The year 2021 was a good one for Florence Pugh after she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Black Widow. Her Yelena Belova quickly became a fan-favorite character, and she even made an appearance, an important one, in the Disney Plus series Hawkeye. This year could be even bigger for Pugh, as she is among the top contestants for the lead role in the upcoming Madonna biopic.
In September 2021, it was confirmed that Madonna would be directing her own biopic, and the search for the perfect candidate to play the versatile artist has been on ever since. Black Widow star Pugh was selected by casting director Carmen Cuba as one of the top five candidates, and it remains to be seen whether she will land the role or lose to one of her competitors.
The process of winning the role to play Madonna on screen is not an easy one, though. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the top candidates have to participate in strenuous choreography sessions, which sometimes last 11 hours per day. They have been ongoing for months now, and Madonna has been supervising the most recent sessions herself. The actors are also called in to read lines with Madonna and then move on to singing auditions with her.
Apart from Pugh, the top candidates for the role include Ozark star Julia Garner, Alexa Demie, Odessa Young, and Emma Laird. Whichever candidate is selected as the final star for the biopic will then have to undergo months of training before filming can begin. However, none of the actors would be willing to let go at this point, as it would mean walking away from an important role.
It has been confirmed that the biopic, after it gets a green light to start production, will be receiving a theatrical release under Universal Pictures' banner. Additionally, the fact that Madonna is so involved in the project could potentially draw in her fans to throng to theaters to watch her being personified for the big screen. If Pugh were to land the role, it would also draw in her fans from the MCU side.
Pugh's Belova in Black Widow was appreciated by MCU fans around the world. Her on-screen chemistry with Scarlett Johansson led to the rise of one of the best sibling duos in the MCU. The film placed a lot of importance on family, but unfortunately, the relationship ended too soon with Johansson's Natasha Romanoff dying in Avengers: Endgame. It was established that Belova would be appearing in further MCU projects, news that has fans feeling excited.
Her next role in Hawkeye seemed even better, especially her quirky relationship with Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop. Many fans thought it was the perfect replacement for the sister duo and are now looking forward to the two characters reuniting in the future. Many think they could be the Tony Stark and Steve Rogers of the Young Avengers.
Black Widow is streaming on Disney Plus.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter