Actress Reveals She Was Offered Yelena Role in Black Widow Before It Went to Florence Pugh
Saoirse Ronan was almost a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but has no regrets about missing out on the opportunity. In a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, host Josh Horowitz asked if she was approached to play Yelena, the younger sister of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, in Black Widow. Ronan seemed surprised by the question but did not confirm or deny the casting rumors.
When questioned about her interest in joining the MCU, Ronan expressed that she couldn’t see herself in a Marvel film but would prefer to be in a Bond movie. However, she is open to being part of a big movie or franchise like Marvel in the future, acknowledging the success and quality of their films. She enjoys working on large-scale independent films but also sees the luxury in being a part of a franchise or film that will reach a wide audience.
Ronan mentioned her interest in doing different genres of films, including musicals, inspired by her former director Greta Gerwig’s project Barbie. While she didn’t regret turning down the role of Yelena, she did express some regret about missing out on the opportunity to play Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series.
Although Ronan passed on the role, it ultimately went to Florence Pugh, who has since reprised the character in the Disney+ series Hawkeye and is set to appear in the upcoming film, The Thunderbolts, alongside other morally grey superheroes, scheduled for release on May 2, 2025.