Movie buffs were filled with glee recently when it was announced that Kevin Feige, the Mad Titan behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, would be taking on a Star Wars movie alongside his growing responsibilities at Marvel Studios. Even more tantalizing is the fact that Feige already has a “major actor” in mind of his Star Wars film.
There’s a good chance that the actor he has in mind hasn’t been in any of the Marvel movies he’s produced, but that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating which MCU cast member he could have in mind. So, here are 10 MCU Actors We’d Love To See In A Star Wars Movie.
Michael B. Jordan
Last year, Michael B. Jordan came aboard the MCU to play the villain in Black Panther, and for a franchise that is often criticized for its “villain problem,” this was quite a challenge. While the villains of most MCU movies struggle to stay in their audience’s minds after the credits rolled, Jordan’s portrayal of Erik Killmonger became one of the top talking points surrounding the movie.
And Black Panther itself was one of the most talked-about movies of the year. Jordan is undeniably one of the finest actors working today, and whether he’s playing a hero or a villain, he’d make a terrific addition to the Star Wars franchise.
Tilda Swinton
In the genres of sci-fi and fantasy, Tilda Swinton has always done a fantastic job of playing all kinds of roles. She played a spiritual guide to the would-be Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, in Doctor Strange, and she played the menacing villain, the White Witch, in The Chronicles of Narnia.
The Star Wars universe has both spiritual guides for the protagonists and menacing villains to fight them in spades, and these two types are just the tip of the iceberg – Swinton can play pretty much any type of character, and she has the ethereal presence required by the religious-tinged Star Wars saga.
Zoe Saldana
It feels like we’ve already seen Zoe Saldana in a Star Wars movie, because some of the intergalactic worlds she’s occupied on the big screen have been very similar to the Star Wars universe, but she’s never actually appeared in a Star Wars film.
Saldana has shined in a bunch of iconic sci-fi roles: Thanos’ adopted daughter Gamora in the MCU; Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ rebooted Star Trek timeline; Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar, which has four sequels on the way. After appearing in the Star Trek, Avatar, and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises, Star Wars is practically the only one left for her to conquer.
Brie Larson
One of the most widely circulated casting rumors for Kevin Feige’s Star Wars movie is that Brie Larson is being eyed to play Ahsoka Tano from the animated series in a live-action film. Ahsoka is plucky, heroic, and noble, and with her easy charm and confident attitude, Larson would be an ideal choice to play her.
As shown by her performance as Carol Danvers in the Marvel movies, Larson would also do a great job of portraying a hotshot pilot in the mold of Han Solo and Poe Dameron. Either way, she’d be a good fit for the Star Wars universe.
Winston Duke
In Black Panther, Winston Duke played a badass warrior leading one of Wakanda’s most ruthless tribes, and in Us, he played a relatable family man. Duke has proven that he can play both an ass-kicking soldier and an everyman, so he’d make the perfect leading man for a Star Wars offshoot following a Jedi on the run or a captured Resistance pilot or the Knights of the Old Republic.
Duke is one of Hollywood’s most promising new stars, and he’s quickly become a well-known name, but a starring vehicle in the Star Wars franchise would cement his place as an A-lister.
Tessa Thompson
With her turns as Valkyrie in the MCU, Josie Radek in Annihilation, Agent M in Men in Black: International, and Detroit in Boots Riley’s spectacular social satire Sorry to Bother You, Tessa Thompson has shown that one of her talents is bringing humanity to sci-fi roles.
No matter how much CGI or bluescreen effects or outlandish alien species or world-building are involved, Thompson finds something real in her character. And with roles in dramas like Selma and Creed, Thompson has proven herself as one of the finest actors outside the sci-fi genre, too. The Star Wars saga would be lucky to have Tessa Thompson playing a character.
Idris Elba
Idris Elba should be in every movie franchise. He’s talented, he’s charismatic, he’s enrapturing, he’s committed – he’s everything an actor should be. Elba’s turns in The Wire and Luther have proven that he can do nuanced character work, while he relished the chance to play a snarling mustache-twirling villain in Disney’s live-action remake of The Jungle Book.
He also sold sci-fi dialogue like, “We’re canceling the apocalypse!” in Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim. Elba was woefully underserved in the role of Heimdall in the MCU, so Kevin Feige could make it up to him with a substantial role in a Star Wars film.
Evangeline Lilly
Last year, when Hope Van Dyne was finally given the chance to be the superhero she’s been in the comics since the ‘60s, Evangeline Lilly slipped into the role effortlessly. Before she joined the MCU, Lilly’s most famous role was Kate Austen in Lost, a show that captured audiences’ imaginations across the world.
The Wasp has been responsible for a ton of iconic moments – running across a knife that was thrown at her, triumphantly emerging from a portal onto the battlefield in Avengers: Endgame, opening up the time machine in Luis’ van etc. – and she could bring that energy to Star Wars.
Chris Evans
Star Wars stories are all about the balance between good and evil – the Light Side and the Dark Side – and Chris Evans would be the perfect choice to play an all-out hero in the Star Wars universe. For the past decade, he’s been doing a fine job of playing goody two-shoes Steve Rogers.
Evans probably doesn’t want to dive back into another big-budget blockbuster franchise in a similar role, but he has no problem coming off as strong and heroic on the screen. Kevin Feige could use that as a jumping-off point to make Evans a bright-eyed optimist following in the footsteps of Luke Skywalker.
Danai Gurira
As shown by her performances as the spear-wielding badass Okoye in the MCU and the katana-wielding badass Michonne in The Walking Dead, Danai Gurira could easily play a lightsaber-wielding badass in the Star Wars universe.
Gurira did a great job of establishing Michonne as someone who was closed off emotionally, and then showing her slowly open up to people she made connections with, like Rick and Carl. She’s also turned Okoye from an ancillary character into one of the MCU’s most beloved heroes. She would undoubtedly do a terrific job of humanizing a Jedi Knight in a Star Wars movie.