Since Kevin Feige’s vision for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is incredibly vast, there’s plenty of room for more of Hollywood’s finest to find roles in comic book movies or on planned Disney+ television shows. Oscar-winners have been no stranger to the MCU – such as Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, or Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. So, of course 2020 Oscar hopeful Cynthia Erivo is into it too.
The 33-year-old actress has been a rising star in recent years, finding roles in Steve McQueen’s Widows, Bad Times At the El Royale, and playing an American hero in Harriet. She’s been nominated for Best Actress for playing Harriet Tubman alongside Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow herself), Renée Zellweger’s Judy and so forth. Here’s what Cynthia Erivo said when she was asked if she’d be interested in joining the Marvel universe:
Yes. My body is suited to it. And I'd love to see what that experience is like. I think I could have a good time doing it.
See that Kevin Feige? Put Erivo in! When many actors take on Marvel roles, they often have to test their bodies in dramatic ways – including Kumail Nanjiani’s recent jawdropping transformation for Eternals. But in the case of Cynthia Erivo, she’s already trained herself into incredible shape!
The actress actually loves running. Once she dared herself to complete a 5K marathon in London for breast cancer and she did it. Cynthia Erivo got addicted to the feeling of accomplished attached to training for the 5K and decided to tackle a 10K, and then a half marathon… and then a full marathon. She calls running her “mobile therapy." Erivo talked more about her relationship with fitness to THR with these words:
My fitness came from a trainer a long time ago. I used to be in a dance company and he would say, 'You shouldn't let the dance make you fit. You should be fit for the dance.' I applied that to my life. I never wanted to be unprepared when I was walking onto a stage or a set. I always wanted to be ready physically, so it was the last thing I had to think about.
Sounds like Cynthia Erivo could just walk onto a Marvel set tomorrow and be ready to kick some major ass. The actress cited Ryan Coogler as one of her favorite filmmakers that she’d like to work with one day. Maybe she can find a role in 2022’s Black Panther 2?
There’s certainly a ton of opportunities for Cynthia Erivo to find herself in the MCU at some point. Some yet-to-be casted projects that are coming to the MCU include the Fantastic Four, X-Men and Blade. Cynthia Erivo opened up about the type of roles she’s attracted to:
Things that are not as tidy as one would wish. I want to play the messiest of women and the most complicated of women. I want to play those roles you just don't see, the stories of women that don't get told often. They don't necessarily have to be the hero of the story. I just want them to be fully rounded. I want them to be real. I want someone in the world to be able to connect to those people when they see them.
What is amazing about Marvel is how these kinds of complicated roles do exist now in a superhero realm. And don’t knock DC, Warner Bros is back on track with some especially exciting projects on the way. And look at the critical success of Todd Phillips’ Joker? The movie rooted in comic book lore lead this year’s Oscar pack with 11 nominations. Erivo also said this:
I would like to play the role of a woman who has sexuality. For some reason, I don't know whether it is specifically black women, but our roles lack sexuality. It's like we can't be badass and human and sexual at the same time. I just don't understand that. One of my favorite films is Call Me By Your Name, because of how tender and sensual it is. I still haven't seen that for a black woman. That's what I'm looking for.
The time has come. Cast Cynthia Erivo in a comic book role. Sound off with your picks in the comments below.
