Last month, a fan asked UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey if she had any interest in playing a superhero during a Reddit AMA, and the fighter-turned-actor immediately name-checked Captain Marvel.
Despite the obvious physicality Rousey would bring to the role, fans seem split down the middle about the notion of the relatively untested performer playing such a major character – but one man seems to be open to the idea, and that man just happens to be Marvel boss Kevin Feige.
When asked by IGN how he felt about Rousey campaigning to play Carol Danvers, he responded:
I love it. That happens occasionally, and I think that’s a testament more to the strength of the characters. Going back to my early days at Marvel, there were always various people campaigning to be Wolverine. I guess that was pre-Twitter and pre-Internet days, but still for some reason would pop up in Wizard Magazine. Wizard Magazine would always have ‘this person wants to play this role!’ It’s a testament to how great the characters are that it appeals to such a wide range of talented, talented people.
That’s all well and good, but would Feige actually consider giving her a shot? He doesn’t come right out and say so, but he brings up the fact that Marvel has taken chances that have paid off in the past on newcomers, like WWE superstar Dave Bautista, so anything’s possible:
“You look at the ways we’ve cast our films in the past and it’s always about who’s the best person to inhabit the character, whether that is an actor like Chris Hemsworth who bulks up, or a wrestler like Dave Bautista who played Drax who ends up being an amazing performer, an amazing actor and a clever and witty and pointed comedic actor.”
At the end of the day, they’ll probably go with a bigger name with more experience, but it’s good to know they’re keeping their options open at least.
Captain Marvel flies into theaters in 2018.
