There was a time when Zac Efron was the perennial favorite for “Most Likely to Play [X] in the MCU.” When he wasn’t reportedly in talks to play the Human Torch or Adam Warlock, he was definitely, definitely going to be the new Wolverine, or Black Bolt, or, in more easily dismissed conjecture, Starfox. Incidentally, remember when Starfox casting rumors were still easy to dismiss because there was no way Marvel would ever waste its time on that character? We were so young. So innocent.
The point is, rumors have come and gone, but Efron remains a prime candidate for plenty of as-yet unclaimed Marvel roles. Here’s a selection of characters he could easily wrap his iron claw around if Kevin Feige and company decided to officially welcome him into the fold.
Cyclops
It has to be intimidating, signing a multi-picture contract to play a guy whose eyes are covered for the majority of his screen time. It’s also a power move. Like Karl Urban in Dredd and Pedro Pascal back before the makers of The Mandalorian realized how famous Pedro Pascal was getting, Efron could be one of those rare actors who throws ego to the wind and nails an emotionally complex role while hiding his camera-ready face.
Cyclops is a tough character to get right. On his good days, he’s a company man with a by-the-book attitude. On his bad days, he’s a fundamentalist paramilitary leader with an extremist streak. On most days, he’s bummed out, either about dating Jean Grey or about not dating Jean Grey. Efron has the range to nail down any of those looks, plus the jawline necessary to wear his kid sister’s headband over his eyes for a living and still be taken seriously.
The (original) Human Torch
Out of all the missed opportunities to bring a character to the MCU, the original Human Torch might just be the most depressing. He’s pure pulp gold: A Frankensteinian creation of hubris from the 1930s, hated and feared by the public for reasons beyond his control as he learns to be more like them. There’s a winking reference to him in the first Captain America movie, but he never got the fully fleshed-out treatment that he deserved.
Everyone loves a Pinocchio story, and setting the original Human Torch’s narrative around World War II with the same aesthetic and Rocketeer-esque sensibilities as The First Avenger would be a good time at the theater. More than that, Efron’s unsettlingly good looks really lend themselves to the role of “lonesome automaton created by science.”
Sentry
At this point, Sentry has become more famous for not having shown up in the MCU than he ever was as a comic book character. Everyone gets the drill: He’s Superman, but he’s fully bananas. Those are the basics, anyway. Word is that Sentry will be making his debut in Thunderbolts, assuming that Thunderbolts ever happens. Whether or not Efron will be bringing his cold gaze and troublingly dehydrated musculature to the role remains to be seen.
Nova/Richard Rider
By all accounts, Nova is a character who keeps almost making it to the big screen, but it just never seems to work out. The latest word was that Richard Rider would be popping up in a Disney Plus special presentation, but that was back in March of 2022. So far, no dice for Marvel’s favorite space cop.
Be honest: Zac Efron looks like a space cop. Like, if you were in space and you got pulled over for speeding, it would almost feel weird if Zac Efron wasn’t the guy tapping on your window and asking if you knew how fast you were going. It doesn’t hurt that he’s already played a beach cop in Baywatch and a monster cop in Scoob! Time to collect the whole set of very specific law enforcement officers, Ef.
Ka-Zar
Maybe this one is a mistake. Maybe there’s no way to translate Ka-Zar for a modern audience, given that his whole deal can be summed up as “Tarzan but we changed his name to something else.” Maybe, in a cinematic universe replete with intergalactic warlords and malicious supernatural deities, there’s no way to take stakes that can be reconciled by a caveman with a very large cat and make them seem worth caring about. These are all fair points. Consider this, though: If Zac Efron played Ka-Zar, he’d basically be wearing a swimsuit on set all day. He loves doing that. Do you want him to be happy or don’t you?
