Who Will Play Captain Marvel? Our Top 6 Choices To Take On The Role of Carol Danvers

Diversity seems to be a big part of Marvel’s grand plans for its third phase of films. Kevin Feige recently announced two new superhero movies, “The Black Panther” and “Captain Marvel,” which for the first time will be led by a black actor and a woman respectively. While the studio has already selected Chadwick Boseman to break the race barrier, it’s unclear at this time which talented actress will be breaking the gender barrier.

The hero’s alter ego, Carol Danvers, is both very powerful and very fun. The broad strokes, for those unfamiliar with the comic book, are that she was a very gifted pilot in the Air Force. According to Mashable, her talents got her a job working with Nick Fury. While working security for NASA, she meets the original Captain Marvel, a member of the Kree race, which fans of “Guardians of the Galaxy” might remember. After an explosion, her DNA is matched with the now-deceased Captain Marvel and she takes up the mantle. At one point, Captain America even asked her to co-lead the Avengers with him. Basically, she’s wicked smart, enormously talented and more powerful than any hero audiences have encountered thus far.

Now it’s time to ask the question: Who is fit to play such a heroine? Nothing is confirmed yet, but that hasn’t stopped us from drafting a little wish list of our own. Below are our top choices for actresses to play Captain Marvel, in no particular order:

Emily Blunt

This name has been popping up online ever since Marvel’s announcement. Blunt has proved her action chops in several movies, but none more so than this summer’s “Edge of Tomorrow.” The surprise hit puts her in the public eye and might be just the boost she needs to convince Marvel that she’s ready to headline a feature film. Another feather in her cap is that the studio already wanted her to be a part of its cinematic universe as Black Widow. According to Hitfix, the actress was cast in the role for “Ironman 2” but couldn’t get out of a contract with Fox. As a result, the role went to Scarlett Johansson (not a bad consolation prize, mind you). It’s possible Marvel will remember what they saw in Blunt and give her a shot at Captain Marvel.

Jennifer Lawrence

Admittedly, this one is a bit of a long shot. However, this is a wish list after all. Lawrence already bears a striking resemblance to Danvers as she appears in the comics. Her role in “The Hunger Games” franchise proves she can carry a film on her own, and her breakout performance as Mystique in the “X-Men” franchise proves she’s no stranger to comic book movies or comic book fans. Unfortunately, she’s not quite done with her stint as a mutant, so casting might be tricky.

Riki Lindhome

Lindhome’s star is rising fast. She’s best known as half of the cute but hilarious comedy duo “Garfunkle and Oats” (along with her comedy partner Kate Micucci). Her musical comedy led to a TV series on IFC. She’s currently working to star in another show for Comedy Central that’s a Victorian-era spoof titled “Another Period.” While the 35-year-old actress has got her comedy persona down, she’s demonstrated her serious side in smaller roles in “Million Dollar Baby,” “Last House on the Left” and “Much Ado About Nothing,” the last of which was directed by Joss Whedon, who has a bit of pull in the Marvel Cinematic Universe these days. She may be a little obscure for the role, but her look and persona might be just what the studio needs to give its hero a unique personality. It worked for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) after all.

Natalie Dormer

The “Game of Thrones” star combines the perfect blend of attitude and femininity that can make a female superhero so much fun. She’s a fan favorite on the popular HBO drama and will show off her action skills in the two-part “Hunger Games: Mockingjay” finale. She’s number two on E!’s user poll for who should play the role of Carol Danvers (behind only Jennifer Lawrence). So, she would be a safe bet for Marvel and more than capable of handling the role. Of course, fans would have to forget about her small role in “Captain America: The First Avenger” where she smooched the super soldier during World War II, but crazier leaps in logic have been made (ahem, Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle).

Emma Stone

It wouldn’t be a list of great young actresses without mentioning Emma Stone. It’s not a perfunctory gesture as much as it is an acknowledgement that she’s pretty fantastic at everything. While she may be lacking in the action department compared to some of the other names on our list, she is probably the most well-versed in comic book movies. She recently ended her role as Gwen Stacy in Sony’s “Amazing Spider-Man” franchise, so she’s free to whip herself into shape for Captain Marvel (or not, her powers are alien after all). She may be one of the bigger eyebrow-raisers on this list, but it’s hard to deny that she’s got a firm grasp on what these kind of movies are about.

Katee Sackhoff

This is one of the names on almost everyone’s list to take on the role, and for good reason. The former "Battlestar Galactica" actress checks off all the boxes to play Carol Danvers. She played a pilot on the remade TV series as well as a total bada--. She's the right age for the part. She isn't afraid to take on science fiction-heavy roles and she's already got a sizable fanbase. We're not the first to consider this talented woman for the role of Marvel Studio's first female superhero.