Following the Disney/Fox merger, the rights to the X-Men characters have reverted back to Marvel Studios, and in due time, they’ll be appearing in the MCU. Storm was made iconic when Halle Berry played her in the original Days of Future Past), so she’s left some pretty big boots to fill when Marvel recasts the role.
It’s unfortunate that Alexandra Shipp didn’t really get a chance to shine. She only got to appear in a couple of Fox’s X-Men prequels, and even then, she was robbed of a lot of screen time. Now, here's another chance to bring Storm to the big screen. Who's up to the task of portraying her? Here are our picks!
Updated on July 25th, 2020: It’s been over a year since Disney acquired 21st Century Fox and Avengers: Endgame dealt with Earth’s other mightiest heroes and the Phase Four slate hasn’t even begun, Kevin Feige still has yet to announce anything official about the MCU’s X-Men movies. It’ll probably be a while before a release date is announced, let alone anything about casting. So, we’ve updated this list with a few new entries.
Freema Agyeman
The role of Martha Jones in Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood made Freema Agyeman royalty among fans of science fiction. With other roles in TV, in shows like Sense8 and New Amsterdam, Agyeman has shown that she’s great at settling into a role for the long haul.
Playing Storm in the MCU would require a strong command of a long-running arc, and Agyeman’s TV career has proven that she’s more than capable of anchoring a character arc. Plus, she has a ferocity to play this particular character beautifully.
Ruth Negga
It might not be possible to get Ruth Negga into the MCU after appearing in Luke Cage, then Negga’s casting is possible.
She can nail both nuanced emotional acting, exemplified by her performance in Loving, and reveling in the fun of a comic book world, exemplified by her portrayal of Tulip in Preacher.
Kerry Washington
If the MCU’s mutants are going to be more experienced than the young cast seen in the recent Fox movies – possibly introduced via the multiverse – then Kerry Washington would be a brilliant choice to play Storm.
She was an utterly compelling lead in Scandal, while the old Fantastic Four movies, but she deserves a Marvel role with some superpowers.
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer has been a popular fan casting for Storm. Some fans have suggested that Palmer is too young to play the role, but if Marvel is planning to make the MCU’s X-Men young and inexperienced (at least at first), then Palmer could be a great choice.
Palmer has been focusing more on television in recent years, but she gave a terrific performance in Hustlers and a role in the MCU could give her a comeback on the big screen.
Thandie Newton
After being cast in the worst Mission: Impossible movie and then being underused in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Thandie Newton deserves to finally get her due in the realm of blockbuster cinema with a superhero role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Storm would be the perfect part for her to play.
Newton’s performance as sentient A.I. Maeve in HBO’s Westworld has proven (as if it still needed to be proven) that she’s an immensely gifted actor, while portrayals of real-life figures like Condoleezza Rice have shown the depth of her talent.
Sonequa Martin-Green
Sonequa Martin-Green is a favorite among comic book and sci-fi fans at the moment, because she’s consistently knocked it out of the park in genre roles big and small. When she debuted as Sasha on in the most incredible way possible.
From there, she has led Star Trek: Discovery in the role of Michael Burnham, and won over fans and critics alike. Perhaps her next move should be to play Storm in the MCU?
Janelle Monáe
Although she was previously known for her music career, eight-time Grammy nominee Janelle Monáe has been making a name for herself as an actor in the past couple of years. She gave tremendous performances in the critically acclaimed dramas Hidden Figures and Moonlight, which were rightly showered with awards and addressed social issues in America.
The X-Men movies aren’t as insightful as those movies, but they are allegories for the treatment of marginalized social groups, using mutants as a proxy for oppressed communities. Monáe is also a noted lover of science fiction, using sci-fi imagery and concepts in her music.
Rosario Dawson
The casting of Mahershala Ali as Blade in the MCU’s Phase 5 has shown us that Marvel Studios is ignoring the Netflix series and is open to recasting actors from those series in other roles. So, maybe Rosario Dawson – who played Claire Temple in five of the six Netflix/Marvel series – would be a strong choice to play Storm.
She’s no stranger to comic book roles (in addition to Claire, she’s played Wonder Woman in the DC Animated Movie Universe, Batgirl in The Lego Batman Movie, and Gail in the Sin City movies) and she’d provide a fun, lovable take on Storm.
DeWanda Wise
As her lead performance in Spike Lee’s Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It has shown, DeWanda Wise is extremely likable and able to convey a wide range of emotions. Marvel is already on good with Wise, as she was their original choice for the role of Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel before she had to drop out due to scheduling issues.
Casting her as Storm could be a way for the MCU to give Wise a second chance. She’s never appeared in a big-budget blockbuster before, but Marvel tends to cast lesser-known, more talented actors over ones with more experience.
Sydelle Noel
In Netflix’s comedy-drama series GLOW, about the 80s women’s wrestling show of the same name, Sydelle Noel plays Cherry Bang, the ex-stuntwoman who trained up the show’s cast. She’s easily the toughest of the bunch, as she’s proficient in actual fighting styles and doesn’t take any backtalk from anyone.
This would make her a great choice to play a fiercer version of Ororo Munroe than we’ve seen yet. Noel used to be a professional runner before she was an actor, so she’d have no problem getting into superhero shape and keeping up with the physical demands of a comic book role.
