Summary
- Saoirse Ronan reportedly turned down the role of Yelena Belova in Black Widow, choosing not to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- The Oscar-nominated actress is allegedly not a fan of what Marvel has been doing.
- Florence Pugh ultimately took on the role of Yelena Belova and will next appear in Marvel’s Thunderbolts.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s original Black Widow replacement actress reportedly rejected the role before Florence Pugh signed on as Yelena Belova. Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow died in Avengers: Endgamewith her solo film spotlighting the character’s backstory and also introducing the MCU’s new Black Widow, Yelena Belova. The role is a major one, as Pugh has appeared in multiple projects, with more upcoming MCU movieslike Thunderboltson the way.
Speaking on The Town with Matthew Belloni, Deadline senior reporter Justin Kroll revealed that Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan passed on the role of Yelena Belova in Black Widow. According to Kroll, Ronan rejected the role on Marvel’s Black Widow because “Marvel has not been her cup of tea.” While Black Widow was not one of the MCU’s best moviesPugh’s Yelena became a fan favorite, so it all worked out in the end. Check out the full quote below:
“The Saoirse thing, I’ve heard stuff she’s passed on. She passed on Florence’s role in ‘Black Widow,’ the sister. Marvel has not been her cup of tea, and she was not interested.”
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Could Saoirse Ronan Ever Join The MCU?
While Ronan passed on the chance to play Yelena Belova in Black Widow and Kroll’s comment seems to hint at the actress having no desire to join a Marvel production, that might not be completely true. In the past, Ronan was thought to be the prototype that director Joss Whedon was looking for to play the Scarlet Witch in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Differently to her reported stance on Black WidowRonan was excited about that possibility.
Speaking to The Mary Sue in 2013 about the rumors of her playing Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age of UltronRonan revealed that she would “love to be in it.” While Elizabeth Olsen would be cast as Wanda Maximoff, with the Scarlet Witch recently becoming one of the MCU’s most popular characters, Ronan’s past comments suggest that she might not have completely closed the door on the MCU. If a Marvel project is similar to what Whedon did with The Avengerswhich Ronan claimed was “very different from what anyone else has done,” then she could decide to don a superhero suit.
If the four-time Oscar-nominated actress ever decides to join the MCU, there are a few roles she could take. With the impending debut of the MCU’s version of the X-Men, Ronan would fit some of the franchise’s most exciting female heroes. Ronan’s acting skills could make Jean Grey the powerhouse that she is supposed to be or perhaps lend some magnetic charm to Kitty Pride, who could be the X-Men’s version of Spider-Man in the MCU. While Ronan did not play Yelena Belova in Black Widowperhaps she could still be part of the MCU in the future.
Source: Justin Kroll/The Town with Matthew Belloni
