•Effects of initial void geometry on plastic deformation of metallic solids are studied.•Growth of a void with an increasing void ellipticity converges to that of a crack.•Influence of void ellipticity is more pronounced for a larger orientation angle. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the plastic deformation of Cu single crystals containing an elliptic cylindrical void. The effects of initial void geometry including void ellipticity and void orientation angle on plastic deformation are examined by considering the stress–strain response, dislocation nucleation from the void surface, and porosity/void cross-sectional shape evolution. It is found that (i) the initial void geometry plays an important role and (ii) the growth of voids with an increasing initial ellipticity converges to that of a crack. Our results reveal the underlying mechanisms of initial void ellipticity- and orientation angle-dependent plastic deformation of metallic solids, and provide direct evidence that there is no dividing line between a void and a crack in terms of the mechanical responses of these solids.