Jessica Chastain is one of the most popular actresses working today, thanks in no small part to major roles in acclaimed films like Zero Dark Thirty, The Help and The Tree Of Life. Her star has been rising considerably over the last few years and she has several big projects coming down the pipe; Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, A Most Violent Year, Guillermo del Toro’s horror film Crimson Peak, and Ridley Scott’s upcoming sci-fi thriller The Martian.
With so many high-profile films under her belt, where is a beloved and acclaimed actress to turn? Why, to the superhero genre, of course! Chastain has already spoken openly about wanting to star in a comic book movie, and flirted with joining both Iron Man 3 and Ant-Man. However, she didn’t want to play a secondary character and thus passed on those projects.
In a new interview, she reveals that her talks with Marvel are ongoing and that she recently met with the studio for an upcoming role:
We’ve talked about aligning our forces in the future. And here’s the thing with me… If you’re going to be in a superhero movie, you only get one chance. You’re that character forever. So why do a superhero movie and play the boring civilian? Whatever it is, I want a fight scene. I could be an incredible villain. I could be a hero. I want a cool outfit, and I want to kick ass. There was a thing…I don’t want to say too much – but there was one thing, there was a possibility in the future of the character becoming… And I was like, ‘I understand that, but I want to do it now.
What role could she possibly be talking about? Many writers and fans across the web were quick to attach her name to Captain Marvel, who’s getting her own film (the first from Marvel to star a female lead) in 2018, but Chastain burst that bubble herself after the rumors began to spread:
Oops uh oh….I've never had talks about Captain Marvel. Was referring to a different film from over a year ago, in my recent MTV interview.
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) November 4, 2014
So, with Captain Marvel off the table, who did Chastain take a meeting with Marvel about? Honestly, I’m not sure. Perhaps Medusa in the Inhumans movie? How about Daredevil‘s Elektra, or Jessica Jones? The possibilities are simply endless, especially considering how widely the MCU is going to be blown open in Phase Three.
Of course, she may also never land a Marvel role, as the studio often requires their leads to commit to multi-picture deals, which could seriously hinder her career choices beyond the superhero genre. Plus, she did say that those talks happened over a year ago, so maybe the opportunity for her to jump on board the MCU has passed.
Tell us, who would you like to see Jessica Chastain play in the Marvel universe? Despite her shooting down the Captain Marvel rumors, do you think she would have been a good pick for the role? Let us know in the comments section below.