Summary
AWickedmovie cast member recently expressed interest in playing a popularX-Mencharacter in the MCU, and Marvel Studios may already have this performer on their radar.
TheWickedmovie is a record-breaking box office hit, garnering lead stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande acclaim for their respective performances as Elphaba and Glinda. At the National Board of Review Awards 2024,Wickedwon the awards for Best Film, Best Director for Jon M. Chu, and the NPR Spotlight Award for Erivo and Grande’s collaboration. At the ceremony, one of two stars expressed interest in joining the MCU, prompting a reputable scooper to tell fans that Marvel Studios is eyeing theWickedactor for one of theX-Menfranchise’s most popular and powerful characters.
MyTimeToShineHelloclaims Erivo is one of the actors eyed by Marvel Studios to play the X-Men character Storm in the MCU. The notable scooper revealed this information in response to Erivo telling theNational Board of Reviewshe wanted to play Storm when asked if there was another role she “really wanted to manifest.” While Erivo said it sounds “frivolous,” she believes there’s untapped potential with the Storm character, particularly regarding her “inner turmoil.”
Fan reactions to the idea of Erivo playing Storm are mixed. On Twitter and Reddit, some fans suggestedother actresses to play Storm in the MCUlike Yetide Badaki, Anna Diop, or Jodie Turner-Smith. Twitter userJon Owensargued that while Erivo is talented, he believes she lacks the height and physicality he believes are required to play Storm, a sentiment others across the internet shared. Of course, some fans supported Erivo taking on the role. “I just saw Wicked and would love to see her as Storm,” wrote Reddit userAsterArtworks. Those views were echoed by Reddit userChloeDrew557, who wrote, “She absolutely has the right chops to embody Storm.”
While it’s true that Storm is generally around 5'11 in the comics, past actresses to play the character haven’t cleared that bar and handled the role capably. Besides, there are many instances of talented performers taking on comic book roles that fans felt were miscast only to be proven wrong. Michael Keaton was deemed too short and not fit enough to play Batman in 1989, and now he’s regarded by many as the best actor to play the Caped Crusader in a live-action film. And who could forget the negative response to Heath Ledger being cast as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight? Now,Ledger’s Joker performance is considered unbeatableby several fans.
Some may only know Erivo from her tremendous performance inWicked, but she’s also received acclaim for her other roles. Many critics regarded her performance inBad Times at the El Royaleas the best part of the film. Also, for what it’s worth, she reportedly lost weight for her role as Elphaba inWickedand could likely regain the muscle to play Storm. Of course, Marvel Studios could always choose someone else for the role, and Kevin Feige has implied that plans for theX-Men must wait until afterAvengers: Secret Wars. So, it will likely be a while before anyone is cast as the new Storm, but if they choose Erivo, the character would be in more than capable hands.
Marvel Studios’X-Menmovie is in development at Marvel Studios.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
