar star perfectly, and they match up with her sweet earrings. What these diamonds are a reminder of is the fact that when it comes to ensembles, accessories are very important as well.

Pugh’s hair was also perfectly quiffed and pinned for the occasion, and her pink lip was quite striking as well. What I also find to be a particularly nice touch to the outfit is the shawl, which the We Live in Time actress can be seen waving around in the breeze in that last video. Amid the glitz and the glamor, though, the A-lister just seems to be enjoying herself at Venice. She shared a lovely message about the experience:

It’s been fun to track Florence Pugh’s professional and personal exploits over the years as well as her sweet fashion moments. Her wardrobe is far from static, as she and her stylists clearly enjoy playing with a variety of looks. For instance, she’s gone vintage with a ‘70s-inspired see-through gown, though she can also go more subtle like she did with the black, two-piece ensemble she wore amid Dune: Part Two press. I’m assuming more great looks are on the way, given the projects she has coming up.

Aside from her upcoming Netflix series, Pugh is also looking towards the release of two big films, Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, which will both be released on December 18 as part of the 2026 movie schedule. That event is now being referred to as “Dunesday” and, when Pugh spoke about that dual release, she expressed gratitude for being in both franchises and for having had some time off before doing press.

So Florence Pugh fans are going to want to keep their eyes peeled, as the star surely has more red carpets to grace. I have no doubt that she’ll continue to slay in the months to come but, in the meantime, I’m just keeping my eyes fixed on this Venice ensemble with the diamonds.

If anyone still has questions about how much audiences are interested in Avengers: Doomsday, that was put to rest in September with the re-release of Avengers: Endgame, dubbed Endgame Encore. The appetite for the upcoming Marvel movie is clearly hungry for more after Endgame crushed it at the box office when it flew back into theaters.

Avengers: Doomsday is coming on the heels of the wildly successful Spider-Man: Brand New Day and will be the first movie to feature most of The Avengers since 2019's Endgame. Of course, it's going to be a star-studded affair as Kevin Feige and his team are assembling a collection of heroes unlike anything the MCU has seen before, with stars from all over the Marvel multiverse assembling for this and Avengers: Secret Wars, which will hit the 2027 movie schedule next December.

That's not all, because the 39th installment of the long-running franchise of acclaimed superhero movies is finally bringing in one of the most feared villains in comic book history, Doctor Doom. And he's being played by Robert Downey, marking his return to the MCU.

Let’s get into who is avenging this time and what else we know about the upcoming superhero movie in our guide to Avengers: Doomsday.

What Is The Avengers: Doomsday Release Date?

Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.

That date coincides with the release of Dune: Part 3 on the same day of the 2026 movie schedule, and fans have taken to calling it "Dunesday." It's set up a perfect double feature for hardcore movie fans, though it's going to make for a long day, as it's expected both movies will have runtimes around the two-and-a-half-to-three-hour mark.

Avengers: Doomsday Trailer

After years of anticipation, an epic cast reveal, a brief appearance by Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and a series of teasers featuring different characters, our first real look at Avengers: Doomsday came in July 2026 with the release of the first full trailer. Of course, it was talked about as much for what it didn't show as for what it did.

What Avengers: Doomsday Is About

Here's basically what we know: Avengers: Doomsday will bring together superhero teams from across the multiverse who will converge in one place to battle Doctor Doom. For the first time, the biggest teams in the Marvel canon will be teaming up in the MCU, including The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, The New Avengers (or The Thunderbolts), and last but certainly not least, The X-Men.

Previously, the plot of the fifth Avengers film was intended to revolve around a different villain and was going to be called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty before Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors was dropped by Marvel in 2023 following high-profile legal troubles.

As usual, Marvel has given only a few hints as to the plot of the movie, but we all remember the post-credit scene in The Fantastic Four: First Steps when we saw Doctor Doom holding Franklin Richards, the newborn baby of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Where that leads us is still up in the air. We do know that Doomsday and Secret Wars will conclude Phase Six and The Multiverse Saga. Starting in 2028, the MCU will begin The Mutant Saga with the release of Ghost Rider, Blank Panther III, and a so-far unnamed X-Men movie.

Additionally, Endgame Encore added some additional footage in the re-release, which you can read about here. I'm going to honor the Russos' wish not to spoil things, but there are a few scenes added to hint at what's to come.

The Avengers: Doomsday Cast

As you would expect, the cast for Avengers: Doomsday is huge. The first announcement came way back in the summer of 2024 at San Diego Comic-Con. The Hall H crowd erupted into a roar of excitement and confusion when it was revealed that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU, but not as Iron Man. Instead, the Academy Award winner is the one putting the “doom” in Avengers: Doomsday by starring as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom.

In March of 2025, Marvel Studios revealed who would be taking on Doom with a live-streamed video on X, which is now available on YouTube, lasting more than five hours. Fold-out chairs bearing the actors’ names were placed next to each other, one by one, every 15 minutes. In addition to established veterans of the franchise, the previewed ensemble also includes the stars of the yet-to-be-released Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as well as a few who are making their MCU debuts but not their Marvel debuts, having previously starred in the live-action X-Men movies.

Check out the Avengers: Doomsday cast, complete with character names, below:

• Robert Downey Jr. (Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom)
• Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
• Chris Evans (Steve Rogers)
• Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier / Professor X)
• Ian McKellen (Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto)
• Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson / Captain America)
• Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes)
• Letitia Wright (Shuri / Black Panther)
• Channing Tatum (Remy LeBeau / Gambit)
• Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic)
• Paul Rudd (Scott Lang / Ant-Man)
• Rebecca Romijn (Raven Darkhölme / Mystique)
• James Marsden (Scott Summers / Cyclops)
• Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
• Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm / Invisible Woman)
• Simu Liu (Xu Shang-Chi)
• Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova)
• Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter)
• Wyatt Russell (John Walker / U.S. Agent)
• Tenoch Huerta (Namor)
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm / The Thing)
• Kelsey Grammer (Hank McCoy / Beast)
• Lewis Pullman (Bob / Sentry)
• Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres / Falcon)
• Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm / Human Torch)
• David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian)
• Winston Duke (M'Baku)
• Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr / Ghost)
• Alan Cumming (Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler)

There are a few names you might be wondering about who aren't on that list. There are a few actors who have not been officially confirmed for Doomsday, but there is speculation that at least some of them will appear. This includes Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Also not on the list is Tom Holland as Spider-Man, and that's because it's very unclear if he'll be in Doomsday or only in the sequel, Avengers: Secret War. There is a lot of chatter that Tobey Maguire may appear as his version of Peter Park/Spider-Man in Doomsday. None of this is confirmed as of late September 2026.

Avengers: Secret Wars Is Coming December 17, 2027

Joe and Anthony Russo revealed to Omelete that, while Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were two halves of a finale to the MCU’s first saga, Avengers: Doomsday will be the first half of a transition for the franchise from the Multiverse Saga into The Mutant Saga.

The sixth Avengers movie (Secret Wars) shares its name with the aforementioned comic book arc, which ran for 12 issues from 1984 to 1985, in which an omnipotent being called the Beyonder brings various heroes and villains (including Doctor Doom) to the planet Battleworld and pits them against each other like gladiators.

All of this was potentially hinted at in the post-credits scene in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and could explain why Tom Holland won't be in Doomsday, as his version of Spidey is now seemingly trapped on Battleworld already.

Joe And Anthony Russo Are Directing Avengers: Doomsday

Some of the titles considered to be the absolute best Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame – have been directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers previously claimed they would be walking away from the franchise for good after their 2019 smash, but it looks like you should never say never. The Russos are directing both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which, according to Variety, was a top condition for Robert Downey Jr.’s return.

After most recently working with the Russos as the co-writer for their Netflix original movies, The Gray Man and The Electric State, Stephen McFeely is reteaming with them to pen Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. He had previously written several classic MCU movies, including Endgame, with his frequent partner, Christopher Markus. This will be his first solo effort with the franchise. Loki creator Michael Waldron previously served as the screenwriter when Daniel Destin Cretton was still on board as the director.

What To Watch In Anticipation Of Doomsday

You still have plenty of time to catch up on or revisit all of the Marvel movies in order before Avengers: Doomsday is released, if you are up for it. However, Disney and Marvel have also released a list of MCU shows and movies that they say are essential viewing, and thankfully, it's much shorter than diving into everything!

All you need is a Disney+ subscription, and you can watch everything recommended.

• X-Men
• X-Men 2
• Captain America: The First Avenger
• The Avengers
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Avengers: Endgame
• Loki Seasons 1 and 2
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
• Deadpool and Wolverine
• Captain America: Brave New World
• Thunderbolts*
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps

While there have been some left wondering why certain shows and movies were left out, and others are mad that more of what they watched seemingly isn't important to this installment, I am glad the list isn't too exhaustive. It's hard work keeping up with the MCU, but I'll keep doing it and making updates on this story as often as needed!

Minor spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is finally in theaters, and making a ton of money at the box office. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order were thrilled about finally picking up the narrative after No Way Home's ending, which saw the entire world forget about Peter Parker. I didn't expect any gay jokes to be made throughout its 145-minute runtime, but as a queer Marvel fan I couldn't be more thrilled.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day's trailer featured Hulk and Punisher, but the movie also featured an A+ appearance by Florence Pugh's Yelena/ Black Widow. Peter meets her at her "office", which is really a city bathhouse. After undressing apart from his mask, Yelena pokes fun at his anonymity, asking if he keeps the mask on...

This quick line of dialogue absolutely took me out, and further shows why Yelena is one of the best characters we've gotten in the post-Endgame phases of the MCU. She typically brings a ton of humor to her roles, including in Hawkeye and Thunderbolts* (both of which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription).

As a hardcore Marvel fan who is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I also appreciated that this exchange wasn't making fun of queer folks. What's more, Spider-Man didn't seem offended by the idea of folks thinking he might be gay. I thought this was refreshing, given how often being gay has been used as an insult in media throughout the years. Yelena's comment is just a fun moment, and one that acknowledges that yes, there are LGBTQ+ people in the MCU.

Another queer-coded moment in Spider-Man: Brand New Day happened after Peter woke up hanging outside of his apartment in a web. He falls to the ground, and has to steal clothes from his building's laundry room before taking the elevator back to his place. He accidentally grabs a crop top and pants with "juicy" written on the butt, in another one of the movie's funnier moments. And it felt more significant after his conversation at the bath house with Yelena.

Of course, there have been a handful of LGBTQ+ characters introduced in the MCU. Joe Russo played a gay man during his Endgame cameo, while America Chavez has two moms in Doctor Strange 2. Additionally, Billy Maximoff was confirmed as gay during Agatha All Along.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. The gay jokes happen very quickly, so be careful not to miss them with a bathroom trip!

Charlize Theron is both a trendsetter and fantastic at hopping on trends in a unique way. Now, I think she’s doing both these things with her latest look, as she was the second celebrity this week to wear a silver fringe dress to a premiere for a project on the 2026 movie schedule. So, here’s hoping we have a new trend on our hands!

One day after Florence Pugh rocked a silver fringe dress at the UK premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Theron showed up to the China premiere for The Odyssey in a stunning fringe gown by Louis Vuitton. Take a look:

As you can see, the silver fringe on this gown starts at the Mad Max: Fury Road star's shoulders and then cascades down her entire body. Underneath it, she’s wearing a high-neck black top, and her Instagram post about the look highlights the open back.

Overall, this fit doesn’t just fit in with a potential new trend; it also adds to her ongoing epic catalog of Odyssey looks. From one outfit that featured a high-slit dress and over-the-top gloves to another that was made of sheer black and white material, she’s been wearing clothes that stand right up there with Zendaya’s fits for this film.

However, let’s go back to Pugh for a second. The actress, who ironically will also star with Zendaya later this year in Dune: Part Three and is supposedly also in Spider-Man: Brand New Day with her, turned heads with her silver dress a few days ago. The dress was by Tamara Ralph, and it was fully made of silver fringe. It also featured what the Little Women star called “breast curtains,” which were made of fringe and added a really cool structure to the gown.

In comparison, Theron’s fringe look is a lot more free-flowing. It almost feels like it’s a waterfall. So, it’s a very fun and effective example of how much range fringe (and the color silver) has.

Now, I’d like to see more celebrities jump on this trend. I feel like they will too, considering how both Pugh and Theron’s styles tend to fit right in with what’s hot at any given moment. For example, Pugh was a leader of the sheer trend. Meanwhile, the Apex star always knows how to make a fad edgy and her own, as she wore a plunging yet structured sheer Givenchy gown to a different Odyssey event this week.

With that said, I’m looking forward to seeing the next outfits these ladies rock on the red carpet. I’m also hopeful we’ll see more silver fringe. Maybe Pugh will even bring it back again, seeing as she’ll be releasing both Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday on December 18.

Clearly, silver fringe can be done in many different ways, and I want to see her, Theron, and others wearing it again and again and again, because it really does make them shimmer.

When it comes to Spider-Man: Brand New Day and other premieres, Zendaya has obviously been slaying red carpet after red carpet. But, hold up. We have to give some points to Florence Pugh! She turned up to the UK premiere in a dress that shouldn't work, but totally does, and I love the name she coined for it.

The MCU actress is set to return in the role of Yelena Belova in the first upcoming Marvel movie after Spider-Man, Avengers: Doomsday. However, she made an early cameo at the London premiere of Brand New Day by coming out in a sparkly silver dress that features what she calls "breast curtains." It's a sight to behold. Check it out:

She wore a Tamara Ralph Spring 2026 Couture gown with a bunch of silver jewelry as accessories, and a super cool slicked-back hairdo. Check out what Pugh called the look on her Instagram:

Breast curtains is too good. Leave it to Pugh to start a trend like this.

Zendaya also wore the same designer for the very same UK premiere, but no curtains were to be found. Check it out:

As for Pugh, her appearance at this premiere is sure to fuel the rumors that she has a cameo in Brand New Day. Marvel boss Kevin Feige even said this earlier this month:

The Marvel of it all aside, Pugh is known for taking fashion risks in the name of fashion, but she wears this one so well that it doesn't even feel like one. Who knew floating shoulders and twinkly fringe down her chest and her legs could work at the same time? Leave it to this fashion icon to make it chic.

It's been a while since Florence Pugh walked a red carpet for a big movie premiere. By our estimation, it was last May for the release of Thunderbolts*. And, we've really missed her. Back in May, she did wear another fantastic sheer look for an event, but otherwise she's mostly been keeping to herself. So, seeing her back on her fashion A-game while also showing how brilliant "breat curtains" can be is amazing.

Pugh has understandably been a bit off the grid ahead of starring in both movies of "Dunesday": Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday – both due in theaters on December 18. A couple months ago, she said she was excited to promote both films after having "some time to sleep" in the time she's had off across the past year.

While the Avengers: Doomsday cast showed up in a big way over the weekend when a bunch of the actors surprised fans at San Diego Comic-Con's Hall H presentation, Pugh wasn't there. (But she wasn't the only one – Chris Hemsworth, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were also notably missing among others). It's great to see Pugh back with her MCU family to support Brand New Day, and it makes me excited about the prospect of getting more Yelena. We'll be watching for her character in the Spider-Man film, which opens in theaters on July 31.

Actor Tom Cruise has the reputation of advocating for a certain class of movies where what we see on screen is done for real. So of course he’s been supporting The Odyssey. The actor dropped by NYC’s Lincoln Square on opening weekend to see it himself, and had big praise for Chris Nolan, the cast and crew. But he also had thoughts on the Dune: Part Three sneak peek playing before IMAX screenings, as well.

Tom Cruise rented out a private showing of The Odyssey for himself and his team. He also apparently ended up inviting some of the employees of the AMC to join him. After an employee shared the “magical” experience, one fan had to ask them if Cruise had thoughts on the Dune: Part Three sneak peek. Here’s what reportedly happened:

In the front of IMAX screenings of The Odyssey, movie fans are treated to the prologue to Dune: Part Three, and Tom Cruise was no exception. Cruise was geeking out over the sequence that involves the Fremen getting caught in a visceral battle after feeling the rain for the first time. And apparently he even called one of the movie’s producers to congratulate them on a job well done. How cool.

Check out Cruise posing with four lucky AMC employees who got to experience the Dune 3 preview and The Odyssey with him. Talk about a treat!

Tom Cruise has certainly been vocal about his love of the Dune franchise before. He sent Chalamet “the most wonderfully inspiring email” that even included a Rolodex of experts he might need for additional stunt training. Per Chalamet’s recounting of the email to GQ, Cruise let him know that “nobody” would hold him to the Old Hollywood standard. And it was up to him to do so.

Dune: Part Three is set to round out Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy based on Frank Herbert’s books. It will follow a super unsettling Paul Atreides 17 years after the previous film. After Paul betrayed Zendaya’s Chani in Part Two and rose as the Lisan al-Gaib, it looks like the two become enemies. All the while, Robert Pattinson’s Scytale executes a plot to dethrone Paul.

It’s not only one of the most exciting upcoming book-to-screen adaptations, it could be the biggest box office weekend of the year. The movie shares a release date with Avengers: Doomsday in a movie event already calling itself Dunesday. We definitely expect Tom Cruise to be first in line after these alleged comments about Part Three.

I had been thinking about the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday as the next massive Marvel roll call. You know the deal: heroes from all corners of the MCU multiverse, the Fantastic Four, returning legacy names, Doctor Doom chaos stirring things up, and so many heroes it could feel a little crowded. But producer Kevin Feige just made me much more interested in the upcoming Marvel movie, thanks to his comments about Florence Pugh’s Thunderbolts* character, Yelena Belova.

During Feige’s appearance at BiliBili World in Shanghai, via Entertainment Weekly, the Marvel Studios boss teased what is coming for Pugh’s fan-favorite former assassin on the 2026 movie schedule. While talking about Yelena’s MCU future, Feige made it clear she will not just be hanging around in the background of the next Avengers movie. He said:

That is the kind of Feige tease that immediately sends Marvel fans like me into detective mode. The obvious part is Doomsday. Yelena playing a “big part” in the next Avengers movie makes sense after everything Marvel has been building with her and how Thunderbolts* ended. Since her debut in Black Widow, Pugh has turned Yelena into one of the MCU’s most reliable newer characters, bringing dry humor, emotional baggage and a very specific “I could kill you, but I’m hungry” energy to every appearance.

The more interesting part is Feige saying we might see Yelena “a little bit sooner in the movies.” Unless Marvel is holding back another theatrical surprise, that seems to point toward the soon-to-be-released Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hits theaters nearly six months before Avengers: Doomsday. And, honestly, Yelena crossing paths with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is just odd enough to have my attention.

At first, Peter and Yelena do not sound like an obvious pairing. Peter is still dealing with the fallout from No Way Home, where everyone forgot Peter Parker existed. Yelena is a trained killer with a sharp tongue and very little patience for nonsense. But Brand New Day already seems interested in unusual combinations, especially with the Punisher and Hulk appearing in the movie. If those characters can fit into Peter’s world, Yelena does not feel like much of a stretch.

The team-up of characters is also not as strange as it might sound, because to anyone with a Disney+ subscription who has already watched Hawkeye and seen Yelena work in a more family-friendly Marvel story. She brought a sharper edge to that show, but she never felt out of place or as if she were pulling it into a completely different tone.

From a bigger MCU standpoint, it makes sense too. Avengers: Doomsday is going to be huge and, if Yelena really has a major role in it, Marvel may want to remind audiences where she is before that movie arrives. A smaller appearance beforehand could give her story some momentum and make her role in the next Avengers film feel less sudden.

That is especially important because Yelena is not just another name on the team sheet. Pugh has been one of Marvel’s strongest additions in the post-Endgame era, and the MCU could use more characters who feel specific rather than interchangeable. So, yes, Avengers: Doomsday is still the big heroes team-up. That is clearly the main event. But Feige’s comments have me watching the road to that movie more closely, because Yelena may be more important to this phase than I expected.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which could possibly feature Yelena, hits theaters July 31. As for Avengers: Doomsday, where we know she is confirmed to appear in the stacked cast, that arrives in theaters Dec. 18.

The 2026 movie schedule has already had some bangers, but man, I think I just found my official most-anticipated of the bunch for the second half of the year now that we have a fresh trailer for Dune: Part Three We just got the most epic look at Denis Villeneuve's trilogy finale yet, and it has me thinking about what dark arc is on the horizon for Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides. Thankfully, the actor himself shed some light on what’s coming.

CinemaBlend attended Dune: Part 3’s global fan event at the AMC Burbank in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday morning. We were among the first to see the movie’s new trailer along with witnessing an exclusive conversation between Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet. Check out the trailer here:

Y’all, the chills I had seeing this in IMAX with an audience! I’m not going to be OK after this movie… and I cannot wait. The new footage really focuses on the fallout of Dune: Part 2, where Paul broke the heart of Zendaya’s Chani by deciding to marry Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan. He did so to take the throne as the Padishah Emperor – officially choosing power and war over anything else.

It certainly seems like Paul is going to the dark side here, so I’m happy that the event’s moderator Brittany Broski asked Chalamet if Paul is stepping into his “villain” era now. Here’s how the Oscar-nominated actor responded:

The writing was on the wall in Dune: Part Two that Paul maybe wasn’t going to be the hero of this story anymore, and in Part Three the ramifications of this will all come to a head. The trailer also sets up what’s going on with Robert Pattinson’s role of Scytale, who decides to execute a plot to dethrone Paul and involve the Princess.

I also think the trailer insinuates that Chani may actually be the one to go head-to-head with the Emperor by the end of the movie after things have gone bitter between them. Chalamet also said this about what’s going on with Paul and Chani during the event:

Part Three's main plotline takes place a couple decades after the second movie, and also features Anya Taylor-Joy as Paul’s sister, Alia. The franchise newcomer has called the role “very intense” and I can see why. While the first Dune: Part Three trailer got me excited, this second one has me moving the movie to the top of my list of 2026 movies I’m hyped for. A big part of that is Paul's nuanced arc across the trilogy being concluded. I mean, and this new poster? Check it:

During the event, we were also treated to an exclusive look at the opening of Dune: Part 3, which will be playing in front of IMAX screenings of The Odyssey next weekend. It had Javier Bardem’s Stilgar and some other men being thrust into an intense battle sequence in the rain. I’d imagine he’s operating under the orders of Paul after embracing him as the messianic Lisan al-Gaib at the end of Dune: Part 2. It doesn't show the whole battle sequence, so now I'm left wanting to watch the whole thing.

We'll have to wait for the final Dune film until December 18!

As Marvel fans await Florence Pugh’s return as Yelena Belova in upcoming MCU epic Avengers: Doomsday, and Dune fans await her return as Princess Irulan in the third film — releasing on the same day, no less — the actress is busy keeping sheer dresses front of mind heading into the summer. Pugh not so long ago made the sheer dress a “free the nipple” statement, and her latest see-through look is surprisingly intricate and unsurprisingly divine.

Pugh is a standard-setter for this fashion trend, and is not interested in hearing others’ complaints as she brings her brings her nipple-freeing looks to life. The occasion for the sheer-tastic look below was the 30th birthday celebration of fashion designer Harris Reed, who opted for his own sheer outfit to usher in his next decade. Pugh shared a pic from the event on her Instagram, as seen below.

(Anyone wondering just how sheer the back of Pugh’s dress is need not seek out the help of oracles on high. Reed also shared a close-up shot of both of their backsides, and there’s no mistaking which body parts are on display, though everyone's nether regions are covered up.)

This dress is certainly stunning from any angle, and I'd love to know how flexible that fabric is, as well as whether the fuzzy bits are soft like fur or if they're more straw-like to help everything stay lifted. Regardless of if it's all extremely soft or weirdly scratchy, it's another big win for Pugh's see-through fashion picks. Not as simple as some of her looks have been, with full head-to-toe theming, as opposed to just rocking a sheer skirts with non-sheer tops.

Gotta give Harris Reed props for going with a sheer look at the same time as Pugh. Birthday or not, that's quite the challenge, but it looks like everyone had a great time.

Pugh actually went with the opposite of a sheer dress while celebrating her 30th birthday earlier this year. But that was less to do with making or breaking fashion trends, and more to do with her being in the snowy Alps for the occasion, which can make extremely thin and wispy fabrics a less than ideal outfit.

Amusingly enough (or not), Pugh's next high-profile project is one in which wearing a sheer dress of any kind would break all the laws of reality. She's set to star in the limited series adaptation of John Steinbeck's 1952 magnum opus East of Eden, which was developed by Zoe Kazan. (Her grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film.) The first trailer for the 2026 Netflix release dropped recently, and it looks like it'll definitely get viewers talking. Albeit not about any see-through fashion choices.

Florence Pugh is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood now, and she has starred in a number of beloved projects across multiple genres. Folks who like to watch Pugh's movies are in for a treat this holiday season, as she's starring in Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, both of which hit theaters on December 18th. And the actress responded to this event (lovingly titled Dunesday by the fans) after having a little time away from the spotlight.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but fans can't wait to see entire teams of heroes on the big screen. While Pugh is reprising her role as Yelena in the MCU (her other appearances are streaming with a Disney+ subscription), she'll also return as Princess Irulan in the third Dune film. In a clip from ET's TikTok, the Oscar-nominated actress addressed her two big releases hitting theaters at the same time, offering:

Talk about a great perspective. While promoting these two movies at the same time might be a crazy schedule, at least Pugh was able to rest a bit before jumping into the chaos of Dunesday. And no matter what happens with the box office battle between Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, Ms. Flo is coming out on top.

While most of us thing of actors doing their job primarily on set, promoting movies is a big part of the gig. Given the global appeal of both Dune and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Florence Pugh is likely going to be doing a ton of traveling and countless interviews for her pair of blockbuster sequels.

Big things will seemingly happen for Pugh's characters in both Dune 3 and Avengers: Doomsday. The latter will see Yelena, who is leading the New Avengers, crossover with entire teams of heroes while fighting Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Then there's the third Dune movie, which will see Princess Irulan married to Paul Atreides in the midst of his Holy War. The stakes are high, and I have to assume moviegoers will be doing plenty of double features.

Both Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Dunesday will be here before we know it, and I can't wait to see what happens both narratively and financially with the pair of movies.

Like many of her fellow stars, Florence Pugh has sought to maintain a level of privacy as she’s navigated life as a public figure. She does, however, provide fans with insight into her life as well as her mentality regarding her career and Hollywood as a whole. More recently, Pugh (who left LA to return to London) shared some candid thoughts on what it’s like being a woman working in the entertainment industry. And the A-lister didn’t hold back her thoughts on the notable double standards she’s experienced within the business.

Pugh’s breakthrough role arguably came by way of 2016’s Lady Macbeth and, since then, she’s worked quite consistently, landing roles in major projects. All of that doesn’t necessarily mean the road has been – or is – easy for her to travel down, though. Pugh spoke with The Mirror (via DailyMail) and opened up about the challenges women face carving out lanes for themselves within the acting profession. The Midsommar star specifically spoke to how people’s perceptions of men and women – both figuratively and literally – vary:

It’s unfortunate to say, but labels like “difficult” and “diva” are still unfairly cast upon actresses in some situations. Someone could argue that such descriptors are used when a woman tries to defend herself or ask questions regarding the work they’re doing. Pugh also makes a good point when it comes to how men’s bodies are viewed compared to women’s. There’s a particularly high amount of scrutiny that women receive for the way they look compared to men. Pugh previously discussed how women’s bodies were judged, and she has first-hand experience with backlash due to that 2022 situation involving her Pink Valentino sheer dress.

From the perspective of the business, there is certainly a patriarchy that still exists, and that system can have damaging effects on a female artist’s trajectory. Pugh doesn’t claim to have all the answers, of course, but she did share suggest a few courses of action that could be implemented to better the landscape for younger female performers and seasoned ones:

That’s certainly a positive message, and it’s one that may resonate not only with Pugh’s peers but with women in other industries who are facing similar challenges. Something that’s arguably endeared Pugh to people is her willingness to be so candid in certain respects. It’s honestly great to see a star like her succeed within the business, but it’s also admirable to see one who speaks truth to power about what she views as inequalities in the workplace.

See Florence Pugh shine on the big screen when both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three open on December 18 as part of the 2026 movie schedule.

There’s been some big cinematic productions from women in music lately, and they’ve assembled the biggest names in Hollywood to help them out. Sabrina Carpenter’s most recent music video for her song “House Tour” continues her visual narrative of a criminal starlet on the run, this time joined by accomplices Madelyn Cline and Margaret Qualley. After country music star Ella Langley’s music video “Choosin’ Texas” went viral last week for its lovelorned tale starring Luke Grimes and Ava Phillipe, it seems like this is a recent trend rather than a coincidence.

Now Laufey has entered the chat, and while the celebrity cameos are A+, I can’t get over how similar the music video is to a certain Florence Pugh movie.

Laufey Assembled An All-Star Cast Full Of Asian-American Representation

After teasing her upcoming project all week, Laufey released the music video for her song “Madwoman” on April 13, and she recruited some of the biggest Asian-North American celebrities to round out her cast.

The Asian-Icelandic song writer recruited The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Lola Tung, Megan Skiendal from Katseye, and USA gold medalist Alysa Liu, the latter of whom famously used Laufey’s song “Promise” in her figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

However, fans freaked out when the “Lover Girl” singer announced Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams would be playing her “madman.” The Canadian actor is one of the buzziest names in Hollywood right now thanks to his breakout performance in the popular gay hockey show, making him the perfect leading man.

Also included in the narrative were Bottoms actress Havana Rose Liu and I Know What You Did Last Summer’s Chase Sui Wonders, who appeared on fake tabloid covers, making for fun easter eggs.

Holy crossover, what I would have given to be in the room where it happened! These aren’t just big stars, they’re the next generation of Asian representation in Hollywood. They’re also all at the top of their respective industries right now.

Not to mention, this is an extremely attractive cast, and don’t even get me started on the slow motion shot of Williams lifting his shirtless self out of the pool. They all look so good in their ‘50s outfits, the colorful dresses, headbands and go-go boots, which brings me to my next point: we need to talk about the themes and storytelling in this video.

I Couldn’t Get Over The Don’t Worry Darling Vibes

Laufey’s “Madwoman” is eerily similar to the 2022 psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling, starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. From the mid-century modern outfits and decor, the video theme is clearly in line with ‘50s So-Cal suburbia, which matches that of Don’t Worry Darling’s simulation town of Victory. That alone is not enough to connect the two pieces of media though, and I was really struck by the plot parallels about halfway through the music video.

For context, Laufey’s lyrics in “Madwoman” talk about how she knows it’s a bad idea to re-involve herself with such a deceptive lover, yet he always convinces her to stay. She describes herself as being “vexed” and “hypnotized” by him, very similar themes found in Olivia Wilde’s film.

The video reflects these lyrics, showing the charming Williams exhibit certain red flags, but still causing everyone to swoon around him. Check it out:

Everything seems so perfect, including the moment the Heated Rivalry star gets down on one knee, up until Laufey backs up into a ceramic bust, which falls and shatters on the pool deck. At that moment, everyone in this idyllic scene freezes but Laufey, who has been brought back to reality by the crash.

It immediately reminded me of the moment Alice breaks an egg in her hand in Don’t Worry Darling, realizing it’s just a hollow shell. It’s one of many cracks in the simulated utopia that start to pull her out of her daze, warning signs that her husband Jack is not what he pretends to be.

However, the final scene of Laufey’s video solidifies for me the Don’t Worry Darling influence. After realizing it’s all a ruse, Laufey drives off in a vintage car, until suddenly the road ends, and she stops short in front of an endless black pit. There are limits to the world she’s in... where have I seen this before?

Oh that’s right! Florence Pugh drives off in a vintage car until she reaches the edge of Victory, where there is a portal to the outside world. The similarities are quite uncanny in my opinion, but that’s where they end. Olivia Wilde’s film ends with Alice seemingly escaping the false utopia prison, although viewers were left with many questions. Laufey, on the other hand, returns to her mid-century modern house and to her narcissistic partner, accepting that she cannot help but give in to the chaotic relationship.

Overall, I thought the video and narrative were so well done, and I thoroughly enjoyed the cameos. I sure hope more artists take a page out of Laufey’s book!

After getting our first unsettling look at what’s ahead in the upcoming Dune: Part Three, it turns out Timothée Chalamet’s not the only one looking dramatically different this time around. Florence Pugh has now entered the chat with a visual of Princess Irulan from the 2026 calendar release, which is just as hard to ignore. After she posted a pic of her character's clay-covered face, fans had a lot to say. Well, now she’s responded.

Florence Pugh shared an image on Instagram showing Irulan, her face covered in cracked, clay-like material. The image below is stark, textured, and, honestly, a bit eerie, especially given how polished and composed the character appeared in Dune: Part Two. Naturally, the internet reacted within seconds.

So, how did fans respond? About as over-the-top as you’d expect.

Fans' Responses To Princess Irulan’s Clay Face

Instead of diving straight into plot theories, plenty of fans fixated on something else entirely: what was going on with that clay-covered face?

A lot of the early reactions leaned into humor. Comments like @morgflorals’ “What foundation do you use?!” and @pubity’s “Love your makeup here” captured the tone right away. When a look is that intense, sometimes the only option is to joke about it. Fashion designer Harris Reed kept things especially dry with a simple “Casual.”

Others took the comparison in a different direction. “That looks like a very nice face mask,” wrote content creator stellalasaurus, while @ayeeeitstoriii asked, “What kind of clay mask are you using queen?” At that point, the comment section started to feel like a very niche skincare forum.

And that was just scratching the surface. A few more standout reactions included:

• @Camerongsands: “girl why are they trying to cover your face card🙄”
• @Joefevs: “She needs a better skincare routine”
• @polo.nyyy12: "not exclusively on tiktok i hope tf not??"
• @thisoddangel: “This will be what gets me into the dune series”
• @charliemwashby: "Girl, drop that skincare routine!"

So yes, fans were keeping things… subtle. As for Florence Pugh’s response? It was exactly as playful as you’d expect.

Florence Pugh Responds To Dune 3 Fans

Pugh didn’t leave fans hanging for long. She reposted the image to her Instagram Stories and added a short caption: “Check out why Irulan has a clay mask in Dune 3🥰” The “clay mask” comments have officially been acknowledged.

More importantly, her response may suggest there’s a real in-universe explanation behind the look. Given how Dune tends to handle politics, religion, and symbolism, it’s not hard to imagine this being tied to something ceremonial, strategic, or even personal for Irulan as the story moves forward.

Either way, the image has already done what any good first look should do. It grabbed attention and got people talking, even if that conversation briefly turned into skincare recommendations. Now the only real question is whether Irulan’s “routine” is something fans will actually want to try… or something best left on Arrakis.

Alongside Pugh’s Irulan, Dune: Part Three will bring back several familiar faces, including Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, and Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck. Robert Pattinson is also joining the lineup as the film’s antagonist, Scytale. The next chapter hits theaters on December 18, going head-to-head with Avengers: Doomsday. In the meantime, fans can revisit the first two films, along with the prequel series Dune: Prophecy, with an HBO Max subscription.

Sheer fashion and the naked dress have been a staple trend for years now. However, it’s not one that rose to fame for the first time when celebs like Florence Pugh and Megan Fox went viral in the early 2020s for their jaw-dropping looks. No, it’s been around for a very long time. And to prove that, I’d like us to travel back to 1997 and an iconic sheer illusion dress that Victoria Beckham rocked at the Brit Awards.

Obviously, the sheer trend did not just pop up in the 2020s. As Vogue noted, it was prominently embraced by celebrities like Jane Birkin and Cher in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. However, it had a major moment in the 1990s. Specifically, the naked dress had a stand-out moment in 1997 when Victoria Beckham wore this incredible Maria Grachvogel garment, per Hello, to the Brit Awards:

As you can see in this legendary photo of the Spice Girls, Posh Spice’s dress features a dark black sheer top that cuts into a V around her waist. Then, lighter sheer paneling outlines it at the bottom of the dress. Truly, this feels like the naked dress the roads should lead back to. It’s remarkable.

Of course, when I think of recent sheer fashion, the first two names that pop into my head are Megan Fox and Florence Pugh.

Fox comes to my mind because of the absolutely iconic naked dress she wore to the 2021 VMAs. The completely sheer gown that was detailed with sparkly lines was stunning and flattering, and it paired very nicely with the all-red ensemble MGK wore to the event. After that, it felt like we were in the year of the naked dress, seeing as 2022 was full of sheer moments that will go down in history.

Speaking of 2022, that's when Florence Pugh became a very prominent name when considering this trend, thanks to her completely sheer hot pink Valentino dress. She wore the totally see-through gown to the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 22/23 fashion show, and it sparked quite the conversation because you could see her nipples.

In the years since Pugh rocked that pink naked gown, she has absolutely owned the sheer trend. From dresses made of see-through white lace to sparkling black gowns to a garment made of flowy green fabric, some of Pugh’s best fashion moments have been see-through. They also single-handedly prove the range this trend has.

The same is true for Fox and many other celebrities, like Jenna Ortega and Margot Robbie, for example. Truly, for the last five years, we've gotten a wealth of absolutely stunning naked dresses.

However, while it can feel like this trend just got going in the 2020s with A-listers like Megan Fox, it didn’t. It dates back decades, which was totally proven by that absolutely incredible naked dress Victoria Beckham wore back in 1997.

Every year comes with a number of celebrity deaths, and 2026 has started off with a bang as fashion icon Valentino Garavani passing away at the age of 93. He was reportedly surrounded by loved ones at his home in Rome, and passed away from natural causes. And as a result of his impact, a ton of celebrity tributes have started rolling out online, many of which praise both his talent and the strength of his character.

One of the A-list celebrities to pen a tribute was none other than Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh, who went viral for wearing a sheer Valentino dress that began the "free the nipple" movement. This even led her to becoming the face of the brand. Pugh took to Instagram story to write the following message:

Another iconic actress to take to social media is Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, who has worked with Valentino on a number of her iconic looks throughout the years. She posted a sweet photo with the late designer, as well as a touching caption. You can check it out below:

Aside from being the star of The Kardashians (streaming with a Hulu subscription) and a recent actress, Kim Kardashian is also known for being a style icon. She's another celeb who seemingly had a close relationship with Valentino, sharing a sweet photo on her Instagram story, where she's seen walking arm in arm with the late designer.

Sarah Jessica Parker has spent years playing fashionable writer Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City and And Just Like That (which are streaming g with a HBO max subscription) but she's also a style icon IRL. She posted on her Instagram grid about Valentino's passing, see below:

The fashion industry has been collectively mourning since it was revealed that Valentino passed away. Case in point: pillar of the community Donatella Versace posted a photo on her Instagram, with the caption reading:

These tributes are only a drop in the bucket to how many are circulating online, as well as how many non-celebrity fans have been impacted by Valentino's work throughout the years. On top of bringing stunning fashion to the world, these posts also show how beloved he was as a person. Our thoughts are with his loves ones during what is no doubt a very difficult time of mourning.

As Florence Pugh entered her “30, flirty, and thriving” era this year, she made sure to pull all the fashion stops. Just when we thought celebrating her 30th (yes, 30th) meant solely cozying up in her fluffiest pink hat, the British actress took it one step further by going skiing in the Swiss Alps. I’ve got to say, though, what I’m most obsessed with is the colorful look Pugh was sporting while celebrating her big 3-0 in the snowy location.

Emily in Paris’ Ashley Park posted a carousel of photos showing her time celebrating good pal Florence Pugh’s milestone 30th in the wintry Swiss Alps. The two looked like they had the time of their lives playing games, skiing up blankets of snow and humorously wearing cutouts of Yelena Belova’s face. Yet the photos I can’t take my eyes off are of the Marvel star wearing a colorful and furry snowsuit against the backdrop of the frosted mountains:

We already knew the fashion icon could pull off any furry hat that she accessorizes with. Pugh also proved purple was clearly her color when she wore that Valentino purple sweat-set for the 2022 Venice Film Festival. (That purple ensemble still represents one of her best fashion moments.) However, I’m obsessed with the combination of both fun styles taking place in Pugh’s 30th birthday attire. This is sheer proof that when it comes to being model-ready, the Oppenheimer actress doesn’t miss a trick.

The purple-patterned snowsuit with the furry teal on the collar and cuffs exude Pugh's playfulness and unique fashion sense. Also, my love of unicorns has me swooning over the Little Women actress’ cosplay helmet while she’s looking playfully serious at the camera with her friends. If you’re going skiing down a mountain, who says you can’t look chic while doing so?

Pugh has earned the right to party it up with her friends in the Swiss Alps, especially since she’ll be having a very busy year promoting projects amid the 2026 movie schedule. She's reprising her role as Yelena in the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Doomsday, and she's returning as Princess Irulan for Dune: Part Three. On top of that, the A-lister will play Cathy Ames in the limited series adaptation of East of Eden. With a blockbuster-filled year coming her way, it’s only fitting that Pugh start the new year in style before the cameras roll again.

All of that aside, it’s just hard to believe Florence Pugh is now 30 years old. In any case, she's definitely starting off this new year right by ringing it in with an eye-popping, colorful outfit to mark her Swiss Alps birthday. With Pugh never failing to make an entrance with her distinctive styles, I can’t wait to see what other fashion moments she’s got in store this year.

Florence Pugh never fails to make waves with her best fashion moments. Now, as one of many actors hitting the big 3-0 this year, why not continue the hot streak of iconic style choices? Well, the Oscar nominee sure did that by celebrating her 30th birthday wearing the fluffiest pink hat I’ve ever seen.

The last time I remember the British actress wearing a fuzzy head accessory was when she kicked off 2023 with a furry bucket hat. As Florence Pugh takes on a new chapter of being “30, flirty, and thriving,” she took to her Instagram stories to prove her affinity for this kind of cozy accessory again, and I love it:

With those dark shades on and her signature septum ring, the Midsommar actress rang in her 30th birthday (which is on January 3) with the fuzziest pink hat I’ve ever seen. It’s practically engulfing her entire head! But Pugh has always been one to wear unique pieces that are pleasing to the eye and get us all talking. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the style icon.

Pretty in pink perfectly describes Florence Pugh. She broke the internet wearing a sheer pink Valentino dress that sparked a “Free the Nipple” movement. Then, Pugh rocked another pink sheer look weeks later in the form of a transparent jumpsuit. At the We Live in Time premiere, she looked elegant in pink, wearing a satin Tamara Ralph ballgown. Clearly, she loves a pink moment, and we do too!

I already have a feeling that Florence Pugh's 30th year is going to be a great one with all of the upcoming projects she has.

The BAFTA nominee will star in the East of Eden miniseries that will be available with a Netflix subscription eventually. Pugh will play the book adaptation’s antagonist, Cathy Ames, who destroys people for their own amusement. I can’t wait to see the versatile actress sink her teeth into a well-known role like this and make it her own.

The Fighting with My Family actress also has multiple releases on the 2026 movie schedule. She'll reprise her role as Yelena Belova in Avengers: Doomsday, and she'll return as Princess Irulan in Dune: Part Three. Her kickass MCU character and regal sci-fi role show her commanding screen presence that audiences adore. So, with such an exciting lineup, fans have a lot to look forward to as the actress celebrates her year of being 30.

Nothing says having a cozy new year and new milestone age like sporting the fuzziest hat you own. But, only Florence Pugh can turn a wild birthday accessory into a fashion statement moment we’ll always remember. With style, confidence, and exciting movie and TV projects coming up, I don’t see where Pugh can go wrong in 2026.

A new year is upon us, with lots of exciting things to come over the next 365 days — and I’m not just talking about the 20+ sequels that are set for release on the 2026 movie calendar. We’ve got Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding date reportedly in June, and Zendaya will turn the big 3-0 in September, as she and Tom Holland plan their own nuptials.

In fact, there are quite a few former child stars who were born in 1996 and will celebrate a milestone birthday this year. Let’s take a look at some of the celebrities who will be “30, flirty and thriving” in 2026:

Zendaya

After working as a fashion model in commercials and singing for KidzBop, Zendaya kicked off her career on the Disney Channel, starring in the 2010 sitcom Shake It Up. That has blossomed into a career that’s won her two Emmys and a Golden Globe for the HBO drama Euphoria, and as she approaches her birthday on September 1, she’s got a number of projects in the works, including Dune: Part Three and The Odyssey.

Tom Holland

Also celebrating a full three decades is Zendaya’s fiancé, Tom Holland, who will have his big day on June 1. Holland transitioned to film from dance and theater in 2012, when he starred in The Impossible with Naomi Watts. He then broke big in 2016 when he made his first appearance as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War. This year, he will star in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and will be reprising his role as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld had her breakthrough performance in 2010, when she starred in the Coen brothers’ True Grit and earned an Academy Award nomination. In addition to turning 30 on December 11, the Sinners star will welcome her first child with husband Josh Allen this year. The NFL star will also celebrate the big 3-0 on May 21.

Hailey Bieber

I can only imagine that self-proclaimed nepo baby Hailey Bieber (of Baldwin family fame) will do it big when she marks her 30th trip around the sun on November 22. The model, who shares a son with husband Justin Bieber, began modeling as a teenager and has become quite a successful influencer and skin care mogul.

Paul Mescal

Paul Mescal’s career has really taken off over the past few years, including his latest role in Hamnet, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for the upcoming awards show. He’ll know whether or not he won by the time he turns 30 on February 2.

Mescal got his start in the theater before transitioning to TV in 2020 for Normal People. He will star as Paul McCartney in the upcoming Beatles movies, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.

Normani

After coming to fame as part of Fifth Harmony, Normani will celebrate her big day on May 31, nearly a year after the release of her first solo studio album, Dopamine.

Lili Reinhart

We likely know Lili Reinhart best for portraying Betty Cooper in the teen drama Riverdale, but the actress, who will turn 30 on September 13, had roles in movies like The Good Neighbor, The Kings of Summer and even an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit before that.

Abigail Breslin

It’s crazy to think Abigail Breslin is only 30 years old, since she’s been on our screens forever. Or, maybe I should just feel incredibly old since the little girl from Signs will have a big birthday come April 14. Breslin’s career since then has included Oscar and BAFTA nominations for Little Miss Sunshine and roles in Zombieland, Scream Queens and even an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

Dove Cameron

Another former Disney kid will celebrate three decades of life, as Dove Cameron — who got her start playing the titular dual roles on Liv and Maddie before starring in the Descendants movies as Mal — turns 30 on January 15.

Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid, who has been modeling since she was 16, will mark her 30th birthday on October 9, undoubtedly surrounded by her famous family members — including fellow model Gigi Hadid — and celebrity friends.

Skyler Gisondo

Known most recently for his role as Jimmy Olsen in 2025’s Superman, Skyler Gisondo may be best recognized as the nerdy neighbor Eric from Santa Clarita Diet. He’s compiled around 75 credits as he turns 30 on July 22, dating all the way back to episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond in 2005. This year he’ll star opposite Ariana Grande in Focker In-Law, the latest in Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro’s Meet the Parents franchise.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Getting her acting start in her late teens, Anya Taylor-Joy has starred in projects like The Queen's Gambit — for which she won a Golden Globe — and The Menu. This year, in addition to turning 30 on April 16, she’ll reprise her role as Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Three.

Florence Pugh

Florence Pugh has become quite the celebrated actress since making her debut in 2014. At 30 years old (as of January 3), Pugh has been nominated for an Oscar for Little Women with other credits including Midsommar, Don’t Worry Darling, Oppenheimer, We Live in Time, and the second and third Dune movies, to name a few. She also managed to find time to terrify people with her nipples.

Sophie Turner

It’s kind of hard to believe Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones is hitting the big 3-0 in 2026 on February 21. The HBO epic was her first screen credit, but she’s gone on to other projects and is set to star as Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider series.

Noah Centineo

Noah Centineo’s recurring role as Dallas on Austin & Ally kicked off his career with the Disney Channel in 2011. He continued with small roles with the House of Mouse until joining The Fosters in 2015 and ultimately landed the role of Peter Kavinsky in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movies and the XO, Kitty spinoff. He’s also recently starred in The Recruit and has a couple of projects in the works for 2026, not including whatever is in store for his 30th birthday celebration on May 9.

There are a surprising number of celebrities hitting their milestone three-decade birthday this year. We may have known a lot of them from work they did as a child actor or teenager, but their careers will continue into their 30s. In addition to keeping your eye out for them on the big screen, be sure to also check out the 2026 TV schedule to find some of the thirty-somethings there.

It wasn’t always a forgone conclusion that Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series would be a trilogy, but thankfully, we are getting a third movie during the 2026 movie schedule. Dune: Part Three, as it’s simply titled, will be a continuation of the previous movies. Tickets for the movie went on sale in May, and advance ticket sales have been impressive. We've now gotten our longest trailer yet, and we're getting a better idea of what we can expect.

The upcoming book-to-screen adaptation based on the second novel in the Dune series by author Frank Herbert, Dune: Messiah, is getting closer. We've seen the first trailer, and now a second trailer has dropped in July 2026. We know who is reprising their roles from the previous Dune movies, which you can catch with an HBO Max subscription, and who is joining the franchise. Here's everything we know about the movie.

When Will Dune: Part Three Be Released?

Dune: Part Three will be released on December 18th, 2026. The movie was shot in IMAX, according to Variety, making this the first Dune movie to be filmed with the large-format cameras, though the other two were released in the format after post-production work.

In fact, because it was shot in IMAX, it appears to have an advantage going into opening week. You see, it's not the only big movie getting released on December 18th. Avengers: Doomsday is also dropping that very same day, setting up a fascinating duel at the box office that we rarely see these days.

A big part of that duel (which some fans have dubbed "DunesDay") will be which will be on the most IMAX screens, and it seems that, at least at the moment, Dune: Part Three has the advantage because it was shot in the format, and Doomsday was not. Recently, theater owners have bristled at both movies competing for audiences and screens, but no one appears to be budging, and tickets for select screenings of Dune: Part Three in IMAX are now on sale.

The Dune: Part 3 Trailer

As is the case with any good trailer, there is a lot to unpack (blonde Robert Pattinson??), and a lot of questions that we probably won't have answers for until DunesDay. Are Paul and Chani really back together, because they were definitely NOT at the end of the last installment? If they are, where does that leave Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh)? Those are just the most basic questions!

A second trailer, which dropped in July, doesn't answer many questions either, of course, but we do get some fresh looks at a lot of characters. See the full trailer here:

Who’s In The Cast?

Much of the cast is returning from the first two movies, plus there are a few exciting additions to the cast.

Timothée Chalamet As Paul Atreides

Timothée Chalamet is returning as Paul “Muad'Dib” Atreides in Dune: Part Three. Chalamet led the first two movies as the central character in the Dune series, so of course, he’s back for this one. Since starring in Dune and Dune: Part Two, Chalamet’s star has only grown brighter, and it’ll be great to see him back in this role that I think he performed outstandingly.

In February 2026, Chalamet opened up about how excited he was to make this third movie after gaining more and more confidence after the previous two. He spoke with Matthew McConaughey at an event for CNN and Variety:

"Taking a big swing" is exactly what fans of the books want to hear, and it hopefully means big things for the adaptation.

Zendaya As Chani

Like Chalamet, Zendaya will be back reprising her role as Chani, Paul’s Fremen lover. While she had a pretty limited role in the first movie, she was a huge part of Part Two, and that will continue here.

Florence Pugh As Princess Irulan

Princess Irulan has a big role in the book Dune: Messiah, so Florence Pugh, who appeared in the second Dune movie, will likely have more to do here.

Robert Pattinson As Scytale

CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg theorized Robert Pattinson could be the character Scytale, and now, after the trailer, it's confirmed. Pattison appears with blonde hair in the trailer, and he looks as menacing as Scytale should. With the caliber of cast members that Dune has, a big name in the role is no surprise.

Anya Taylor-Joy As Alia Atreides

One of the most exciting additions to the cast is only sort of an addition. Anya Taylor-Joy appeared in Dune: Part Two, but mostly just her voice was heard, with a few fleeting images. Her character, Alia Atreides, Paul’s sister, was still in utero in the second movie of the trilogy. This time, she’ll have a full role to play, and it’s one of the best characters in the story.

Jason Momoa As Duncan Idaho

We won’t spoil too much here if you’ve never read Dune: Messiah, but yes, Jason Momoa will be back, and he’ll once again be playing fan-favorite Duncan Idaho (or, at least a version of him). Momoa was one of the most beloved characters in the first movie, just as he is among book fans, so it’ll be great to see him once again after he died in the first movie.

Josh Brolin As Gurney Halleck

Gurney Halleck, being played again by Josh Brolin, is one of the few characters we didn't see in the trailer (at least, one we could tell was definitely him). Gurney is a fan favorite, and it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role other than Brolin here.

Rebecca Ferguson As Lady Jessica

This is an interesting one because Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother, doesn’t really play a part in Dune: Messiah, but Rebecca Ferguson will be reprising her role. She teased a little about the part recently, saying it was a small role, but that “Denis had a little idea.” What that idea could be, I can’t wait to find out. She was wonderful as Jessica in the first two movies.

And finally, at least for now, we know that Paul's children, Leto II and Ghanima, will be played by Jason Momoa's son, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, and Silo actress Ida Brooke, respectively. Charlotte Rampling will reprise her role of Reverend Mother Mohiam as well.

Dune: Part Three Is Based On The Book Dune: Messiah

For those who haven’t read the book, we’ll keep the spoilers light here. Dune: Part Three is based on the second book in the Dune series, Dune: Messiah, by author Frank Herbert. The book, published in 1969, is as well regarded by fans as the original Dune novel. It is set about 12 years after the events of Dune, and Paul is now emperor. That doesn’t mean all is well in the universe. In fact, Paul has unleashed something in the Fremen that even he can’t control, and it threatens everything.

Dune: Messiah is a shorter book than Dune, but Villeneuve will probably still have to make some serious decisions on what to cut. Given how enthusiastic he’s been about these adaptations, I think it’s fair to trust him on what is critical and what can get cut, but it’s going to be tough for fans of the book, no matter what he cuts.

Could There Be A Dune: Part Four?

We’re going to get a little ahead of ourselves here and start wondering about a 4th installment. The answer is murky, to say the least. For starters, Villeneuve’s next project after Dune: Messiah is the next James Bond movie. Bond 26 is loosely scheduled for 2028, so it’s unlikely that if there is a fourth film, Villeneuve will be directly involved.

That’s not to say it is impossible. There is plenty of rich story left to tell in the Dune universe (the original series is six books by Herbert), so a fourth is certainly possible, likely with another director at the helm. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We're only about months from being back in the Dune universe, and all will be right with the world.

Hollywood made a big change several years ago, when many productions began using intimacy coordinators to help plan sex scenes in television shows and movies, like the 2025 movie schedule entry, Marty Supreme. In fact, that film stars one of a growing number of detractors to the relatively new profession, Gwyneth Paltrow, who went viral and took some heat for noting how she’d feel “stifled” if a coordinator was overly involved with her sex scenes.

Now, a well-respected member of the profession has spoken out about why they’re actually very much needed on set.

What Did An Intimacy Coordinator Say About Why They’re Essential On Sets?

The #MeToo movement sparked a lot of public conversations about just how prevalent sexual violence and abuse had been in Tinseltown, but few probably expected the conversation to alter the film and TV industry the way it has. One thing that came out of this was the realization that many actors (especially women) had felt taken advantage of during the filming of sex scenes, or retaliated against if they’d opted not to take part (or at least take part in ways directors had wanted them to).

Intimacy coordinators have become Hollywood's answer, and while actors like Olivia Colman have praised those in the profession for being able to give “great” direction during those intimate moments on screen, others like Florence Pugh have noted that the burgeoning field is more “complicated,” especially if you end up having “a shit example” when working with one who ends up making the process “so weird and so awkward.”

Recently, the Daily Mail spoke to veteran intimacy coordinator Yehuda Duenyas (who also trains those in the field through his own SAG-AFTRA accredited program), and about those who’ve had negative experiences he said:

Though we’ve heard some positives about intimacy coordinators over the past several years, it does make sense that there would be some variety in how people do the job, and that some might not be as suited to it as others. This is the case with every profession, and as Duenyas noted, it isn’t a reason to dismiss them as a whole.

Some actors have said that they believe having sex scenes be so fully choreographed (to the point that there is a strict nudity rider that must be changed and agreed upon if an actor changes their mind, and there’s then a waiting period of 48 hours before the scene can be filmed) kills whatever natural chemistry the actors involved have, but Duenyas disagrees:

While Duenyas makes some solid points, there will likely continue to be a lot of debate about what intimacy coordinators do, and whether or not it's beneficial for every performer. Stay tuned.

There's a new fashion trend on the scene, and it’s not what fans may think. While we’ve broken down the likes of the naked dress trend and the Barbiecore pink color craze from 2023, it’s now time to talk about floating shoulders. While many have attempted the silhouette over the years, it feels like it was first popularized by Florence Pugh with her 2024 Oscars look. Now, Zoe Saldaña is rocking the look and going about it in a whole new way.

Saldaña arrived at a photo call in Paris France for her latest film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, looking absolutely stunning. Her hair and makeup are flawless, but everyone is talking about her sculptural black leather top by Balenciaga. Just like the floating islands in Pandora, the leather collar floated above her neck. This could be the first time some have seen the floating shoulders look in awhile, and I'm loving it. The floating shoulders give the dress a regal and futuristic look, which is perfect for an Avatar event. Check it out:

I love this look, I think it is elegant and also edgy, bringing something different to a press event. This is very different from how Pugh famously wore her floating shoulders look. Pugh’s Del Core dress was mostly fitted, aside from the floating peaks on her straps. It was also a cool look, but it felt a little more like a take on a classic bodice rather than something totally different like Saldaña’s top. You can see Pugh’s ensemble below:

The trend didn’t stop with Pugh. Emily Blunt wore a similar type of bodice by Schiaparelli the same year when she was nominated at the Oscars for Oppenheimer. Also, just recently, Emily Ratajkowski also wore a floating shoulder dress at the 5th Annual Academy Museum Gala, proving that this push towards a more sculptural style is making waves in the fashion industry. It feels like a new fashion wave, and I’m interested to see how this trend evolves as designers get more and more creative.

They all look absolutely stunning and chic, so I couldn’t even begin to play “Who Wore It Best.” However, I think the way Saldaña is doing things feels most unique, not stopping the elevated look just at the shoulder peaks but the entire top of the dress. It’s undeniably cool and cutting edge, and I have a feeling fans are going to see a lot more looks like this as we enter into awards season.

Surely, we'll also see more as the Academy Award-winning actress continues to promote the buzzy new Avatar film as well. Whether it's "floating" or not, I'm hoping Saldaña -- who plays Neytiri in the sci-fi film series --sports some attire that more overtly pays homage to the world of Pandora.

While Zoe Saldaña makes waves with a stunning fashion moment, you can see her on the big screen in Avatar: Fire and Ash, which hits theaters on December 19, 2025. Fans of the franchise can also check her out in the previous two Avatar movies, which are both streaming with a Disney+ subscription.

Actors have to be able to portray the full range of human emotion in order to get an audience invested in their character and the story, and Florence Pugh has done just that. Like the best actors in the world, Pugh can make fans truly believe she's dealing with grief, pain or trauma. Of course, there are times when the acting seemingly ceases to become acting. That was apparently the case when Pugh made Ari Aster’s Midsommar.

Florence Pugh recently appeared on The Louis Theroux Podcast, where she revealed that all the pain that her character went through in Midsommar honestly had a real impact on her. She realizes now that the movie actually made her "depressed." Despite that, I love hearing that the movie she made right after, an adaptation of a celebrated book, allowed her to put the darkness away, at least for a while. Pugh said…

Midsommar sees Pugh play Dani, a young woman who is traumatized by the death of her family before visiting a rare midsummer festival in Sweden. While there, Dani, still dealing with trauma and depression, witnesses the dark rituals of the cult putting on the festival. This wild tale concludes with a truly depressing ending, one that Pugh and the director don't actually agree on.

Midsommar, like Aster’s Hereditary before it, is an absolutely dark film that is not for the faint of heart and the sort of feature that can really hit you wrong if you’re in the wrong mood while you watch it. Pugh admits she had to envision some pretty terrible things, including the death of her own family, in order to properly portray the character, and the result was depression.

However, for as dark as Midsommar was, it's great hearing that the process of making Greta Gerwig’s Little Women was something else entirely for Pugh. It seems that a much warmer set allowed her to put aside the darkness she was dealing with at the time. Although, she now admits that it didn’t completely solve the problem as, once filming was over, the depression came back. Pugh continued…

While Florence Pugh is great in Midsommar, it doesn’t sound like she’ll be making a lot of movies like it in the future. While she says she’s better now at managing herself and her emotions, and she gets better with every film, it sounds like while this is an experience she’s glad she had, she’s not looking to repeat it. And, quite frankly, I don't blame her.

The film and TV industry is ever changing, and in the last few years we've seen the rise of a new crew member: intimacy coordinators. This individual is there to methodically choreograph love scenes, and ensure that everyone involved is comfortable. But Oscar nominated actress Florence Pugh recently honest about the good and that bad that's come as a result of this new addition to film crews.

While fans are counting down the days for Pugh to return as Yelena in upcoming Marvel movies, she's works on a ton of smaller, non-superhero projects. In those films she's worked with intimacy coordinators for love scenes, to various levels of success. While appearing on The Louis Theroux Podcast, she spoke to how good intimacy coordinators have helped her love scenes, offering:

That's a solid point. on top of making sure that sex scenes are methodically choreographed so that the cast feels secure and comfortable, it sounds like good intimacy coordinators have also positively contributed to her overall storytelling. At least, when things are going right.

As Florence Pugh recalled in the same podcast, she shot the majority of her love scenes prior to intimacy coordinators being introduced to film sets. And there are times she could have used one, as she put it:

Since this job's inception, some actors actually don't love their inclusion in the process. For example, Shailene Woodley doesn't like having intimacy coordinators. What's more, Oscar winner Mikey Madison didn't want one on set for Anora. So it's an ongoing situation within the industry.

Florence Pugh also spoke about a less than positive experience she had with one of these professionals, offering:

While there's a learning curve involved, it does sound like intimacy coordinators can be a helpful member of film crews. Pugh could have used one when she was younger, even if she's had a bad experience or two. We'll just have to wait and see how the industry continues to adapt to these new standards.

Florence Pugh has some thrilling projects coming down the line, including Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, which are both set to arrive as part of the 2026 movie release list. Since they're genre projects I assume there were no love scenes in these blockbusters, but we'll just have to and see.

As a fan who’s spent a lot of time watching the Marvel movies in order, in my humble opinion, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova has quietly become one of the more compelling characters in all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. First introduced in Black Widow, she has quickly become a fan favorite thanks to her dry wit and the Little Women star’s undeniable charisma. Since her 2021 debut, she has appeared in Hawkeye and then took center stage in the 2025 movie release, Marvel’s Thunderbolts* (or New Avengers). Now, a new rumor suggests that big things are coming for Yelena as we move forward with new Marvel movies. And honestly? I so hope it's true.

According to MyTimeToShineHello, a Marvel insider account on X (formerly Twitter), Yelena Belova may be stepping into a much bigger spotlight. The post claims she’ll appear in at least three major upcoming Marvel projects.

Now, nothing’s officially confirmed by Marvel Studios yet, but considering Thunderbolts laid the groundwork for a New Avengers lineup—and Pugh was front and center—it’s not a huge leap. So, what are fans saying about this rumor?

How Fans Are Responding To Yelena Speculation

Naturally, the fandom has thoughts. Some were pumped, others skeptical, and a few straight-up salty. Here's a snapshot of the discourse online:

• @mattgriffinreal: “Duh... Yelena Belova is easily the most notable non-superhuman of the Multiverse Saga.”
• @Harden_TF_Up: “As she should. @Florence_Pugh is fabulous.”
• @Snehalxmode: “Source? Because Marvel keeps announcing projects that never happen. Remember Inhumans movie?”
• @Caius_Caesar55: “If true, would you rank her above Natasha as the better Black Widow? I gotta be honest, she already is for me. No shade to Nat, I loved her in Winter Soldier. But Yelena’s character writing - at this point - is leagues and bounds above Nat’s during the Infinity Saga.”

Of course, not everyone is thrilled. Here are some of the more negative takes:

• @rickslamu22NJ: “Oh for God's sake stop trying to make her a thing! She was never ever that popular in the comics! And at least there she was an actual Femme Fatale goddess! MCU White Widow looks like she was trying to wait for a position to open up as a yoga instructor at Planet Fitness!”
• @Angrybrother_: “I like her… but she’s already turning into Captain Carter 2.0.”

So yeah, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. But then again, most speculation amongst the fandom usually is.

Pugh Taking Center Stage Actually Makes a Lot of Sense

Here’s the thing: Thunderbolts may not have been a billion-dollar smash, but it did something rare for the MCU, which is that it slowed down and prioritized character over spectacle, something we don’t often see in new superhero movies. The Thunderbolts was my favorite Marvel film in years, largely because Florence Pugh brought real vulnerability to Yelena. She navigated themes of loneliness, depression, grief, and found-family identity, all while delivering sharp one-liners and nailing the action beats. Her scenes with Sentry and Ghost added surprising emotional weight to what could have been just another team-up flick.

Now that Thunderbolts is confirmed to tie directly into the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday (via that juicy post-credits tease with the Fantastic Four), it’s easy to see why Marvel would keep her front and center. She bridges grounded storytelling and cosmic stakes, something the next Avengers movies will need in spades.

If this rumor holds up, Florence Pugh’s Yelena might become one of the key emotional anchors of the Multiverse Saga and what comes beyond that, and honestly, that’s exactly what this next phase needs. Her performance in Thunderbolts proved that she can lead a scene that carries emotional weight without relying on a glowing superpower. And I’m here for it.

The Thunderbolts* is available to stream now with a Disney+ subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe regularly treats fans to new content, arriving in theaters as well as streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The recent release Thunderbolts* is now available to stream, and I maintain it's my favorite MCU flick in years. While not everyone is a superfan like me, I think that even casual moviegoers will enjoy Jake Schreier's blockbuster.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will recall just how many previous projects Thunderbolts* was connected to. Specifically Black Widow, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Still, don't think you need to have watched all of these projects to enjoy the movie and its motley crew of antiheroes.

You Don't Need To Be A Marvel Superfan To Enjoy Thunderbolts*

While the cast members of Thunderbolts* have been introduced across various projects, the movie isn't written to require you to know all of their backstory. The screenplay expertly drops in appropriate exposition, thanks to the characters' introductions to each other as well as their visions from The Void. So you can really dive right into the movie without needing to have seen every single chapter of the MCU.

The runtime for Thunderbolts* is 127-minutes, so its not bogged down by an overly complicated story. Instead the story takes place over just a few days, as a group of antiheroes meet and become an unlikely team in order to survive their conflict with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina.

Aside from the way Thunderbolts* introduces each member of the team, the screenplay is also funny and genuinely moving. So while we get some awesome action and comic book adventure, the movie also has a point of view and human-driven story to tell.

Thunderbolts* Tells An Emotional, Relatable Story.

From Yelena's opening narration and free jump, which was seen in the Thunderbolts* trailer, it's clear that the movie is a narration about grief and depression. Florence Pugh's character is struggling to get by mentally, which actually ends up connecting her to a lot of the members of the New Avengers... especially Bob/Sentry. Along the way we learn John Walker's family left him, and Ghost shares her tragic backstory.

Rather than a flashy final battle, the third act of Thunderbolts* is emotionally-driven and the perfect way to wrap up the aforementioned narrative. Despite being set in a world full of superheroes, the story at the heart of the movie is surprisingly relatable. So many of us have struggled with mental health, or know someone who has. I found myself moved when watching it in theaters, which doesn't often happen to me when enjoying a MCU blockbuster.

It's already been confirmed that the Thunderbolts aka New Avengers will return for upcoming Marvel movies, so this particular team is seemingly going to be sticking around. They were all confirmed in the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, and the Thunderbolts* credits scene teased them meeting the Fantastic Four shortly. So if casual fans enjoy Schreier's movie, maybe they'll be invested in more MCU projects.

Thunderbolts* is streaming on Disney+, and Avengers: Doomsday is expected to hit theaters December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list.

On the surface, Marvel’s Thunderbolts* (or New Avengers, I guess I should say now), is a story about seemingly expendable assassins and operatives, coming together to fight off a big bad. However, on a deeper level, this Marvel project that premiered on the 2025 movie schedule is about loneliness, depression, trauma, and how we cope with them. It’s about the importance of family, support and the power of emotional vulnerability, and I think no one’s character illustrates that better than Florence Pugh’s Yelena.

I Appreciated How Candid Thunderbolts' Depiction Of Yelena's Loneliness Was

From the jump – like literally from the base jump off a tall building – it’s made very clear just how lonely Yelena is. In her first mission in the movie, she captures a man on her own, saves a guinea pig and blows up a building while wearing a hoodie and lamenting about her job and its repetitiveness.

She’s operating on autopilot and simply trying to survive the day. However, the loneliness and "emptiness" are getting to her. That becomes incredibly clear, too, as later in the movie we see her see herself drinking by the bathtub.

While she’s still obviously operating and working, she also doesn’t hide how lonely and hurt she’s feeling, which I really appreciate. I personally loved the moment where she and Lewis Pullman’s Bob were bonding right when they met, and she said:

While she said she didn’t care and ultimately joked with Bob about pushing these feelings down, her facial expressions said otherwise, and as the movie progressed, that bond with Bob deepened, and her care for the other Thunderbolts did too.

I was also deeply moved by Yelana and Alexei’s relationship. Her loneliness is based on the grief she’s been dealing with after the loss of her sister. So, watching her grapple with that while her father-figure finally comes back into her life was incredibly emotional and quite moving.

As someone who has struggled with loneliness, I found Yelena’s story and struggle to be real and raw. I also found the way the film helped her through this challenging time deeply moving too, because in my experience, support from friends and giving back that support can be the most healing thing.

I Loved How The Film Validated Her Feelings And Then Gave Her A Support System To Help Her Heal

As I mentioned earlier, overall, Thunderbolts* is a movie about depression, loneliness, grief and how we handle it healthily. We see this idea literally personified through Bob’s Void, and we see Yelena fearlessly face it by literally stepping into it.

However, we also watch the other people she’s fighting alongside step into it after her. That’s not the only time this happens in the film, either. Throughout Thunderbolts*, this team is constantly supporting each other (even if it is reluctantly at times), and they clearly get where their fellow fighters are coming from.

It’s that act of validation and support time and time again (even if it’s not through the most obvious actions) that truly helps people get out of dark times. I think we saw that beautifully depicted throughout the whole movie.

The way the team followed Yelena into the Void and supported her through that was one of the most healing scenes in the movie to me.

Some have said that Thunderbolts* helped cure their Marvel fatigue, and that was true for me, too. I think it’s primarily because of how it’s based on these relatable and emotional representations of loneliness, depression and mental health, and I was the most moved by what Yelena went through.

To go back and watch Yelena and her teammates' journey, you can now stream Thunderbolts* with a Disney+ subscription.

Throughout its years on the air, plenty of HBO shows have gotten the world talking. Lena Dunham's comedy Girls is definitely on that list, and folks are regularly discovering it or re-watching with a HBO Max subscription. Florence Pugh recently posted that one scene from Season 1 made her want to give the show another watch, and I think she's so spot on.

Pugh is an Oscar-nominated actress who is constantly making headlines thanks to her bold fashions and film work. But she's also a fan of TV and film just like the rest of us. A clip from Girls featuring Andrew Rannells and Lena Dunham is going viral online, and the Little Women actress took to IG Story to share her love for the series as a whole. Check it out below:

I'm a Girls superfan, and I have to agree that the first scene between Elijah and Hannah was a game changing moment for the series. The dialogue is hilarious, especially when Rannells' character accuses Hannah's father of being gay. The chemsitry between the two actors was so explosive that the Book of Mormon actor appeared in every season, eventually becoming a series regular.

Lena Dunham recently mused about where the Girls characters would be years after the series finale, but it's equally fun to see the humble beginnings of the Golden Globe-winning comedy. No I'm just hoping that Pugh shares more IG stories once she actually started re-watching it from the beginning.

It's been fascinating to see how Girls has been received in the years since the finale aired back in 2017. While the show's selfish characters was originally criticized (along with comments about Lena Dunham's body), it's been having a bit of a renaissance in recent years. Namely because folks are realizing what a hilarious satire of millennials in their 20s. And the show's comedy and dramatic beats have both aged rather well. As TV addicts know, this isn't always the case with comedies.

While Florence Pugh is primarily known for being a film actress, she has popped up on the small screen in Hawkeye (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) and Human Resources. But her love for Girls really makes me want to see her work with someone like Lena Dunham. We'll just have to wait and see if her new series Too Much gets renewed by Netflix. Since it's a UK-based series, it might be the perfect project to bring Pugh in.

As previously mentioned, Lena Dunham returned to the small screen with Too Much, which stars Megan Stalter. The show was a delight for Girls fans like me, but it's unclear if it'll get more episodes on Netflix.

Girls is streaming in its entirety on HBO Max and Too Much is available on Netflix as part of the 2025 TV premiere list. Now I want to know who Florence Pugh's favorite character is.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is shaping up to be quite the doozy on the upcoming Marvel movies schedule. Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan is finally returning to become The Scorpion, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is finally making his theatrical debut, and Mark Ruffalo will reprise Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Now we can count a Severance star among the new actors joining Brand New Day, but there may be an even bigger casting on the horizon for this upcoming Spider-Man movie.

The Severance Star Who’s Joining Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Let’s go with the casting that’s pretty much set in stone barring Marvel Studios outright debunking it. Variety reports that Tramell Tillman, who plays Seth Milchick in the popular Apple TV+ subscription-exclusive series, has joined Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Like Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink and The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas, his role hasn’t been disclosed yet.

While Brand New Day will mark Tillman’s comic book movie debut, it’s not his first time lending his talents to a comic book project, as he voiced Double-Tap in Hit Monkey Season 2. This casting news follows a few months after he performed opposite Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and several weeks before we see if he wins Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his Severance role at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. Tramell’s other upcoming movies include Good Sex and Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

The MCU Alum Who’s Rumored To Appear In Spider-Man: Brand New Day

As great as it is for Severance fans to learn that Tramell Tillman will make his MCU debut on the 2026 movies schedule, the coming days might bring news from the trades of another established MCU protagonist also taking part in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Scooper Daniel Richtman is claiming that Florence Pugh will reprise Yelena Belova, and ComicBookMovie is hearing the same thing. This would mean we’ll see Pugh reunite with her Dune: Part Two costar Zendaya five months before the two respectively reprise Princess Irulan and Chani in Dune: Part Three.

Assuming Florence Pugh is indeed appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that will make this her fourth MCU appearance. After debuting in Black Widow, she had a supporting role in the Hawkeye series, then returned for the 2025 movie release of Thunderbolts*. Yelena will also appear alongside the rest of the New Avengers in December 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, which Tom Holland has been reported to appear in too, but that hasn’t been officially confirmed. Like with Punisher and Hulk, I’m curious to see what makes Yelena and Peter Parker’s paths cross, as they’re not the two easiest dots to connect together in this franchise.

2026 continues to shape up as a tremendous year for both Holland and Pugh. Spider-Man: Brand New Day comes out on July 31, 2026, with Destin Daniel Cretton taking over directorial duties from Jon Watts, and Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers writing the script, just like they did with the MCU’s first three Spidey movies.

It has been nearly two months since Thunderbolts* came and went from the 2025 movie schedule, but people still can’t get enough of that big, yet predictable, twist where it was revealed that the ragtag group of outcast antiheroes was, in fact, The New Avengers. And while Marvel didn’t try too hard to put out the flames of speculation – after all, they added the infamous asterisk a year before the film was released – it was a different story for the cast.

Florence Pugh, who plays the show-stealing Yelena Belova in one of the best Marvel movies in some time, spoke with Entertainment Weekly and opened up about the great lengths the cast and crew took to protect the big reveal on set. Talking about the big scene where Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine holds a press conference and rebrands the group as The New Avengers, Pugh stated:

Obviously, the reshot version was the one that made the final cut, and thank heavens, because “The New Thunderbolts” just doesn’t have the same ring as “The New Avengers.” There are still a lot of questions about who the real Avengers are and whether it's this version or the official group led by Sam Wilson, but this scene at least gave us a great moment on the same level as Tony Stark’s “I am Iron Man” presser at the end of the MCU-starter back in 2008.

Though moviegoers only found out (or at least had their suspicions confirmed) in May 2025 that these Thunderbolts were actually The New Avengers, it was a completely different story for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In the same chat with EW, the former Seinfeld cast mainstay revealed that she found out about the big twist “many years ago,” stating:

Maybe Tom Holland, who has a history of being loose-lipped about MCU spoilers, should take some advice from the Veep actress, as it sounds like she was sitting on this information for a very long time. Though she didn’t say when that meeting happened, Louis-Dreyfus has been a part of the MCU for half a decade at this point. Did she know while filming Black Widow or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? It’s anyone’s guess, but it wouldn’t be surprising if that were the case.

If you want to revisit Thunderbolts*, which seems to still be the official title judging by the upcoming home release of the second of three new Marvel movies this year, you’ll be able to do that shortly when it lands on digital platforms on July 1 and physical media on July 29. There’s no word on when it’ll be streaming for those with a Disney+ subscription, but expect that to change soon.

Florence Pugh has made a name for herself with her acting performances, but the frank and realistic way she presents to her fans is almost even better. We’ve seen her frankly dissect Marvel trying to tell her “no” about her Thunderbolts stunt. We’ve seen her laugh at herself after getting burned by Pedro Pascal on a red carpet. Also on this same press tour, she took a moment for herself to get real and “wrangle” the Marvel cast for a pic like a den mother. Now she’s back and admitting to chin hairs while prepping for events. Could she get any more real?

OK, I suppose the majority of us won’t ever throw on a dress worth thousands of dollars only to get hollered at by paparazzi hoping to catch one in the midst of a wardrobe malfunction. However, many of us can totally identify with looking in the mirror and seeing unwanted changes in our faces, whether those changes be pimples, wrinkles or even new hairs in weird places.

Just prior to stepping out for an event with a cool suit and pretty lip, Pugh mentioned that she was being plagued by chin hairs. It's not the time of facial flaw celebrities typically admit to, but it's a fact of life, and one of the reasons why the actress is so stinking fun to follow.

I believe what she is actually looking to say there is "sneaky fuckers," but I digress. In fact, a typo almost makes the post feel even more real than her bold admission.

The good news? Florence Pugh might get a break from events for a while as she's heavily on the filming train right now. After starring in Yungblud's new music video "Zombie," which she said on Instagram she was "forever impressed" by, she's also got a slew of upcoming roles including Avengers: Doomsday filming in 2025. Then she'll jump to Dune: Messiah and the TV miniseries East of Eden, all of which will eventually come with some big press moments.

But with Avengers: Doomsday not premiering until 2027 and Dune: Messiah set to hit the movie release schedule in what will likely be December of 2026, she may get a break from cleaning up for carpets and events for a while. Although I'd probably be freaking out if I knew I had chin hairs and someone was filming me in IMAX to bring a space opera to life. I'm just saying, I might be taking care of that sooner rather than later.

Then again, this is a girl who literally shaved her head for a movie, so it seems she's pretty much fearless. All in all though, I feel her, and I love how honest she continues to be about her life in the face of the mega fame she's achieved in recent years.

There’s an honor that most actors in the industry covet just as much as a mega hit on the 2025 movie schedule. Miami Vice star Phillip Michael Thomas coined it as “The EGOT,” which means that a star has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award in their presumably storied career. While this is still a gold standard of trophy hunting, stars like Tom Cruise and Florence Pugh might inspire a Guinness World Record to become part of the mix.

Admittedly, the most recent story that fuels this speculation is one out of Variety, which claims that Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’s big burning parachute set piece was the feat that clinched it. In case you were wondering where that new record stands, it’s at 16 - which you can see play out in this video from Paramount’s Mission marketing campaign:

As far as Florence Pugh’s end of this discussion goes, her interview with Harper’s Bazaar confirmed that she is a Guinness World Record holder, as are her Thunderbolts*’ stunt double Sarah Irwin and stunt coordinator Heidi Moneymaker.

As you’d guessed, the stunt that landed this honor was Pugh’s insane MCU base jump off of the second highest building in the world - Kuala Lumpor’s Merdeka 118 building. Which, by the time Disney+ subscription holders get to stream May's MCU entry, will probably still have fans talking about Thunderbolts*' most daring stunt.

It’s not just actors and their stunt performers that are pushing for some of that Guinness gold either. Back when I talked to legendary James Bond special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, even he admitted that the production wanted to outdo their record setting explosion on Spectre, which led to No Time to Die’s even bigger blast.

But if we turn our gaze back to stunt performers and actors, winning a Guinness World Record could be a feather in the cap of anyone who really wants to go for the gold. Thanks to the Oscars’ new “Achievement in Stunt Design” award, the trophy set to be introduced in 2028 might see voters swayed by shenanigans that make the record books.

I mean, would you vote against a stunt that won a Guinness World Record? I highly doubt that, because a massive feat of such daring kind of goes with awards recognition the same way that Tom Cruise pairs with popcorn, and that man loves his popcorn.

If this trend is truly going to happen, then I propose we alter the name to “GEGOT,” because that’s the best sounding rebrand that stands out. The subject’s open for discussion of course, and you can get involved by seeing both Thunderbolts* and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning - which are currently showing at a theater near you.

As of late, Florence Pugh has become a blockbuster star, between her role as Yelena Belova in new Marvel movies, including the recent release of Thunderbolts* and being officially in the cast for Avengers: Doomsday, and she's also set to reprise her Dune role in Messiah the same weekend. So I wasn’t expecting to see her as the star of a music video on a random Friday, but she proved she can make us cry in a role that last about four minutes, too.

Florence Pugh Is The Star Of Youngblud’s Latest Music Video

Yungblud is a British pop punk star who has been on the music scene since around 2018, but I think he can officially say he’s made it now that he has Florence Pugh in one of his music videos. Check out the new video for “Zombie”:

Wow, I totally understand why Florence Pugh not only signed on for this, but was thought about for “Zombie.” It’s not your average video starring a famous actress as a nurse; it’s really taking viewers into the mindset of what it feels like to be a healthcare worker day by day, and how harrowing it can be to see so much death all the time.

While we'd assume when Yungblud made the song that he was thinking about his own experiences with “looking like a zombie,” he gave a new meaning to the song on his upcoming album called “Zombie” by making it about a young nurse just trying to get through the day.

The Music Video Is Getting Flooded With Sweet Comments From Actual Healthcare Workers

Upon the release of “Zombie,” the music video has been labeled as a “love letter to nurses.” In Pugh’s own commentary on the video on her Instagram Stories, she thanked the punk star for having her “on your journey.” She said she will “always be grateful for this moment and forever impressed” by what he does and “why” he does it.

The comment section of the Instagram announcement video is also flooded with healthcare workers thanking Yungblud and Pugh for making the video. Check out some of them:

• “As a Healthcare worker. THIS is a true representation of our daily struggles. We laugh. We cry. We scream. What a beautiful video and anthem. Thank you Dom.” - @thejennorater
• “As a healthcare worker who worked in critical care during the pandemic and witnessed so much death. Thank you for this. It truly hit home. Ugly crying by how beautiful this was.” - @missgio_
• “As an icu nurse, I felt every scene! Thank you 🖤💋” - @pattie.bhc
• “As a nurse, thank you ❤️ This is a beautiful song and video.” - @katherinefruendt
• “This video really highlights the intense ups and downs with being a nurse. As a nurse, thank you, this was lovely to watch 🥹🤍” - @adellaturay
• “As a nurse this makes me feel so seen and appreciated🥹🖤 I love you so much, thank you🖤” - @grayson.onmars

Sure, Florence Pugh is a lot more likely to show up in a sparkly dress on her usual day to day, but her talent to make us feel deeply is already touching so many who can relate to the content of the video. Pugh has already made us cry for her Thunderbolts role and playing a young mom with cancer in We Live In Time, and this new role for “Zombie” is another great performance from Ms. Pugh.

We’ve been talking about how we’re getting the summer of Tom Holland, with the English-born actor set to star in Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey movie and swinging back into cinemas in the upcoming Spider-Man sequel. The summer of 2026 will be huge for upcoming movies, but if you’re looking ahead a few months, December is already shaping to belong entirely to someone else: Florence Pugh. Not just figuratively, either; she has two major films landing on the same weekend.

Those would be the Russo brothers' Avengers: Doomsday, and Dune: Messiah, both slated for December 2026. Go ahead, let that sink in.

Why December 2026 Should Be All About Florence Pugh At The Movie Theater

Let’s start with Doomsday, the next big swing in Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. Pugh returns as Yelena Belova, the no-nonsense assassin who’s gone from scene-stealing supporting role to franchise anchor. With much of the original Avengers lineup gone or rebooted, Yelena is positioned to take center stage in a way fans have been waiting for. And with Doomsday reportedly setting up the final pieces of Marvel's multiverse endgame, expect high stakes, massive cameos, and the Midsommar actress is in a full-fledged action lead capacity.

She won’t even have time to take off the combat boots before dropping into the sand again, because she’s also reprising her role in some of the best sci-fi movies of recent memory, as Princess Irulan in Dune: Messiah, Denis Villeneuve’s next chapter in the sweeping sci-fi saga. This sequel is expected to take a darker, more intimate turn as Paul Atreides’ messianic rule begins to unravel.

And if you’ve read the book, you know Irulan’s role is only growing. She’s no longer just window dressing in the imperial court, but a political.

Two franchise juggernauts. Two wildly different roles. One actress anchoring both. That’s not just a scheduling coincidence, but a flex.

Studios rarely schedule two major blockbusters starring the same actor on the same opening weekend, but the Little Women star isn’t your average star. She’s earned a reputation for elevating every project she joins, whether it’s the unsettling indie Midsommar, action-packed upcoming Marvel movie tentpoles, or the prestige ensemble of Oppenheimer. Now, she’s entering rare air: a bona fide box office force and a critical powerhouse. Come next holiday season, it won’t just be Christmas, it’ll be Pugh Season. And like the Barbenheimer phenomenon before it, we’re about to witness a cultural collision. Call it DoomsDune, Dune’sDay, Doone, whatever the name, it’s the event of the season, and fans won’t want to miss it.

So yes, the summer of Tom Holland is happening. We’ll get the suit, the quips, the billion-dollar box office, and maybe even a Spider-Verse twist or two. But when winter hits, it’s Florence Pugh’s turn to own the spotlight. And with Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Messiah both set to dominate the cultural conversation, she could walk away from 2026 with not just the year’s biggest hits, but its most iconic performances too.

Mark your calendars! Dune: Messiah hits theaters on December 16, 2026, and just two days later, Avengers: Doomsday is coming to cinemas on the 18th. Don't miss out!

Fresh off the press tour for her project on the 2025 movie schedule, Thunderbolts*, Florence Pugh is back on the fashion front. The actress took to Instagram to thank the jewelry brand Bulgari for an event she attended, and she showed off a gorgeous and lavish look that featured a sparkling white gown and opulent jewelry. As she said, this number was truly a “Sicilian dream.”

While attending a massive Bulgari event in Sicily, Florence Pugh posted a stunning set of photos to show off her equally stunning ensemble. Wearing the sparkling Rodarte FW25 Beaded White Gown with Tulle Details and gorgeous Bulgari earrings and necklace, she truly was a picture of opulence. Take a look:

I'm so obsessed with that white scallop detail mixed with the textured sparkly pattern of the dress, it adds so much dimension to the monochromatic garment. However, it's the jewels that really elevate this to the next level. That necklace and earrings are fabulous and bring the luxurious look together.

As the We Live In Time actress noted, this feels like a “Sicilian dream.” She also mentioned that the show she attended for Bulgari was “absolutely breathtaking,” and I’d say the same thing about the ensemble.

It’s also notable because this outfit comes right after we saw Pugh rock a ton of chic black clothing on the Thunderbolts* press tour. While she wore a few colorful and white pieces, for the most part, she seemingly took a page out of her Black Widow character’s spy playbook as she wore darker garments most of the time.

She rocked a cool black corset and skirt to one event, a sheer black gown to a premiere (where she was also seen sweetly “wrangling” her crew), and an edgy lifted shoulder look on a talk show. And that’s just three examples.

However, now that Thunderbolts* is in theaters and it’s time to look onto the next upcoming Marvel movie, it’s also time to see Pugh in some other stunning outfits.

While Pugh has made waves for wearing gowns of all colors, she does seem to love a white moment. She’s turned heads with sheer white dresses on more than one occasion, and this latest number, while not sheer, is another addition to her growing catalog of lovely white fashion moments.

As the year goes on, I’m curious to see what other fits Pugh steps out in, because she’s shown off her full fashion range over the last few months, and she can truly pull anything off.

Currently, she has no other 2025 releases outside of Thunderbolts*. However, she has multiple 2026 movies in the works – including Dune: Messiah and Avengers: Doomsday. She’s also a consistent attendant of fashion and jewelry events, so I’m positive more opulent, dreamy and sparkling looks will be coming our way.

SPOILERS are ahead for the latest of new Marvel movies, Thunderbolts*, now playing in theaters. I highly recommend going to see it before you read further.

How about them Thunderbolts*, huh? I’ll be honest here, when I sat down to see the latest of superhero romps from the MCU, I was mostly seated to see another great Florence Pugh performance that had critics raving, a fun action movie starring Marvel's charismatic underdogs, and find out officially what the asterisk meant. But I got a lot more than I bargained for. It not only reminded me why Marvel movies can be great, but also resonated with me in terms of its depictions of depression.

I’ve waited a couple of weeks since my early showing of Thunderbolts* to write this, mostly because I was curious how its depression plot line would ultimately sit with me over time, as someone who has dealt with anxiety and depression since I was a teenager. And after sharing some mental space with it, I can confirm that my positive takeaway still hasn't gone away, and I want to explore why I feel that way.

And as a quick disclaimer, I am very aware that everyone’s relationship with depression, is their own. I am only speaking to my own personal thoughts and opinions based on my lived experiences.

Ever Since I Watched Thunderbolts* There’s One Scene That I’ve Been Thinking About The Most

Thunderbolts* is not so secretly about depression, from the very first scene where Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova jumps off the second tallest building in the world, and talks about her life getting monotonous and lonely to the final act when Lewis Pullman’s Sentry becomes a terrifying villain who sucks people into The Void to be stuck living out their most sad and regretful memories. But, the scene that I’ve had in my head since I watched Thunderbolts* is the moment we are brought to the center of Sentry’s Void, on the operating table of the Sentry project. When Bob comes face-to-face with his shadow-esque self, and begins to hit himself over and over in an effort to fight off the bad feelings.

When it comes to the third act of superhero movies, usually violence is the answer, but in the case of Thunderbolts* as Bob continues to punch his The Void self , things only get worse, and he begins to become all encompassed into it. What ultimately happens is Yelena Belova recognizes his depression (partially because of her own experience with it), and ventures into the Void to find him before coming over to help him face it. Then, all the Thunderbolts join him. As it turns out, Bob succumbing to the darkness only makes things worse, and not giving the Void energy is the best way to escape it.

I’ve Had Anxiety And Depression For A Long Time, But The Void Helped Me Visualize It In A New Way

Since I’ve seen Thunderbolts*, I've been surprised to find that I’ve thought back to that scene when visualizing my daily navigation of my own mental health (which I personally manage through talk therapy, medication, exercise and journaling, and usually and thankfully only morphs into depression when my anxiety gets particularly overwhelming or a big life event occurs). When it has flared up, I've thought about Bob fighting his sinister/shadow-y version after hiding away in the darkest corners of my mind, and how surrounding myself with a kinder voice is more helpful than Bob's initial way of dealing with it.

Those feelings start to subside when I stop treating myself as an adversary and I find empathy for myself instead – just like Yelena did for Bob at the end of Thunderbolts*. And admittedly, sometimes it takes another person outside of myself, to remind me to stop “fighting” myself, because that always makes it worse, but is easier said than done.

The ‘Shame’ Rooms Remind Me Of What It Feels Like To Be Caught In The Same Negative Thought

Additionally, I want to talk about what Yelena Belova called the “shame” rooms in The Void. Right before Yelena and the team find Bob, Yelena watches herself as a young girl betray her friend over and over, in what seems to be a really big traumatic event for her she becomes trapped in. The scene reminds me of what it feels like to replay a negative memory or thought over and over in a bout of anxiety and/or depression.

When that happens it can feel as torturous as Yelena felt during that scene. Overall, I. found the whole third act of this movie to be clever, because it offered all the stakes of the ending of a Marvel movie I’ve seen before, but with a pretty accurate visualization of what mental health struggles can feel like. I think it's also worth pointing out how Yelena's own struggles with depression in her own life, allows her to see what's going on with Bob, and help him deal with it. I find the people who have the tools to recognize depression (whether that be a therapist, partner, family member or a friend), can better offer the support to pull someone out of a bad place if they understand what's going on with them.

Yes, Thunderbolts* Could Have Gone Deeper With The Topic. I Am Happy It Didn’t

All and all, I’m very much impressed with how the Thunderbolts* movie depicted depression, especially considering it’s big-budget movie with a runtime of around two hours, that also sets up The New Avengers! It also managed to be No. 1 at the box office in its opening weekend and took away my Marvel fatigue for now. I’m not going to say it delves into all the complexities of anxiety and depression, but definitely nails what it feels like for me on a base level. As I think about the movie more, sure, I do think there could have been a bit more exploration into the subject, but, I honestly wouldn’t have wanted a movie to delve so much into that it’s a bummer, and strays away from its main goal in this context to entertain and be a big popcorn movie, too. It found a way to be both, somehow.

I also love how the post-credit scene didn’t depict Bob all healed up and sunny after he escaped The Void. We leave the character sitting down with some fast food and celebrating the small win of doing the dishes this week. Sometimes the smallest wins are the sweetest.

I’m curious how the MCU will continue to deal with Sentry in the future, but wow, am I happy such a massive movie chose to handle the experience of depression in a creative and resonant way to my own life.

It’s hard to believe, but Fantastic Four: First Steps is the only title left among upcoming Marvel movies before we get our first Avengers movie since Endgame, Avengers: Doomsday. And while I probably wouldn’t have believed you if you told me before seeing it, Thunderbolts* is my favorite MCU movie in years, and I have to say a lot of that is thanks to Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Never mind the actress already being some of my favorites in movies like Dune: Part 2 or Midsommar, her character is quickly rising in the ranks in the current superhero lineup. And when I rewatched her first appearance in Black Widow, it only made me appreciate her more.

I remember digging Black Widow when it came out, but I’ll be honest, I’ve kind of forgotten about it since I saw it. Of course, there’s the fact that it probably came out at the wrong time, given the COVID-19 pandemic was still heavily affecting theaters and Disney was experimenting with its Disney+ service, perhaps to the detriment of the movie’s performance. But, I need to talk about how seeing Thunderbolts* reminded me to go back to the 2021 release and deepen my love for Yelena Belova further. SPOILERS are ahead for Thunderbolts* and Black Widow.

As Soon As I Watched Thunderbolts* I Wanted To Revisit Black Widow Right Away

There’s a lot to love about Thunderbolts* in my opinion, but the biggest highlight of the movie for me is the relationship between Yelena and her “dad,” the Red Guardian. My favorite scene was definitely in the third act of the movie when Yelena gets honest with him about how she’s been feeling really alone and having a lot of regrets about her life. In response, Red Guardian tells Yelena that when he looks at her, he “doesn’t see” her mistakes. Instead, he remembers who she was as a kid, and how she wanted to be the goalie on her childhood soccer team in order to be the “person everyone relies on when they make a mistake.”

Without that scene in the movie, I just don’t think Thunderbolts* would be as good as it is. It had me thinking back to when Yelena and Red Guardian’s relationship was established in Black Widow. I remember the two actors being just as funny and grounded in the 2021 movie, and yet I hadn’t placed the movie high in my mind to realize this going into seeing Thunderbolts*. So I made it my mission to revisit Black Widow after seeing the latest Marvel movies.

I’m Happy I Did, Because It Made Me More Emotional About Yelena Belova Becoming An Avenger

When it comes to Marvel movies in order, I had actually forgotten that the movie takes place in 2016 in the MCU timeline, two years prior to the events in Infinity War and the events of Thunderbolts* takes place a little over a decade after Black Widow (with the five-year gap of the snap in between to think about). And after seeing Black Widow again, I think the movie does a good job of establishing an older Yelena who has dealt with a lot more life and loss, and having the context of her upbringing with the Red Guardian and Melina really helped me understand her better. It was so much fun to see how the character was introduced in the movie, because Pugh very much stays true to who Yelena is between them. Oh, and it slipped my mind how quotable Yelena was in Black Widow to the point of actually stealing the thunder off of Scarlett Johansson’s MCU sendoff.

But the one thing that really caught me off guard is how much Yelena clearly looks up to Natasha Romanoff throughout the movie, even if she’s always taking shots at her Avengers position and "posing". While I read it more as MCU banter the first time I saw it, this time I noticed how much that relationship really gives sister energy, and while Natasha kind of brushes Yelena off (as big sisters often do), Natasha means a lot to her. I realized getting to do a mission with her and reunite with their “parents” is kind of the best thing for Yelena, because she's spent a lot of time alone. Throughout the movie, you see how, while Natasha has kind of lost her respect for her parental figures, Yelena is still attached to them. As she says in one memorable line: "It was real to me."

It made me extra sad about the death of Natasha in Endgame, and how in Thunderbolts*, Yelena feels like she wants to make a difference like her sister did, but she’s having problems making the transition (inwardly and outwardly). So, when I finished Black Widow, knowing that her second MCU movie ends with her becoming a new Avenger, I found it especially poignant. She still clearly feels the loss of Natasha, now she’s going to get the chance to serve with the Avengers and be the person she has always looked up to: her sister! I’m not crying, you are.

It Also Made Wish Natasha Romanoff Made A Cameo, But Oh Well, I Guess

While the Thunderbolts* director has suggested the movie isn’t a Black Widow sequel, I would argue the new Marvel film wouldn’t have worked for me as well as it did if it weren’t for the 2021 movie. If I hadn’t seen the scene where Yelena and Red Guardian sing “American Pie” together, I wouldn’t have bought into their continued father-daughter dynamic as much, and there’s a kind of twisted found family element in the Kate Shortland film that spiritually carries over into Thunderbolts*, I think.

The only thing that really bummed me out after seeing Black Widow is how the movie perfectly served Thunderbolts* the chance to feature Scarlett Johansson one more time through the shame rooms created by Sentry. I think it would have been really beautiful if she had shown up for a moment and allowed Yelena to get some closure or something. But, I also understand that Johansson is hesitant to return to the MCU after her long stint, and I was kind of into the fact that Thunderbolts* wasn’t packed full of cameos.

Because while Yelena Belova kind of sees herself as not as good as Natasha, the fact is she’s being given way more to do in the MCU already than her sister was. Sure, it was different times, but I’ve always felt so conflicted about how Black Widow was handled as a character. She’s very much in the center of things going into Doomsday, and I love that for her, but now I’m never getting out of my mind how the character will be constantly missing her sister as she becomes a hero in her own right.

The release of Thunderbolts* has caused a lot of people to take a look back at Black Widow, being the movie that introduced two of the major members of Marvel’s newest hero team, it’s an important piece of the larger story. The death of Black Widow weighs heavily on Yelena in the newest Marvel movie, but it’s a safe bet that Florence Pugh was also missing Scarlett Johansson during production.

An interview clip taken from the set of Black Widow was recently posted by ET, and it shows just how much the two actresses adored each other. ScarJo had nothing but great things to say about her co-star, and it looks like the pair got really quite close, literally, on set.

Scarlett Johansson Was All Praise For Florence Pugh On The Set Of Black Widow

Florence Pugh was one of the hottest up-and-coming actresses in Hollywood when she was cast in Black Widow. Roles in films like Little Women, which earned her an Oscar nomination, and Midsommar had shown just how capable a performer she was. Still, when ET asked Scarlett Johansson why people should “look out” for Pugh, the two-time Oscar nominee praised her co-star’s skills, saying:

Pugh is standing next to Scarlett Johansson as she says all this, and it’s clear the kind words touch her. The two then get all huggy, which, as it turns out, was apparently not an uncommon occurrence on the set of Black Widow.

The Adorable Way Florence Pugh Used To “Trick” Scarlett Johansson

We often hear about different celebrities who like to have a little fun with their co-stars. George Clooney is famous for pranking his friends. However, the sorts of “tricks” that Florence Pugh apparently got up to on the set of Black Widow were a tad different.

When Johansson is initially asked why people should “watch out” for Florence Pugh, she says that she needs to watch her co-star because Pugh is always trying to trick her. Pugh takes offense (comedically) and said she only ever tried to trick her:

To answer your next question: no, these two could not be more adorable.

Scarlet Johansson has continued to insist that, even though comic book characters rarely stay dead, her character is gone for good. While that may be the best choice from a storytelling perspective, seeing this makes me wish these two could work together in the MCU again. It was clearly a special experience for both of them the first time.

This past weekend, Simu Liu revealed some big news (and, no, it’s not related to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday or the long-hoped-for Shang-Chi sequel). Liu confirmed that he and his longtime girlfriend, Allison Hsu, are officially engaged. The actor signified the occasion by sharing lovely photos as well as an A+ Marvel reference. Since Liu made the announcement, a number of fellow celebrities like Florence Pugh and Ming-Na Wen have reached out, but it’s one fan’s Dwayne Johnson joke that’s really taking me out.

Simu Liu, 36, and Allison Hsu, 28, jointly shared a post on Instagram, which revealed that the former popped the question in Paris or The City of Lights.” The photos are absolutely sweet, but what’s also heartwarming is the array of responses from other stars. Florence Pugh led the charge with some sweet sentiments, with Rachel Zegler also expressing excitement. You can see their messages along with some from Ming-Na Wen, Ken Jeong and Ariana DeBose:

• AHHHHHHH HOW AMAZING! Sending love to you both ❤️ - Florence Pugh
• YAYYYY - Rachel Zegler
• Congrats!💕 - Karen Fukuhara
• CONGRATS!!!!❤️❤️❤️ - Ken Jeong
• 👏👏❤️❤️Congrats you two lovebirds! - Ming-Na Wen
• Congrats you two🤍🙌🏾✨ - Ariana DeBose
• 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 - Lance Bass
• Congrats you two!! 😍 - Melissa Barrera
• 😍😍 - Natasha Lyonne

What a lovely chorus of comments from some of Hollywood’s biggest talents. They’re not the only ones weighing in on the engagement either. Fans have been sending their congratulations, too, and have been making good-natured puns, too. One user by the name of ceryslxwxs really won the day, as they evoked Dwayne Johnson’s name while complimenting Allison Hsu’s ring:

Seriously, I can’t be the only one who appreciates that pun, right? Even if I man, it doesn’t matter, because it’s downright perfect. There were also a few other great ones as well, with a user named onebakersjourney also declaring, “That’s no diamond….THAT’S A NEW INFINITY STONE!” Simu Liu himself referenced his Marvel character, Shang-Chi when mentioning “nine rings.” On that note, artist Matt Senger said, “SHANG CHI AND THE NINE RINGS CONFIRMED”. Check out the ring for yourself in the post below:

It was in 2022 that Simu Liu and Allison Hsu were reported to be dating and, around that time, neither of them spoke much about their romance. However, by December of that same year, Liu opened up about meeting Hsu’s parents. They eventually went public with their relationship, appearing at a number of notable show business-related events.

While the Kim’s Convenience alum is being open about popping the question to his lady, he is keeping secrets regarding Avengers: Doomsday. The film is now in production in the UK, and, of course, the members of the ensemble cast are remaining mum on plot details. What is known is that the Shang-Chi actor has been getting in shape for his MCU movie return, and his abs are definitely proof of that.

Given that Simu Liu could be in for a long production schedule due to this latest Marvel movie, I hope he and his fiancé have some time to soak in their happiness as well as the positive messages they’ve received from celebrities and fans. Here’s to years of happiness for the couple and to more A+ Dwayne Johnson and Marvel puns!