Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh played sisters in Greta Gerwig’s 2019 film Little Women, earning Academy Award nominations for their respective roles. Interestingly, Pugh was almost replaced by her on-screen sister for the role of Yelena Belova in the Marvel film Black Widow. Pugh played the sister of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff in the film.
However, Ronan declined the role, and Pugh impressed Marvel with her performance in the film Fighting with My Family, securing the part. The Falling actress is set to play a major role in the upcoming MCU films.
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Saoirse Ronan Declined Yelena Belova, Which Later Went To Florence Pugh
Saoirse Ronan had the chance to steer away from her usual period dramas and step into a billion-dollar franchise. However, when Marvel offered her the role of Yelena Belova, the Lady Bird actress reportedly turned down the offer. This information comes from Deadline Senior Reporter Justin Kroll, who shared the details on Matt Belloni’s podcast, The Town.
Kroll revealed that Ronan expressed disinterest and opted out of the Marvel role, stating that it was not her “cup of tea”. Justin Kroll shared in The Town podcast:
“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.”
The role eventually went to her Little Women co-star Florence Pugh. Saoirse Ronan’s critically acclaimed roles have predominantly been in drama films, especially period dramas. Out of her four Oscar-nominated roles in Atonement, Brooklyn, Lady Bird, and Little Women, three of them were period dramas. Notably, she starred as a teen assassin in the 2011 film, Hanna.
However, Pugh and Ronan weren’t the only Little Women actresses who were considered for the role. According to ScreenRant, Emma Watson, who played the eldest sister in Little Women, was the front-runner for the role. However, Watson’s lack of action roles in her career may have given Pugh the edge over her.
Saoirse Ronan Previously Expressed Interest In Playing Scarlet Witch
When Joss Whedon announced in 2013 that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver would be part of The Avengers sequel, several fan arts emerged online, imagining Saoirse Ronan as Wanda. These rumors were fueled by earlier reports that Marvel and Whedon were considering Ronan as a potential ‘prototype’ for the character. Interestingly, The Lovely Bones actress herself conveyed her interest in the role.
While promoting her film Violet & Daisy, the Mary Queen of Scots actress told The Mary Sue that she would love to have a role in Whedon’s Avengers film. She expressed admiration for how the Firefly creator handled the film and portrayed these kinds of superheroes. Ronan told The Mary Sue:
“I have heard about it and yes, I would. Yeah, of course I would. I love Joss and I love those films, and I love his handle on them and how he portrayed these kinds of superheroes. I think it’s very different from what anyone else has done. So yeah, I’d love to be in it.”
Florence Pugh is set to reprise her role in the upcoming Marvel film Thunderbolts. Hints from former Avenger 5 writer Jeff Loveness suggest that Pugh is expected to play a major role in the culmination of the Multiverse Saga. However, it is unknown whether the new script will change anything about her role. Thunderbolts is scheduled for release on July 25, 2025.
