Sony's Silver And Black is going to provide two of the most sought-after female roles in Hollywood as the studio expands its Spider-Man offshoot universe - which may or may not be connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The promise of a non-Spidey-led film is certainly appealing - considering we've seen three separate actors take on the big screen role of the webslinger in the last decade alone - and the fact that it's going to center on two female Marvel characters, Silver Sable and Black Cat, is even more exciting.
So far, we've only had one female hero-led Marvel movie (Fox's 2005 Daredevil spin-off, Elektra) and with the critical and box office success of Warner Bros.' Wonder Woman, there's clearly an appetite to see women leading the charge in the superhero genre. And like the DCEU film, a female director is at the helm of Silver And Black.
Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights) is known for directing films with complex female characters and we know from the Marvel Comics that Silver Sable and Black Cat are definitely complex. That's why they need seriously talented actresses - without too much baggage from past roles - to play them. Gina has already spoken about casting, telling Vulture:
“I go to bed thinking about it, I wake up thinking about it, and during the day, I have my notebook where I’m jotting down ideas and visuals and music. It’s so up my alley in terms of these two female characters and who they are and what they’re about."
We don't know much about the plot of Chris Yost's first Silver And Black script, though it has been rumored that the film will see the former hunt the latter around South America. This means that Silver and Black don't necessarily need to be the same age - Silver is a CEO and the leader of mercenaries and Felicia is meant to be Peter Parker's age - so age requirements may be more flexible. With that in mind, here are ten actresses who could be great picks for the role of Silver Sablinova a.k.a. Silver Sable.
LÉA SEYDOUX
If you've seen The Lobster, then you'll understand why Lea has to be on any Silver Sable casting list. Her character, the Loner Leader, is icy and emotionless (except when it comes to anger) and those are characteristics shared by the Symkarian mercenary. Her personal life seems to share similarities with Silver, too, as she once told London's Evening Standard, "I was very lonely as a kid. Really I always had the feeling I was an orphan." The 31-year-old's career so far has also set herself up well to take on a leading blockbuster role because she's more of an indie darling than Hollywood starlet and her past performances wouldn't be a distraction. However, thanks to her supporting part in 2015's James Bond movie, Spectre, she's still got a bit of box office clout to draw people in.
ALICIA VIKANDER
The Swedish actress is probably one of the most admired stars in Hollywood right now thanks to her Oscar winning role in The Danish Girl. Alicia had previously learned Danish for her role in A Royal Affair, which was nominated for a Best Foreign film Oscar at the 2013 Academy Awards, showing how hard she's willing a role to give an authentic performance. If Silver And Black does involve some Symkarian dialogue you can bet Vikander will learn it. The 28-year-old's currently shooting the Tomb Raider reboot so we'll finally see her in an ass-kicking role, and whether she can convincingly play an action hero. She also wouldn't be the first star to be a part of two action franchises - Jennifer Lawrence was still a part of The Hunger Games when she landed the Mystique role in the X-Men franchise - so maybe the Swede could handle Lara Croft and Sliver Sable.
BIRGITTE HJORT SØRENSON
The Danish actress might be on the older end of the Silver spectrum at 35, but she's still definitely worth considering for her role. Birgitte first caught my eye in Borgen, the Danish political TV series as journalist-turned-campaign manager Katrine Fønsmark, a character she says can "be rough around the edges...ambitious, strong-willed and has power." Brigitte could be describing Silver Sable right there and even her own looks seem suited the Marvel Comics mercenary. US audiences will recognise her from Game of Thrones, as wildling leader Karsi in the epic season six episode "Hardhome," and as Das Sound leader Kommissar in Pitch Perfect 2. Clearly Birgitte is suited to leading roles and what better part is there for a woman than a CEO/hunter of war criminals?
SOFIA BOUTELLA
The French-Algerian actress is a rising star in the action movie world thanks to her breakthrough performance in Kingsman: The Secret Service as Gazelle, the badass leg-bladed henchman of Samuel L. Jackson's super villain Valentine. Since then, Sofia has scrappy scavenger, Jaylah, in Star Trek Beyond and can currently be seen in The Mummy as the titular character, Princess Princess Ahmanet. These characters have a lot in common by the fact that they don't need a man to fight their battles because they're the one's starting them. That can certainly be said for Silver. Silver And Black could be the film that allows Sofia to take the lead - well joint-lead - and showcase that as well as having the action hero talents to cope with the physical elements of the Marvel role but also the dramatic edge to bring this complex character to life.
ANA ULARU
The Romanian actress is currently impressing as West in the dark TV adaption of The Wizard of Oz, Emerald City, on NBC. Ana's iteration of the Wicked Witch of the West is the opium-addicted madam of a brothel, so she brings a cold melancholy to her performance that would be essential to any interpretation of Silver. The 31-year-old's US career is only just kicking off in the US and her high profile projects have mostly been limited to the indie movie Serena, opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, and a guest role in the period TV series The Borgias. Now that she's a featured cast member in an NBC series, and has an upcoming supporting role in Keanu Reeves next film, Siberua, Ulara may be in prime position to move into leading lady territory.
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LAIA COSTA
This Spanish actress was one of the most talked about stars of 2016 thanks to her standout role in Victoria, which has been screened at dozens of film festivals since it's premiere at Berlinale in 2015. The indie film followed her titular character during a night in Berlin, shot in one singular take lasting 138 minutes. Laia's performance earned her a German Film Award for Best Actress and a EE BAFTA Rising Star nomination at this year's ceremony, making her much sort after for cool projects. Laia is also set to become a better known face thanks to her Estrella Damm campaign with Jean Reno and her new movie Newness, from Drake Doremus and co-starring Nicholas Hoult, which has just been acquired by Netflix.
MILA KUNIS
The Ukrainian-American actress is probably the most high profile on the list, and is far more known for her comedy roles in the likes of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Friends With Benefit and Bad Moms. However, her dramatic turns in The Book of Eli and Black Swan were impressive and shouldn't be overlooked. She's also told Collider that she's "not a big fan of women that have to be the victim and need to saved," which is definitely not how you'd describe Silver. There's no doubt that Mila would be a huge box office draw for the movie, especially if they cast a relative unknown for Black Cat, but it's just whether she can do a convincing enough performance, and accent, to make you forget she ever voiced Family Guy's Meg.
REBECCA FERGUSON
The British-Swedish actress was seriously impressive in the BBC period drama, The White Queen, and managed to earn a Golden Globe nomination. Thanks to that critically-acclaimed performance, Rebecca secured a supporting role in Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation as a MI6 agent Isla Faust and earned much praise for that part too. The 33-year-old can hold her own in a big budget movie, and opposite bigger stars than herself, so it's really about time she landed a role that needs to support or be propped up by male characters.
HALEY BENNETT
The American actress of English, German and Lithuanian descent is fast becoming a recognisable face in Hollywood. You'll recognise Haley from the 2016 movies The Magnificent Seven, Warren Beatty's Rules Don't Apply and The Girl on the Train, and this year the 29-year-old's set to appear opposite Miles Teller in the military drama, Thank You For Your Service, playing the wife of a soldier suffering from PTSD after returning from Iraq. Haley has great range and certainly looks like a comic book heroine so it wouldn't be to hard to imagine her as Silver Sable.
NOOMI RAPACE
The Swedish-Spanish actress has proven time and time again what an amazing actress she is, especially in the action-thriller genre, with stand-out performances in Prometheus, Child 44, The Drop and this year's Unlocked. Noomi always plays characters who are strong yet flawed, and Silver is the epitome of that, but at 37, she might be a tad too old for Silver And Black. However, anyone who can bring Lisbeth Salander to life so convincingly should definitely be in consideration for this Symkarian mercenary.
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Which of these actresses do you think would be best in the role of Silver Sable - or do you have your own suggestion? Let us know in the comments.