When Marvel Studios was looking to cast Yelena Belova for 2021's Black Widow, it quickly became clear that they wanted a star every bit as talented as Scarlett Johansson.
Florence Pugh and Saoirse Ronan were both on Kevin Feige's wishlist, with the role ultimately going to the former. Ronan is believed to have turned down the movie and was asked about that during a recent interview with Josh Horowitz.
"How did you hear about that? I don't know [Laughs]," she responded, confirming the reports without elaborating on any conversations she had with Marvel Studios.
Ronan, best known for her roles in critically acclaimed fare like Little Women, Lady Bird, and Atonement, went on to say she's keen to star in blockbuster fare but doesn't necessarily think that means she'll join the MCU.
"I can't see myself doing Marvel. I don't. No. I would prefer to do Bond," she admitted. "There is nothing wrong with [Marvel]. And I think they're brilliant films. I want to do more big movies, especially after seeing Greta [Gerwig] make Barbie. I want to do that. Of course I want to do that stuff."
Had Ronan played Yelena Belova, the past few years of her career would have been largely devoted to the character. After all, we've seen Pugh jump from Black Widow to Hawkeye with Thunderbolts* up next. Still, she's managed to squeeze in projects like Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two, so has arguably had the best of both worlds.
Pugh is next expected to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, though there's still no word on whether Marvel Studios has plans to have her star in a solo Black Widow project.
You can check out the full interview with Ronan below.
Marvel Studios, and a crew of indie veterans, who definitely sold out, present Thunderbolts*, an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.
Confirmed cast members for Thunderbolts* include Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
Geraldine Viswanathan replaced Ayo Edebiri in an undisclosed role now believed to be Songbird, while Lewis Pullman has taken over as The Sentry following Steve Yeun's unexpected departure from the movie. Both he and Edebiri are said to have left due to scheduling issues.
Written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* is currently set to be released in theaters on May 5, 2025.