Honestly, if you’re looking for a single face that defines the current "prestige blockbuster" era, it's Florence Pugh. She’s everywhere. But as we move through 2026, looking back at the chaos of the Florence Pugh movies 2025 calendar reveals a year that was much more than just capes and sequels. It was the year she finally balanced the massive Marvel machine with the kind of gut-wrenching indie work that made us fall in love with her in the first place.
You've probably already seen the memes. The year was bookended by two massive releases that felt worlds apart. On one hand, you had the high-gloss, high-octane explosion of Thunderbolts*. On the other, the lingering, tear-jerker theatrical run of We Live in Time that refused to leave cinemas in early 2025.
The Thunderbolts* Asterisk and the Yelena Evolution
Let’s get the big one out of the way. Thunderbolts* hit theaters on May 2, 2025. For a long time, fans were obsessed with that little asterisk in the title. Was it a mistake? A secret? Basically, by the time the credits rolled, we realized it was Marvel's way of rebranding. The team essentially became the "New Avengers," and Florence’s Yelena Belova was right at the center of it.
Pugh didn't just show up for a paycheck. She famously insisted on doing that jump from the top of Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur herself. No stunt double. Just Florence, a harness, and a terrifying drop. It’s that kind of grit that keeps her Yelena from feeling like just another action figure. Even though the movie had a bit of a rocky road at the box office—pulling in about $382 million—her performance was widely cited as the best part. She has this weird, magic ability to make a trained assassin feel like a person you’d actually want to grab a beer with. Or at least someone who's genuinely tired of everyone's nonsense.
✨ Don't miss: Archie Bunker's Place Season 1: Why the All in the Family Spin-off Was Weirder Than You Remember
The Slow Burn of We Live in Time
While Thunderbolts* was the loudest of the Florence Pugh movies 2025 line-up, We Live in Time was the one that stuck in people's ribs. Technically, it started its life in late 2024, but because of the way international rollouts work, it was the romantic drama of early 2025 for much of the world.
She played Almut, a chef dealing with a cancer diagnosis while building a life with Tobias (Andrew Garfield). It's a non-linear mess of emotions. I mean that in a good way. It skips through a decade of their lives, showing the birth of their child and the mundane tragedy of illness. Pugh shaved her head for the role, but that wasn't the "transformation" people talked about. It was the chemistry. Most actors fake it; Pugh and Garfield felt like they had been married for twenty years and were exhausted by it, yet desperately in love.
By February 7, 2025, the film hit Max (formerly HBO Max) in the US, and by October, it landed on Lionsgate Play for international streaming. It’s a movie that proved Pugh doesn't need a $200 million budget to hold an audience hostage for two hours.
🔗 Read more: Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises: What Most People Get Wrong
Beyond the Big Screen: East of Eden and 2026 Hooks
If you spent 2025 wondering where she was during the summer, she was likely in New Zealand. While the world was watching her play a superhero, she was actually filming East of Eden. This isn't a movie, but a massive Netflix limited series adaptation of the Steinbeck novel.
She’s playing Cathy Ames.
If you know the book, you know Cathy is one of the most chilling "villains" in literature.
Zoe Kazan wrote the adaptation, specifically naming Florence as the "dream" actor for the role. Production wrapped around March 2025, and while we’ve seen those grainy paparazzi shots of her in period costume in Oamaru, we’re still waiting for the early 2026 release date to actually see the footage.
The 2025 Legacy: What We Learned
Looking at the Florence Pugh movies 2025 cycle, it’s clear she’s mastered the "One for them, one for me" strategy. She gives the studios a massive Marvel hit (even if Thunderbolts* didn't break every record), and in return, she gets the leverage to do weird, painful, beautiful dramas like We Live in Time or the upcoming East of Eden.
💡 You might also like: America's Got Talent Transformation: Why the Show Looks So Different in 2026
She also voiced Yelena again in Marvel Zombies, which hit Disney+ in late 2025, proving she’s not quite ready to leave the MCU behind just yet. It was a busy, slightly frantic year for her fans, but it cemented her as the most versatile actor of her generation.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors:
- Streaming Check: If you missed We Live in Time in theaters, it’s now widely available on Max (US) and Lionsgate Play (International).
- Physical Media: The Thunderbolts* 4K Blu-ray usually hits shelves about 90 days after the May release, so look for that late summer/early fall window.
- What's Next: Keep an eye on the early 2026 calendar for East of Eden on Netflix—it's expected to be her next big awards play.
- Dune Watch: Dune: Part Three (Messiah) started production in July 2025. Expect to see much more of her Princess Irulan in late 2026.
The 2025 slate wasn't just about quantity; it was about Florence Pugh proving she can carry a franchise on her back while simultaneously breaking our hearts in a kitchen-sink drama. She’s playing the long game, and so far, she’s winning.