Five Actresses Marvel Needs To Consider For The CAPTAIN MARVEL Role

Marvel apparently understands the fan demand to see Ms Marvel/Captain Marvel join the Marvel cinematic universe. Kevin Feige confirmed during Comic-Con that new active development is underway for both Black Panther and Captain Marvel films. Trades revealed months back that the studio was indeed developing a script for a Ms Marvel film.

We've heard plenty of names rumored and wanted to fill the role of Carol Danvers in a Captain Marvel film, or cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron (could be cut out of the final film). They include ladies such as Emily Blunt (Looper, Edge of Tomorrow), Ruth Wilson (Lone Ranger, Luther), Alice Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness), Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak, Zero Dark Thirty, Mama, The Help), and Katee Sackhoff (Riddick, Battlestar Galactica). I still think they'd make excellent candidates, but I have my own list of hopefuls.

ELIZABETH BANKS: Yes, Banks had a supporting role as Betty Brant in Sam Raimi's, Spider-Man trilogy. However, she recently revealed to MTV that James Gunn, considered her for the role of Gamora in Marvel's Guardians of The Galaxy. Seemingly still game for another Marvel role in the future. Elizabeth co-starred with Chris Pratt in The Lego Movie and Ant-Man's Paul Rudd in 40 Year-Old Virgin, which could mean having these ties to their stars might help her chances.

We've seen plenty of Marvel leads having previous working relationships, before being cast. The combos include Samuel L. Jackson/Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr./Mark Ruffalo, Johansson/Chris Evans, Chris Evans/Idris Elba and Jeremy Renner/Anthony Mackie/Evangeline Lily. Banks hasn't exactly appeared on most of these casting lists, but with her huge success with the Hunger Games franchise, her awareness level worldwide is extremely high.


IMOGEN POOTS: Imogen is actually an excellent suggestion, originally mentioned by Devin of BadassDigest. I think she's a perfect candidate because she's versatile and has the personality to push any role forward, possibly a franchise as well.

Poots has an amazing amount of connections to other actors with existing Marvel roles. Her action credits include Neil Marshall's Centurion (Marshall put his name out to direct a Black Widow film) alongside Michael "Magneto" Fassbender, the superior horror sequel 28 Weeks Later with a supporting roles from Idris "Hemidall" Elba and Jeremy "Hawkeye" Renner. the dumb-but-fun racing flick Need For Speed that featured Dominic "Howard Stark" Cooper as the villain, and the serviceable remake of Fright Night.

Her more comedic roles come from projects like the fabulous black-comedy Filth co-starring with James "Professor X" McAvoy and Jamie "The Thing" Bell, along with the average rom-com That Awkward Moment with Michael B. "Human Torch" Jordan and Miles "Mr. Fantastic" Teller. Given that a majority of her co-stars have been or became Marvel heroes/villains, I'm actually shocked she hasn't landed a role. Even though she was in the mix to play Agent 13 in Winter Soldier, I think she deserves a shot at a larger hero.


ALISON BRIE: Maybe we should go the Chris Pratt route? Hiring an actress best known for her comedic performances. Community's Allison Brie is easily the female version of Pratt, funny considered they played a married couple in Five-Year Engagement (along with doing voice work on The Lego Movie with Pratt). She's also worked with Captain America franchise directors the Russo Brothers on Community. It might have led to her being rumored for the role of SHIELD agent Sharon Carter in Winter Soldier, which she didn't end-up landing.

I've been rooting for Alison to land a Marvel role like Wasp or even Betty Ross, but she's got enough personality to take-on a larger role within the MCU. Leading a film like Captain Marvel feels something like Marvel would do, she's beyond likeable and has played around with action scenes in Community.


TESSA THOMPSON: Carol Danvers doesn't need to look exactly like she does in the comics. We've seen Marvel make modern casting choices, first with Samuel L. Jackson taking-on the Ultimates version of Nick Fury. A bold decision that has panned-out for the studio and Jackson's Fury has become a staple human character within the cinematic universe. Then again, when it was time to cast Heimdall (The Guardian of Asgard). We got one of the better additions to the Thor franchise, with British actor Idris Elba. The studio caught a bit of anger (but mostly from racist or ignorant people) from a small group of upset fanboys.

Currently, we don't have a single female character of color in the main MCU (sorry folks, Zoe Saldana is playing an alien). I'm not saying Ms Marvel/Captain Marvel needs to be Monica Rambeau, but it would be a nice hint to the character. I'm not even saying Monica is out of the question in the future, I just think this isn't a terrible idea. I've already placed my two-cents on casting Almost Human's Michael Ealy for Richard Rider in the possible Nova spin-off. My original tweet seemed to have caught his interest, as he retweeted the idea to his followers. Keeping an open-mind towards future casting is a must, considering Marvel has gotten a lot flack for their films only being lead by white males. It's the reason why Black Panther and Captain Marvel movies are such hot-topic among the fan community.

Dear White People's breakout star Tessa Thompson (Cooper) is already gathering serious buzz, from the film's debut at this year's Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Tessa balances both serious topics laced with extreme humor, and satire. She fits the Marvel mold, of an comedic actor with strong potential. Like Brie, her whit seems like a solid fit for the MCU, and not to mention for potential heated exchanges between Stark or Rogers. Either arguing or kicking their asses, via Civil War.

TAYLOR SCHILLING: Television is an extremely powerful vehicle for actors these days. Even more so for non-network shows that draw-in a mature audience. We've seen plenty of actors plucked from the small screen to lead huge movies before, including Bryan Cranston. Son of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam took on Pacific Rim, and might lead other franchises (Knights of The Roundtable: King Arthur and Escape From New York are rumored projects).

Orange Is The New Black is undoubtably a massively popular series, that is watched by many of the demographic that Marvel wants to target in the future. Basically, women over the age of 18. Taylor Schilling is a name we don't often hear when speaking of franchise players, but I think that's kind of the point. She could be very appealing, because she isn't a name I've ever heard mentioned for superhero roles.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Antje Traue (Man of Steel, Seventh Son, Pandorum), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim, The Thing, Live Free or Die Hard, Smashed, Spectacular Now), Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, The World's End, Gone Girl, Jack Reacher, An Education), Andrea Riseborough (Welcome To The Punch, Oblivion, Shadow Dancer), and Sarah Gadon (Dracula Untold, Cosmopolis, Amazing Spider-Man 2).

WEAK RUMOR ALERT: Paul Rudd Joining The Marvel Universe?

A really weak assumption is being paraded as a "rumor" concerning a possible casting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. AssociatedPress/NewTimes (via CBM) says that Rudd was joking around with the Avengers cast and was told by an Oscar organizer that "You look like one".  Apparently, this combined with a couple of tweets from Ant-Man writer/director Edgar Wright that focused on Rudd is sparking speculation.

I don't doubt that Paul Rudd is on some sort of radar but he's a really lousy lead actor in my opinion. His recent group of lukewarm comedies such as Dinner For Schmucks, I Love You Man, This Is 40 and Role Models doesn't inspire confidence in this being legit casting. However, Wright is known for odd casting choices hiring the ever wooden Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) for a supporting role in Scott Pilgrim.

On the other hand there are many other strong candidates to consider. One being Rafe Spall (Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) who has worked on many occasions with Wright and is prime to become another franchise actor being developed by Marvel (similar to Chris Hemsworth and now Chris Pratt). After a supporting role in Oscar winner Life of Pi and a small part in Prometheus. He also has I Give It A Year coming out soon which will hopefully give him more of an international awareness. Oscar nominated actor Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook, Place Beyond The Pines) and Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty) have been previously linked to the film. Joel also being in the mix for Guardians of The Galaxy.

Considering the level of acting talent rumored to be linked, Rudd in my opinion would be better suited for a supporting role. I'm leaning towards Scott Lang rather than Hank Pym if it's an actual lead role. Lang ends up stealing the Ant-Man after being blackmailed and eventually partners with Pym. I wouldn't rule out Paul playing a villain either as Simon Pegg might end up being called up for Star Wars. Pegg had voiced a desire to play a baddie in Ant-Man. Even if recent casting of Park And Recs actor Chris Pratt for the Guardians of The Galaxy lead had Marvel hiring a comedian for an adventure film. Pratt had some decent Oscar connections with films Moneyball and Zero Dark Thirty to back up his abilities to handle other genres than comedy. Paul on the other hand isn't on that level and if anything would be comedic relief.

When it comes to the role of Janet (Wasp) I've finally come around to the fact that Alison Brie needs to be in that role. Alison was linked as a contender for Captain America: The Winter Soldier but was more likely being tested for another role in the MCU. A steady stream of actresses were linked for Sharon Carter but could have also been tested for multiple female leads such as Gamora for Guardians and Wasp (Anna Kendrick and Mary Elizabeth Winstead could also be strong contenders) for Ant-Man. The latter I think is where Brie fits in, as Janet is known for being as fast talking and as whitty if not more than Tony Stark. Her rapid-fire delivery on Community along with her dramatic side in Mad Men could see the actress in a similar spot as her Five-Year Engagement co-star Chris Pratt.

Alison Brie Plays Coy When Asked About CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

MTV caught up with Community and Five-Year Engagement actress Alison Brie about her rumored involvement with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Alison says she isn't "opposed" to a role when asked about being linked for the sequel and gives some praise to The Russo Brothers. The pair who will be helming the film are also writers/showrunners on Community. A previous working relationship with the directors wouldn't hurt her chances.

Brie might not have to break any kneecaps to get a role in "The Winter Soldier," as she's already rumored for one of the film's leads. For now, her lips are sealed on the prospect. "But I wouldn't be opposed to it," she said.

"I'm excited that they're going to do it. I think they're incredible. Everything they do is incredible. It'll be a nice change for those Marvel superhero movies, to have a fresh take on it.”

GREMLINS Reboot In The Works Again

Vulture reports that Warner Bros. is talking with Amblin Entertainment to develop a reboot of the 80's classic Gremlins. While similar talks have happened over the years it's possible it could be more concrete than previously. It's possible but not confirmed that Steven Spielberg could end up producing the project. A little piece of me is upset that this reboot could end up chucking out the classic puppets for cheap-looking CGI instead. Fingers-crossed that the Henson Company ends up getting involved.

Here's hoping if this has to happen that the studio ends up hiring some truly funny leads like Charlie Day (Sunny In Philly, Horrible Bosses, Pacific Rim) and Alison Brie (Community, Five-Year Engagement, Mad Men).

Alison Brie And Emilia Clarke Testing For CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

Deadline has word more actresses are testing for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. As Alison Brie (Five-Year Engagement, Community, Mad Men), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Jessica Brown Findlay (Downtown Abbey) and Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later, Fright Night) are the shortlist for the "love interest" for Steve Rogers. While the latter two names have appeared before it's the first time that Brie and Clarke have been linked to the film. It's possible new Marvel directors Alan Taylor (Thor: Dark World, Game of Thrones) and Russo Brothers (Winter Soldier, Community) have been pitching their actors to the studio. Previously, Anna Kendrick and Felicity Jones had been linked for the role.

The site also confirms (again) that Scarlett Johansson will reprise the role of Black Widow, perhaps having her Russian origin linked to that of The Winter Soldier? Other confirmed actors include Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie.

CAST EM': Edgar Wright's ANT-MAN

It was announced at Comic-Con that Edgar Wright's Ant-Man will indeed be apart of Phase Two. While it's release date hasn't been revealed it's expected to come out sometime in 2014. Edgar is about to begin shooting World's End in October with a possible Spring release. The production start for Ant-Man has been rumored to start after Thor: The Dark World wraps on the London stages. Giving the impression it will shoot while Captain America: The Winter Solider shoots stateside. Casting is expected to start heating up this Winter and I have a couple of ideas who should be placed in roles.

EWAN MCGREGOR AS DR. HANK PYM

BRADLEY COOPER AS SCOTT LANG

ALISON BRIE AS JANET VAN DYNE

RAFE SPALL AS ERIC O'GRADY

SIMON PEGG AS ELIHAS STARR

ALAN RICKMAN AS ULTRON

DREAM CAST: ANTMAN

While an official announcement hasn't been made there were rumblings during Cannes recently that Ant-Man has been indeed greenlit by Marvel. There has been talk that there could be Ant-Men involved in the story giving the impression Scott Lang and Eric O'Grady will be included. Simon Pegg has mentioned that he'd rather play the villain Egghead in the film instead of Hank Pym. Bradley Cooper had been one of the few actors linked to the lead role. While it's unlikely Ultron will be the main villain of the film he could still show up as Hank's "life-model decoy" or a more industrial version. We know androids exist in the Marvel universe as Iron Man 2, Avengers and Captain America have established this.

BRADLEY COOPER AS HANK PYM/ANTMAN

ALISON BRIE AS JANET VAN DYNE/WASP

SIMON PEGG AS ELIHAS STARR/EGGHEAD

BILL NIGHY AS ULTRON

KEVIN MCKIDD AS SCOTT LANG/2ND ANTMAN

FRAN KRANZ AS ERIC O'GRADY/3RD ANTMAN

FAN MADE: Poster For 'INCREDIBLE HULK 2' Co-Starring Alison Brie And Ron Perlman

Alison Brie Joins Segel & Blunt In Five-Year Engagement

Variety reports that Alison Brie (Community, Mad Men) has joined Nicholas Stroller's (Get Him To The Greek, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) Five-Year Engagement. Alison will play Emily Blunt's younger sister in the film and will adopt a British accent. Jason Segel who stars wrote the film with Stroller. Segel also wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall so hopefully this going to be a solid romantic comedy.