Florence Pugh Explains Why Marvel Hesitated on Her Stunt

Synopsis

Florence Pugh shares her determination to perform her own stunt in Marvel's 'Thunderbolts,' where she jumps from the world's second tallest building, Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur. Despite initial resistance from Marvel Studios, she passionately advocated for the jump, showcasing her love for heights and the adrenaline rush it provided.

Key Takeaways

Florence Pugh wanted to perform her own stunts in 'Thunderbolts.'
The jump was planned from Merdeka 118, the second tallest building globally.
Marvel initially resisted due to insurance concerns.
Pugh argued it would enhance the film's publicity.
She experienced significant adrenaline after the jump.

Los Angeles, April 15 (NationPress) Hollywood actress Florence Pugh persistently communicated via email with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige regarding her desire to perform her own stunts in a scene from ‘Thunderbolts’ where her character, Yelena Belova, leaps from the world’s second tallest building.

The building in question is Merdeka 118 located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, towering at 2,722 feet, as reported by Variety.

The actress, who enjoys heights, was adamant about executing the jump herself. She shared with Fandango, “I was all over the emails. It was included in the script, but as we approached the filming date, they indicated it might not happen due to an extensive insurance issue and the concern of throwing (me) off the second tallest building in the world.” Pugh expressed her disbelief, saying, “I was like what the heck? Absolutely we are! This has to happen.”

“I was quite the assertive ‘Karen’ emailing Kevin Feige insisting it would be fantastic for the promotional tour,” she elaborated. “We need to accomplish this! We’ll have three women set three different Guinness World Records and we’ll achieve this and that. I had to keep advocating, and eventually, they said, ‘Alright, if you wish to jump from the second tallest building, we will make it happen for you.’ I’m not afraid of heights; I actually enjoy them, but this was another level of craziness. The mental focus I required that day was a superpower in itself.”

Pugh mentioned that the exhilarating experience of jumping from the second tallest building left her so energized that “I fell asleep for three hours after executing the stunt because my mind was exhausted.”

Tom Cruise is well-known for scaling the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, during the filming of the 2011 film ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’. That stunt has become one of the defining moments of Cruise’s portrayal of Ethan Hunt in the enduring action series.