A major Wicked star is putting her name to play an iconic Marvel heroine in the MCU! Can it happen?
Among the big questions regarding the MCU is how they can use the X-Men. Long before the MCU came about, the 2000s X-Men movies were among the first major blockbusters based on Marvel Comics. Starting with the 2000 movie, the franchise spawned a total of thirteen movies, highlighted by Hugh Jackman's star-making turn as Wolverine.
Fox released those movies and thus Disney couldn't use them until they bought the studio in 2019. However, Disney did produce X-Men '97, a continuation of the beloved 1990s X-Men animated series.
Deadpool & Wolverine also integrated the X-Men into things. Additionally, the post-credits scene for The Marvels had Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) finding herself on an alternate Earth to meet the Beast (Kelsey Grammer) and a version of her late mother Maria (Lashana Lynch), who was the superpowered Binary.
It's thus obvious that the MCU will use the X-Men in some way in the MCU. Among the characters many would want to see is the team's long-time leader and star, Ororo Munroe, aka Storm.
Introduced as part of the "new" X-Men in 1975, Ororo was an orphan in Kenya who lived as a thief. She discovered her mutant powers to control the weather and was treated as a goddess in Africa.
Joining the X-Men, Storm used her powers well, including becoming a team leader. She even had a storyline where she was married to the Black Panther and Queen of Wakanda.
The character was played in the first X-Men movies by Halle Berry, who reprised it in Days of Future Past. Alexandra Shipp played the role in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix.
Now, a new actress has stepped up in her desire to take on the part, and the results could be absolutely wicked!
How this Wicked star could play Storm
Speaking to the National Board of Review, Wicked star Cynthia Erivo expressed her hopes of playing Storm in the MCU.
Cynthia Erivo tells NBR her next dream role is X-Men's Storm 👀🌩️ #NBRAwards #CynthiaErivo pic.twitter.com/LS8LNJekAv
— National Board of Review (@NBRfilm) January 8, 2025
Evio shared,
"I really want to play Storm. I know it sounds frivolous but I think we haven't uncovered how grand she is and all of that inner turmoil that she has. So I think there's a world in which we could do something like that."
Erivo is currently gaining huge acclaim for her turn as Elphaba in the smash hit movie version of the Wicked musical. The Tony Award-winning actress has earned Golden Globes, SAG, and Critics Choice Award nominations for the part, and there is serious buzz that she will get an Oscar nom for it.
Wicked showed Erivo could easily handle the special effects work needed to play Storm. Anyone who can pull off the show-stopping "Defying Gravity" would have no trouble as the weather-controlling mutant. She also has the gravitas needed for the role and serious acting chops.
This is still early as there's no word on any major X-Men project for the MCU just yet. However, with Wicked so hot and Erivo eager to play the role, Disney and Marvel may decide to listen and give Erivo her dream of bringing Storm back to the big screen.
The X-Men movies are streaming on Disney+.