Florence Pugh Credits Tom Holland for Her Spider-Man: Brand New Day Appearance, and Reveals Her Favorite Line Is Exactly the One

Florence Pugh, the actress who brought the formidable Yelena Belova to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has publicly credited her co-star Tom Holland for championing her inclusion in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Speaking on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the Black Widow star revealed that the idea of her character crossing paths with Peter Parker traces back to Holland himself, who years earlier insisted he wanted to work alongside her rather than A-list co-stars like Chris Hemsworth’s Thor.

Pugh delivers one of the film’s most memorable turns as Yelena, who crosses paths with Parker in an unexpected setting: a New York bathhouse that serves as her unofficial “office.” The scene, widely praised as one of the movie’s highlights, balances sharp humor with a genuine sense of connection between two superheroes now living in close proximity within the same shared universe. The moment landed with audiences as much as critics, cementing the on-screen chemistry between the two characters.

A Suggestion That Set Everything in Motion

The path from that bathhouse encounter to the $2.5 billion box office phenomenon was paved by a simple question posed to Holland years ago. When asked which Marvel character he would most like to see Spider-Man hang out with next, Holland did not hesitate, naming Pugh and her character Yelena as his pick. That early enthusiasm, according to Pugh, resonated with fans and ultimately shaped the creative direction of the film.

“This all happened because of Tom. Years ago when I had just begun my relationship with Marvel and Black Widow had come out, and Yelena obviously wasn’t as big as all of the other big superheroes, he was asked, ‘Who do you want to do the next movie with? Do you want it to be with Thor?'”

Florence Pugh, on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Pugh continued by explaining how Holland’s preference rippled outward. “And he said, ‘No actually, I want to do it with Florence Pugh who plays Yelena.’ And because of that, fans were so excited about the idea of it, and that started the ball rolling.”

The One and Only “Potatoes” Line

When the conversation turned to her favorite line from the film, Pugh pointed to the delightful back-and-forth with Parker about the differing scales of the heroes’ problems. In the exchange, Yelena observes that the New Avengers deal with “big potatoes stuff,” while Parker laments that his troubles are merely “small potatoes stuff.” For Pugh, the simplicity of the moment was precisely what made it special.

“Potatoes!” Pugh concluded, laughing. “When do you get to say ‘Potatoes’ to Tom Holland and have it taken seriously?”

The line has since become a cult favorite among fans, embodying the irreverent comedic tone that Brand New Day brought to the Spider-Man franchise. The contrast between Yelena’s deadpan delivery and Parker’s exasperation captured the essence of their budding partnership, even as the film navigated the heavier stakes of Parker’s post-Far-from-Home life.

More Screen Time on the Horizon

Whether audiences will see more of Spider-Man and Yelena interacting remains to be seen, but the possibility appears increasingly likely. Reports surfaced that an extended version of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is headed to theaters, featuring additional scenes beyond the theatrical cut. Among the newly added footage is the long-awaited and much-discussed return of Rosario Dawson in her role as Clare Temple, a character who has appeared across several Marvel television productions.

The extended cut offers fresh incentive for fans eager to see the Yelena-Parker dynamic further developed, especially given the momentum that Pugh’s own comments have generated. If Holland’s original vision for the pairing continues to influence the franchise’s creative decisions, the two characters may well share even more screen time in the years ahead.

As Brand New Day continues to cement its status as one of the highest-grossing films of all time, the chemistry between Pugh and Holland stands out as one of its most enduring assets. What began as a casual suggestion on a talk show has blossomed into one of the MCU’s most beloved pairings, and fans are now waiting to see where the story takes them next.