Florence Pugh Is Right: Black Widow Can Take Down Spider-Man—It’s Happened Before!

Black Widow and Spider-Man are two of the most iconic characters in the Marvel universe, and their popularity has translated well to the big screen. Although it’s not common, they have faced off in battle on several occasions.

Logically, Spider-Man would have the advantage in these fights. Despite Black Widow’s impressive skills and cunning, she is ultimately just an enhanced human, whereas Spider-Man possesses superhuman abilities, including incredible strength, speed, and a variety of other powers.

Recently, Florence Pugh, who plays Yelena Belova, the new Black Widow in the MCU, and Andrew Garfield, who starred as Spider-Man in three films, sat down with LADbible TV to discuss who would win in a fight.

Pugh argued that her version of Black Widow could easily defeat Spider-Man, primarily because she is tough and he is nice. While this reasoning may seem a bit silly, it’s a common way to argue when comparing characters with very different power levels.

Interestingly, Antony Starr recently claimed that his character Homelander could defeat Superman simply because Superman wouldn’t fight dirty, whereas Homelander has no moral issues.

Garfield disagreed, likely recognizing how much more powerful his character is compared to Black Widow. While Pugh may be stretching the truth—under normal circumstances, her character would be overwhelmed by Spider-Man—she isn’t entirely wrong, as there have been instances in the comics where Natasha Romanoff successfully took down Peter Parker.

In Amazing Spider-Man #86, Black Widow seeks a way to combine her powers with those of Spider-Man. She sets out to prove who is better and eventually finds him, but Peter is not at his best; he has been feeling groggy and ill all evening, leaving him less than 100% for their encounter.

Black Widow ambushes Spider-Man, and they engage in a brief fight where she gains the upper hand and ties him up. However, Spider-Man manages to break free and uses his webbing to jam her venom-sting bracelets. Just as he is about to take further action, Black Widow makes a hasty retreat.

Later that night, Peter examines his blood under a microscope and realizes that his Spider-Man powers are fading, which likely contributed to Black Widow’s temporary victory over him.

Ultimately, Black Widow abandons her pursuit of Peter and her desire to obtain his powers, recognizing that her own skills are unique enough.

While a match between Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Garfield’s Spider-Man is unlikely to happen in the MCU, it’s worth noting that Pugh will reprise her role in Thunderbolts, set to release next year, and Garfield is rumored to appear in Spider-Man 4 and Secret Wars.

Remember, anyone can lose on a bad day, especially if the writers decide it! What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!