“Wicked” actress Cynthia Erivo clearly has a thing for playing characters who fly. In an interview at the National Board of Review Awards Gala, Erivo was asked what “dream role” she’s manifesting for her future. And now, she said she’s ready to tackle one of the most iconic superheroes in history.
In quite the change of pace from Erivo’s most recent portrayal of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West in “Wicked,” she announced her dream role is Storm, the character from Marvel’s “X-Men.”
“I really want to play Storm,” Erivo told the interviewer. “I know it sounds frivolous, but I think we haven’t uncovered how grand she is, and all of that inner turmoil she has,” the 38-year-old continued. “So I think there’s a world in which we could do something with that.”
Storm, the weather-controlling superhero mutant, was made famous in the Marvel comics in the 1970s. The character has been portrayed on the big screen by Alexandra Shipp and, most famously, Halle Berry.
Since Erivo expressed interest in playing the silver-haired character, many online have shared their excitement while others don’t seem to think she’s the right fit for the role. But on X, user @daimaobutterfly said they don’t get the debate over the matter. They wrote “idk why everyone’s pretending cynthia erivo wouldn’t body storm.”
Another user, @taystytee, said Erivo did so well in “Wicked,” they should cast her as Storm and then “make it a musical…”
Even one former X-Men showrunner, Beau DeMayo, said Erivo as Storm is “an absolute no brainer.” DeMayo was fired from the animated X-Men reboot after accusations of “egregious” misconduct came to light, according to Variety.
Now could be a perfect time for Erivo to snag her dream role as Marvel has started to slowly integrate the original X Men characters into its current universe, according to movieweb.com. But, Erivo isn’t the only actress gunning for the role.
Previously, Janelle Monae has expressed interest in playing Storm. We’ll just have to let the Marvel executives decide on the best star for the role.
This story originally appeared on The Root, our sister site, on January 10.
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