Recent comments suggest thatDaisy Ridleywould happily take on a role in theMCU, opening the door for theStar Warsfranchise star to bring any number of exciting Marvel Comics characters to life on-screen. English actor Daisy Ridley rose to prominence as Rey, the granddaughter of the villainous Emperor Palpatine, in theStar Warssequel trilogy. She was practically unknown prior to portraying Rey, but is now an international star, and her strong relationship with Disney makes hercasting in the MCUeven more likely.
During a recent interview withComicBookwhere she promoted her upcoming movie,Cleaner,Daisy Ridley revealed that she is"open to everything"when it comes to claiming a role in the MCU or the newly-rebooted DC Universe.Ridley has worked with assistant director Matthew Sharp before onThe Last JediandThe Rise of Skywalker, and Sharp has a long-running relationship with Marvel Studios, too. This could lead to Daisy Ridley jumping fromStar Warsto the MCU, and there are several exciting characters from Marvel Comics that she’d be perfect for.
10Doreen Green’s Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl Debuted In Marvel Comics In 1991’s Marvel Super-Heroes (Vol. 2) #8
The MCU has no shortage of animal-themed superheroes - think the likes of Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Black Panther, Wolverine and more - so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to imagine Doreen Green’s Squirrel Girl also being included in the franchise. Marvel Television had previously been planning aNew WarriorsTV seriesthat would have starred Milana Vayntrub as Squirrel Girl.While this series never came to screens, it would still be fun to see Doreen Green make her MCU debut, and Daisy Ridley has the perfect physique and charismatic energy for the offbeat hero.
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Squirrel Girl has been a member of several different Avengers teams in Marvel Comics, so it would be great to see her debut inAvengers: DoomsdayorSecret Wars, especially if Daisy Ridley assumes the role.Squirrel Girl’s possible MCU debuthas been theorized for many years, but it seems Marvel has been putting it off because of the sheer weirdness of the character. However,Daisy Ridley has the respect, experience and talent to pull off a dramatic and authentic depiction of Squirrel Girl, which could finally bring Doreen Green into live-action.
9Monica Rappaccini’s Scientist Supreme
Monica Rappaccini Debuted In Marvel Comics In 2005’s Amazing Fantasy (Vol. 2) #7
Many characters have adopted the Scientist Supreme moniker in Marvel Comics, with the title usually being given to the leader of the nefarious Advanced Idea Mechanics, a.k.a. AIM.Monica Rappuccini was the fifth character to assume the title of Scientist Supreme and, so far, the only woman to do so, and sinceAIM has already been established in the MCU, it would be great to see the organization developed further. Daisy Ridley played a hero with dark roots in theStar Warsfranchise, but it would be fantastic to see her fully embrace a villainous role in the MCU.
Other Scientist Supremes in Marvel Comics include Lyle Getz (1971), Victor Conrad (1973), George Clinton (1980), Valdemar Tykkio (1985), Hank Pym (2009) and Andrew Forson (2012).
Monica Rappuccini is connected to many Marvel heroes already in the MCU, including Deadpool, Hawkeye, Hank Pym, Captain America and Bruce Banner, whom she had a romantic relationship with. AIM hasn’t been seen in the MCU since 2013’sIron Man 3, but since Extremis has reappeared a number of times and Man-Thing, who is also connected to AIM, debuted in 2022’sWerewolf By Night, now is the perfect time for Monica Rappuccini’s leadership to revitalize the organization. Daisy Ridley would be great in this sinister, action-packed and complex role.
8Kitty Pryde’s Shadowcat
Kitty Pryde Debuted In Marvel Comics In 1980’s The Uncanny X-Men #129
Previously portrayed by Elliot Page in 20th Century Fox’sX-Menfranchise, Kitty Pryde is a powerful mutant who has intangibility-based abilities, allowing her to move through solid objects. Speculation has been rising in recent months regarding Marvel Studios casting for theMCU’s upcomingX-Menreboot, and since this seems to be right round the corner, it would be great to see Daisy Ridley involved in this exciting new franchise.While there has been talk of Marvel casting a younger X-Men team, Daisy Ridley’s casting as Kitty Pryde could prove beneficial to another possible MCU story.
Kitty Pryde famously has a long-running romance with Peter Quill’s Star-Lord in Marvel Comics.Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill is now on Earthafter the events of 2023’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, andsince Daisy Ridley and Chris Pratt aren’t too far apart in age, it would be brilliant to see them explore this romantic storyline in the MCU. This could quickly connect the X-Men to the wider MCU, and would give Daisy Ridley the chance to portray a central mutant hero for many years to come.
7Lucia Von Bardas
Lucia Von Bardas Debuted In Marvel Comics In 2004’s Secret War #1
Robert Downey Jr. is soon set to make his return to the MCU not as Tony Stark’s Iron Man, but asLatverian ruler and supervillain Doctor Doom. This creates the opportunity for more Latverian characters to debut in the MCU, and this could include Lucia von Bardas. Von Bardas taught at the University of North Carolina untilVictor Von Doom was deposed as Latveria’s ruler, after which the Americans helped von Bardas get elected as the nation’s new Prime Minister. She used her new position to fund villains operating on American soil, however, so her MCU debut could be game-changing.
Latveria may have appeared inMoon Knightepisode 1, “The Goldfish Problem.”
The exploration ofLatveria is one of the most exciting aspectsof the MCU’s upcoming stories, and being deposed as the nation’s leader could set Victor Von Doom on a path to villainy.Whoever portrays Lucia von Bardas must have an approachable and likable demeanor, while also being able to demonstrate tougher and darker sides to her character, and Daisy Ridley has proven capable of this, most notably in projects such asChaos WalkingandMagpie. Von Bardas would be a fantastic addition to the MCU, particularly with Ridley cast in the sinister role.
6Lilandra Neramani
Lilandra Neramani Debuted In Marvel Comics In 1976’s The Uncanny X-Men #97
With theX-Men soon to make their MCU debut, there’s no doubt that alien species such as the Shi’ar will be far behind them. The Shi’ar play a key role in some of the X-Men’s biggest storylines in Marvel Comics, with the Shi’ar Empress, Lilandra Neramani, forming a close romantic bond with Professor X - the pair were even married for a time.Despite her prominence in X-Men stories in Marvel Comics, Lilandra has never been adapted into live-action, but Daisy Ridley’s MCU casting could change that.
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Daisy Ridley is no stranger to alien worlds, extraterrestrial species and heavy sci-fi, so it would make sense for her to make the easy jump from Rey to Lilandra. Lilandra is a crucial character in the development of the X-Men team and Professor X specifically, and if Marvel is set to debut ayounger iteration of the X-Men, Charles Xavier could very easily be in his 30s, making the perfect match for Daisy Ridley’s Lilandra.20th Century Fox completely ignored the Shi’ar, butX-Men ‘97showed how great the species could be, making a possible MCU debut very exciting.
5Sinthea Shmidt
Sinthea Shmidt Debuted In Marvel Comics In 1984’s Captain America #290
Johann Schmidt’sRed Skull was the very first Captain America villaindepicted in the MCU back in 2011’sCaptain America: The First Avenger, and while he has been cursed to an eternity guarding the Soul Stone on Vormir, his daughter could still pose a threat to the MCU.Daisy Ridley would be an inspired choice for the powerful and captivating Sinthea Shmidt, a.k.a. Sin. She was aged-up by her father as a child and given superhuman abilities, allowing her to become a formidable member of HYDRA and the leader of the Sisters of Sin.
Hugo Weaving portrayed the Red Skull inCaptain America: The First Avenger. Ross Marquand assumed the role inInfinity WarandEndgame.
Sin would be a very dark character for Daisy Ridley to portray in the MCU, but her debut as this powerful female villain would help solve criticisms about the Red Skull being a one-and-done antagonist.Daisy Ridley’s varied roles have displayed the vulnerability, moral ambiguity and action skills necessary to portray Sin in live-action, so she could easily be established as a newvillain for Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Sin could easily surpass her father as Captain America’s most iconic MCU villain, especially if Daisy Ridley brings her incredible talent to the role.
4Destiny
Destiny Debuted In Marvel Comics In 1980’s Uncanny X-Men #141
There are hopes that Marvel Studios will finally adapt iconicX-Men villain Mystique faithfully in the MCU, which could lead to the debut of Mystique’s long-running love interest from Marvel Comics, Destiny, to also make her live-action debut.A blind, precognitive mutant, Destiny is a formidable adversary to the X-Men and a steadfast member of Mystique’s Brotherhood of Mutants, and Daisy Ridley would be perfect for this villainous but tender and loving role. Destiny is also the adoptive mother of Rogue and biological mother of Nightcrawler, so her MCU debut is very important.
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Rogue’s connection to Mystique was never explored in Fox’sX-Menfranchise, but Mystique and Destiny actually raised Rogue together. Daisy Ridley has the perfect demeanor to portray a motherly figure to a youngerRogue in the MCU, and this would create a fantastic opportunity to fully establish a familial bond between Rogue and Nightcrawler.Destiny’s debut would be a huge mark of progress for LGBT+ representation in the MCU, and Daisy Ridley would surely jump at the chance of spearheading this exciting new chapter of the franchise.
3Moira MacTaggert
Moira MacTaggert Debuted In Marvel Comics In 1975’s The Uncanny X-Men #96
While Marvel Comics recently revealed Moira MacTaggert to be one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe, she has long been depicted as the human ally to the X-Men team.MacTaggert is a geneticist and an expert in mutant affairs, so she is central to many iconic mutant-centric storylines. Casting Daisy Ridley as Moira MacTaggert, taking over from the likes of Olivia Williams and Rose Byrne, would give the actor a huge role in the MCU’s future, as she could even be pivotal in bringing theMCU’s first X-Men teamtogether and establishing Xavier’s School.
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Following her dabbling with the Force in theStar Warsfranchise,Daisy Ridley may be more inclined to take on a superpowered role in the MCU rather than a human role, but Moira MacTaggert could give her the best of both worlds. MacTaggert spent most of her Marvel Comics history as a non-powered human, but was revealed to have a reincarnation cycle that changes each time she returns in Jonathan Hickman’sHouse of XandPowers of Xstorylines in 2019. This incredible power could entice Daisy Ridley to take on the role of Moira MacTaggert.
2Betsy Braddock’s Captain Britain (& Psylocke)
Betsy Braddock Debuted In Marvel Comics In 1976’s Captain Britain #8
Betsy Braddock is perhaps one of the most exciting heroes that Marvel Studios could be gearing up to debut, andEnglish actor Daisy Ridley would be a fantastic choice for the British superhero. While her brother, Brian Braddock, is the better-known recipient of the Captain Britain mantle, Betsy Braddock took over the role of the United Kingdom’s signature hero in 1986.Betsy Braddock was Captain Britainbefore being rebranded as X-Men member Psylocke, and it would be great to see this full evolution occur on-screen with Daisy Ridley in the iconic mutant role.
Olivia Munn portrayed the Psylocke version of Betsy Braddock in 2016’sX-Men: Apocalypse, though her backstory was seemingly changed significantly from her Marvel Comics roots.
Brian Braddock’s debut in the MCUhas been heavily teased ever since his name was referenced in 1970-set scenes inAvengers: Endgame. While Henry Cavill has been rumored for the role of Captain Britain, Daisy Ridley would be great as his on-screen sister and notable X-Men member Psylocke.Betsy Braddock is one of the most popular, powerful and captivating X-Men members ever, so Daisy Ridley couldn’t do much betterwhen picking a role to bring to life, especially since this would allow her to represent her own country in the MCU.
1Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman
Jessica Drew Debuted In Marvel Comics In 1977’s Marvel Spotlight #32
While Betsy Braddock would be an inspired choice for Daisy Ridley in the MCU,the most popular fan-cast for the English actor in Marvel’s franchise has placed her as Jessica Drew, a.k.a. the original Spider-Woman. Enhanced with a serum derived from spiders’ blood and placed in stasis to save her life, Jessica Drew was cared for by the High Evolutionary, but eventually left to rejoin human society. She worked with HYDRA, but intervention from the Fantastic Four freed her from HYDRA’s conditioning and enabled her to operate as Spider-Woman in London.
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Similarly to Betsy Braddock,Jessica Drew is also a British superhero, so it would make sense to cast someone of the caliber of Daisy Ridley in the role. Given thedemise of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, it’s possible Marvel Studios may get the chance to use more Spider-Man-related characters in the MCU, which opens the door for Daisy Ridley’s debut as Spider-Woman. She eventually joins SHIELD and the Avengers, so this casting choice could seeDaisy Ridleybecome a crucial part of the MCU’s futureSpider-Manstorylines alongside Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.
