One of the most popular X-Men characters – who has had a stellar storyline since she was first revealed, is Kitty Pryde – also known as Shadowcat or Sprite. The bookish, dungeons and dragons-loving mutant is one of the core members of the iconic superhero team.
The heroine, best known for her unique ability to phase through solids, has been depicted in numerous comics over the decades. While she starts out as the youngest member of the team, other storylines have shown her significant progression, and she’s taken up the mantle to lead the X-Men on several occasions.
Several stars have portrayed Kitty in live action adaptations, and while Sumela Kay and Katie Stuart portrayed the mutant in X-Men and X2, it is Elliot Page’s portrayals in X-Men: The Last Stand and Days of Future Past that have become the most popular over the years. Now, with the team set to make its MCU debut sometime in the future, it’s anyone’s guess who will be tapped to star as Miss Pryde, and with numerous storylines available, there’s no telling which version of the heroine we will be introduced to.
Here are 10 stars we believe would be perfect casting choices to play Kitty Pryde in the MCU’s future X-Men adaptations.
Kaitlyn Dever
Any quick Google search for Kitty Pryde fan casts will reveal Kaitlyn Dever as a major hopeful front runner for the role. The talented actress has a knack for portraying characters who deal with one struggle or another, and her ability to convey raw emotion is outstanding. She has also played the “regular girl who is finding her way” on more than one occasion, so it’s easy to see why fans are sure that she’d knock the role of Shadowcat out of the park.
Odeya Rush
Odeya Rush as a potential candidate for the role of Kitty is another recurrent fan cast in recent times, particularly because – much like Kitty – she is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. If the MCU wants to honor the mutant’s heritage, Rush is a very solid option. This, coupled with the fact that she’s a rising star with commendable roles in major projects makes her a phenomenal casting choice. It’s not hard to see her fill the shoes of the lovable, nerdy Kitty.
Maisie Richardson-Sellers
The MCU has yet to reveal any indication as to which timeline the upcoming X-Men projects will follow. This leaves room for actresses of many ages to be in the running for the roles of the many mutants. Maisie Richardson-Sellers might not be a household name yet, but her work in two popular series via The Originals, and Legends of Tomorrow prove that she can definitely hold her own onscreen. In the latter, where she starred as Vixen, she showed she’s got the chops to bring a superhero to life, and much of her acting work has her portraying strong and emotional women. Shadowcat shouldn’t be too big a task to complete.
Maude Apatow
Steadily rising in popularity, even though she’s been on screen for much of her life, Maude Apatow has the “everygirl” onscreen persona down pat. She has been nerdy, socially awkward, volatile, and powerful with the several characters she has played across film and television, all which point to her being another brilliant choice for the role of Shadowcat. Apatow’s definitely got the skills to shine as the sci-fi loving mutant.
Sadie Sink
While she’s denied rumors of being cast in the MCU already, the rumors keep circulating, and it’s not hard to see why. Sink has solidified herself as one of Hollywood’s most talented youngsters right now. Thanks to her career-defining role as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things, as well as starring in the Oscar-winning drama, The Whale, lots of eyes are currently on the actress to make a superhero debut as soon as possible. Naturally, Kitty Pryde is one of the roles more suited to her talents depending on the timeline Marvel wishes to follow, and as she’s just kicked off her 20s, there’s a lot of room to grow the character over the next several years.
Millie Bobby Brown
Another Stranger Things alum that fans are aching to see as a superhero is none other than Eleven herself, Millie Bobby Brown. Brown is undoubtedly one of the most popular actresses around right now, and is building a very strong acting portfolio for herself. The Emmy-nominated star is a strong favorite among a hopeful fandom, and rightfully so. There is also a very strong similarity between Kitty and Eleven, as both girls come across as harmless in person, but hold more power than even they can contain. Thus, a role like this has already been played to perfection by Brown, and it would be quite the treat to have her take on a character that’s so similar, but also so different.
Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland’s breakthrough came when she snagged the role of Haley Dunphy in Modern Family, earning significant acclaim for her portrayal. Hyland is at ease playing young women finding themselves, and it’s not hard to picture her as Shadowcat. Her performance as Seelie Queen in Shadowhunters kickstarted the online campaign to have the actress play a superhero, and this is just one of many potential mutants she can bring to life.
Isabella Sermon
Isabella Sermon is the youngest actress on this list. The teenager’s only acting credits so far are starring as Maisie Lockwood in the two most recent installments of the Jurassic Park film franchise, Fallen Kingdom and Dominion. If the MCU is looking for a rising youngster to take on the role of Kitty, who is quite young when she’s introduced in the comics, Sermon would be a great choice.
Maia Mitchell
Maia Mitchell is an Australian actress who rose to mainstream fame for her roles as Mack in the Disney a channel films Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2, and as Callie Adams in The Fosters, and its spinoff, Good Trouble. A stellar actress with incredible emotional performances under her belt, she additionally bears a resemblance to a few depictions of Kitty in the comic books.
Odessa A’zion
Odessa A’zion is most known for her role in Netflix’s Grand Army, but the rising talent creeps up on fan casts of Kitty Pryde thanks to her Jewish heritage. It’s not certain what route Marvel will take with Kitty’s ancestry, but A’zion should be in the running if homage is paid to the original comic book character’s roots.