Janet Jackson is one of our greatest living pop stars, and she's also got a number of notable film and TV credits on her long resume as well. But it turns out that we could have gotten the "Rhythm Nation" singer in the superhero genre, specifically playing Storm in Bryan Singer's original X-Men movie. And she recently explained what went down, and the door was open for Halle Berry to take the role.
The X-Men movies (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscrpiption) were around before the genre was so popular. While Vivica A. Fox claimed she could have played Storm before Halle Berry, it seems Janet Jackson was another big name attached to the role. While appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show, she was asked about a rumor that she was nearly in The Matrix. She cleared that up, revealing it was actually X-Men. In her words:
It was…this is horrible. I can't remember the film, but Halle Berry played Storm. I couldn't because I was just embarking on the Janet tour.
Well, my mind is blown. It sounds like we almost could have gotten a global superstar like Janet Jackson in the superhero genre, and I bet she would have made for a killer Storm. Of course, Halle Berry would go on to play the beloved mutant throughout the X-Men trilogy, as well as Days of Future Past. But now that we're seeing variants and the multiverse in the MCU, maybe one day Jackson can end up playing Storm after all.
Scheduling conflicts happen all the time in the film world, which can result in major casting shakeups. And while Janet Jackson got close to playing Storm in Bryan Singer's X-Men, her demanding schedule as a pop star got in the way, as she went on a tour. And now I'm left wondering what she might have brought to the screen as Ororo Munroe.
The MCU is currently in the multiverse saga, which is why it feels like anything could happen in upcoming Marvel movies. In fact, there are a number of rumors about Storm swirling around. One popular one is that Halle Berry might reprise her role as part of the Deadpool & Wolverine cast. There are countless cameo theories circulating online, especially after Deadpool 3's new trailer brought back a number of X-Men villains. If Berry isn't actually appearing who knows? Maybe Jackson could end up showing up as a variant of the character. Hey, a guy can dream.
All will be revealed when Deadpool & Wolverine finally arrives in theaters on July 26th. While we not-so-patiently wait for that blockbuster, be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next trip to the movies. We'll just have to see if/when Janet Jackson returns to the big screen.
