Florence Pugh says 'Black Widow' tells a 'horrifying' story about victims of abuse

Watch: Trailer for Black Widow

Florence Pugh has described the plot of Black Widow as a “horrifying” story about women who are victims of abuse.

The 24-year-old star will play Yelena Belova — a sister figure to Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel blockbuster, directed by Cate Shortland.

Set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, the movie will see Natasha delve back into her past and “pass the baton” to Pugh’s character.

Read more: Will Pugh return for future MCU movies?

“The storyline that we are telling is very horrifying,” Pugh reveals in the upcoming Marvel Studios' Black Widow: The Official Movie Special Book.

“It's about women that have been, essentially, abused and trained up to be killing machines.

“As Scarlett said over and over, this is the right time for her to be telling [Black Widow's] story. And we're not shying away from the fact that this story is essentially about women getting their life back.

“And it's a Marvel Studios film, too. That's pretty rare, and it's very exciting to be a part of that.”

Read more: Pugh says Russian accent was daunting

Pugh describes her character as an “annoying little sister” and says the bond she shares with Natasha sits at the core of the movie.

She says: “There is a lovely and unique friendship between the two of them because they are ultimately long-lost sisters.

“They repair one another and each other's holes in their lives.”

Feminist messaging is set to be an important part of Black Widow, with Johansson telling Empire earlier this year that it’s “obvious” Natasha is a feminist.

She added that the movie is reflective of the Me Too movement and allows for major issues to be explored through the prism of the MCU.

Read more: Johansson takes part in online fight video

The star said: “I think, particularly for Cate, it was so important for her to make a movie about women who are helping other women, who lift other women up out of a very difficult situation.”

Black Widow is now due to be released in May 2021 as a result of the continued impact of the coronavirus, more than a year after it was originally planned to debut.

Marvel Studios' Black Widow: The Official Movie Special Book is being released by Titan Comics and is out now in the US, but awaiting a UK date.

Watch: Johansson to pass baton to Pugh in Black Widow