Florence Pugh’s Marvel Character Was Almost Played By Another Acclaimed Actress

2021’s “Black Widow” was always a puzzling movie for me. You’re finally giving the one woman on The Avengers her own movie after you kill her off in “Avengers: Endgame”? Hence it is a prequel, one that takes place within the third act of “Captain America: Civil War.” Then there’s the film’s story being built around the vague allusions to Widow’s history in “The Avengers” from “Dreykov’s daughter” to a past mission in Budapest. Once more, wiki-brained nerds proved they can’t tell when a line is there to suggest a character has an offscreen history, not set up a spin-off.

But having seen “Black Widow,” I understand why it got pushed to Phase 4. The movie is more than anything a torch passing from one Widow to the next: Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) to her little sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). Pugh has since shown up as Yelena in the Disney+ series “Hawkeye” and is headlining next year’s “Thunderbolts*” alongside some other Marvel anti-heroes.

Pugh may be mostly a dramatic actor, but she’s got charisma and comedic skill (with a side of improvisation) enough to stay afloat in any Marvel blockbuster. But Pugh wasn’t Marvel’s first choice for Yelana: it was Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, as shared by reporter Justin Kroll during an appearance on “The Town with Matthew Belloni” podcast. Kroll said Marvel isn’t Ronan’s “cup of tea,” and Ronan herself admitted (in a recent Deadline interview), “I can’t see myself doing Marvel.” (James Bond, on the other hand…)

I’m pretty sure I know why Marvel wanted Ronan in “Black Widow” though: “Hanna,” directed by Joe Wright. Ronan, in one of her first breakout roles, stars as a child super-soldier on the run from the CIA. “Hanna” is quite similar to “Black Widow” (the movie and character for both). Pugh and Ronan had also previously starred as two of the March sisters in Greta Gerwig’s 2019 “Little Women.” Looks like she was the backup option to Ronan both for the love interest Laurie in “Little Women” and “Black Widow.”

“Black Widow” isn’t the only Marvel project that tried to cast Saoirse Ronan. During the development of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Ronan was writer-director Joss Whedon’s “prototype” (i.e. the person he envisioned while writing) for Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch. Obviously, the part instead went to Elizabeth Olsen, who starred in Marvel films/TV from 2014 to 2022 (and potentially beyond).

Speaking to the Mary Sue in 2013 about the then-ongoing casting rumor, Ronan expressed interest:

“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.”

Obviously, a lot can change in 10 years. Looking at Ronan’s earlier roles (“Hanna,” sci-fi alien invasion romance “The Host”), perhaps she originally saw her career going in more of an action-star direction or simply thought that a Marvel movie could be her big break. Now, she’s a well-established dramatic star while Marvel Studios has become synonymous with corporate, homogenized filmmaking. 

Ronan hasn’t starred in a single blockbuster or action film this past decade. No, she does smaller-scale dramas/comedies and wants to direct too. Right now, a Marvel contract and its demanding scheduling could seem like more trouble than it’s worth to her. As for Florence Pugh? “Thunderbolts*” and its success will probably tell us if she’s going to be in for the long haul as Black Widow.

“Thunderbolts*” is scheduled for theatrical release on May 2, 2025.