Saoirse Ronan Out, Elizabeth Olsen In As Scarlet Witch In THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON?

Bleeding Cool’s Brendon Connelly is quoting sources that say Saoirse Ronan, Joss Whedon’s self-professed inspiration for the role of the Scarlet Witch in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, has reportedly turned down the role, causing Marvel and Whedon to supposedly look towards Elizabeth Olsen as a replacement.

This is has been in the making for quite some time, as Ronan has gone from expressing excitement about the rumor back in May to a terse denial of rumor in July. What happened? I don’t know, and have no sources to check, but I imagine something like this went down.

MARVEL CASTING: Hello, Ronan’s agent. Let’s talk about getting Saoirse in the next Avengers film.

RONAN’S AGENT: I was wondering when you’d get around to calling. Listen, we know Whedon wants Saoirse, you know Whedon wants Saoirse, and Saoirse knows Whedon wants Saoirse. So let’s make it easy on you. Pay her eleventy million dollars and she’s all yours.

MARVEL CASTING: Eleventy million? We were going to offer her a couple thousand dollars, cab money to and from the set and a stick of Juicy Fruit gum.

RONAN’S AGENT: Ha! Listen, I know you want to negotiate, but Whedon wrote to part for her! If you are not going to pay her eleventy million dollars, then she’s going to refuse the part!

MARVEL CASTING: Fair enough. Sorry we couldn’t do business together. By the way, do you have Elizabeth Olsen’s agent’s number handy?

RONAN’S AGENT: Wait…what?

MARVEL CASTING: Nevermind, we’ll look it up ourselves. Have a good day! (Hangs up)

As a tale of the tape goes, there really is not much lost in the translation. As you can see above, the actresses look remarkably alike (Especially in the eyebrows! Spooky!). Although Olsen is five years older than Ronan, she has half the amount of listings on her resume and has been working only half as long (which means her price should be far more economical). And while Ronan has an Oscar nomination under her belt, a lot of people, myself included, though Olsen should have gotten one for her work in Martha Marcy May Marlene.

On top of that, Olsen must have picked up some insight in the way a relationship between twins work from her older sisters, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.