When Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova debuted in 2021’s Black Widow, fans immediately took to the character’s snappy dialogue, thirst for violence, and inability to relinquish her vendetta against the people who broke up her found family. Pugh’s performance quickly established Yelena as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s more exciting new characters in a post-Endgame era, which makes you wonder: Would the character have had the same impact if played by someone else? Saoirse Ronan, perhaps? While speaking with the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Ronan more or less confirmed Marvel offered her the role of Yelena Belova before her Little Women co-star, Pugh, superhero-landed in the MCU.
“How did you hear about that?” Ronan asked the Happy Sad Confused host, Josh Horowitz. To which he replied, “OK. I’ll take that that non-answer as an answer.” Horowitz then asked Ronan if she had anything “against the Marvel stuff.”
Ronan, careful not to invite MCU fans into the comments to roast her response, said, “I can’t see myself doing Marvel.” Adding, “I don’t… No, I would prefer to do Bond.” Not wanting to stoke flames, Ronan continued, “There’s nothing wrong with [Marvel] and I think they’re brilliant films. I want to do more big movies. I’m at the point where I’ve done… I love making independent film, I really do, but to know — especially in this landscape that we’re in, in film right now — to know that a film is going to be seen is such a luxury.”
Saoirse Ronan has come a long way from appearing in films like Atonement, City of Ember, and The Lovely Bones. It may bestarring role in 2011’s Hanna makes her a perfect fit for a character as calculated, surprisingly vulnerable, and badass as Yelena Belova. While Ronan typically sticks to indie fare like Lady Bird, Ammonite, and Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun, filmmakers are likely to line up when they hear Ronan wants a chance to step into Hollywood’s big-budget spotlight.
Would Saoirse Ronan have made a good Yelena Belova? Should whoever makes the next Bond movie give her a call? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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