Summary
- Hayley Atwell would be the perfect choice to play a more experienced Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider reboot, given her well-known reputation and action experience.
- Atwell's British accent and organic performance style make her a natural fit for the character of Lara Croft, and she has already been recognized for her suitability in the role through her casting in a Tomb Raider anime show.
- Despite being the ideal candidate, Atwell's involvement in the Netflix Tomb Raider anime show may hurt her chances of playing Lara Croft in a live-action format for Amazon Prime Video, as scheduling and continuity issues could arise.
With an Amazon Prime's Tomb Raider show was announced in early 2023 and will reboot the franchise in a live-action format, with Amazon also producing a connected movie set in the same universe. Tomb Raider has been around since 1996 and so has its iconic protagonist, meaning it is important that the live-action casting does her justice. Therefore, the legendary character needs to be played by someone who fits the part.
Amazon's project wouldn't be the first time Lara Croft has been adapted into live-action. Angelina Jolie played Lara Croft twice in the early 2000s, but the movies failed to make a critical or box office splash. In 2018, Alicia Vikander played Croft, and while the film performed well financially, it still didn't make the impression the Tomb Raider series is capable of. Amazon now has the chance to nail the character and give her the live-action story she deserves. While a new Tomb Raider movie and TV show are exciting, Amazon may have missed the best choice for Lara Croft.
There is no official release date for Amazon Prime Video's Tomb Raider projects.
Hayley Atwell Would Be The Perfect Choice To Play Lara Croft In A Tomb Raider Reboot
Atwell Perfectly Fits The Role Of Tomb Raider's Protagonist
Hayley Atwell would be the perfect Lara Croft for the Tomb Raider reboot. She would be ideal to play a more experienced Lara Croft, rather than at the start of her journey. Given how well-known she is, there is no need to have a Tomb Raider reboot focus on Lara Croft's origins or early adventures. Instead, allowing Atwell to flourish as a version of the character that already has a big reputation would be a great fit. Atwell is a recognizable enough name to take on the part and has plenty of action experience to do Lara Croft justice.
With Atwell being British, she already has the sort of natural accent that fits Croft's character. She would be much more organic in this role and her performances in the MCU as well as Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning already have her well-prepared for the part. Casting Atwell would allow the reboot to learn from the Tomb Raider movies' mistakes and create a well-received universe that shows how compelling the character can be. With the actress having all the right attributes, casting her seems an obvious choice, but there is one clear issue preventing it from happening.
Casting Lara Croft For A New Tomb Raider Movie Reboot
With the Tomb Raider movie franchise set to reboot, many are wondering who will play Lara Croft - here are five casting choices that would work.
Hayley Atwell Will Play Lara Croft In A Tomb Raider Anime Show
Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft Cast Atwell For The Lead Role
Hayley Atwell's suitability to play Lara Croft has already been recognized by Netflix, as she will lead their Tomb Raider anime show. Although the series is yet to be released, Hayley Atwell was cast as Lara Croft for the Tomb Raider anime in late 2021. With her accent being a great match for the one typically associated with Croft, Atwell's voice-over performance looks like a great example of what she can do with the character. The actress has already gotten plenty of experience of doing action-orientated voice work when it comes to playing Captain Carter in Marvel's What If...? series.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, is scheduled for release in 2024, likely coming out before Amazon's TV show or movie, which appear to still be in the early stages. If she nails the sarcastic, witty, yet professional manner of Croft in the anime, then it would make it obvious that she would be a good fit for Amazon's shared Tomb Raider universe. The anime's long production process suggests that the project will be detailed, and Atwell will likely be given a well-thought-out story to work with that allows her to flex her skills as the protagonist.
Tomb Raider's Show Hurts Hayley Atwell's Live-Action Casting Chances
Atwell Is Far Less Likely To Play A Live-Action Lara Croft After Her Netflix Show
Regardless of how well Atwell's Tomb Raider anime performs, it hurts her chances of playing the character in a live-action format. With Amazon Prime Video and Netflix being streaming rivals, Atwell may be less appealing since she is already playing a different version of the character. Having her involved in Netflix and Amazon's projects could create many problems. If Atwell were to play Croft in Amazon's movie and TV show as well as Netflix's anime, there could be a whole host of scheduling issues. It may also burn the actress out of the role pretty fast due to fatigue.
Being part of the MCU, Mission Impossible and three separate Tomb Raider projects would leave Atwell no time for other roles. Even if Amazon cast her for just a single project, the continuity of her performances would become problematic with people choosing a favorite version. Amazon's Tomb Raider shared universe plan is already risky, but adding Atwell, who is already playing Croft for another company, would be even more dangerous. This means that despite being a perfect fit, Amazon may have to up on Hayley Atwell and find a new Lara Croft for their Tomb Raider universe.