Every Future MCU Character Daisy Ridley Could Play

Who could Daisy Ridley play in the MCU? With multiple projects releasing every year and a near-endless supply of comic characters to pick from, it’s only a matter of time before every actor in Hollywood boasts a credit in the MCU. One prospective addition for the near future is Daisy Ridley, who recently confirmed that she’d be up for a gig in Marvel’s superhero sandbox should the opportunity ever arise. Although the actress only touched briefly on the subject, the thought of such a talented, popular name jumping aboard the MCU wagon is proving too tempting for fans to ignore, triggering rampant speculation.

Daisy Ridley experienced a rapid rise thanks to the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The English actress accumulated several minor TV parts and was lined up for a feature film debut in The Inbetweeners 2, but became a household name thanks to 2015’s The Force Awakens. Aside from her Star Wars work, Ridley’s résumé includes Peter Rabbit, Murder on the Orient Express and Chaos Walking, although she remains most widely recognized for portraying Rey Skywalker/Palpatine/No One. Ridley most recently appeared on the charity edition of The Great British Bake Off, in which her collapsing showstopper was still more cohesive than The Rise of Skywalker‘s plot.

An MCU role would be the perfect way for Rey to escape the shadow of Star Wars and prove there’s more to her blockbuster career than Rey, but with so many characters to choose from, who might she play?

Spider-Woman

The entire “Daisy Ridley to the MCU” discussion came about through rumors that the actress would play Spider-Woman in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home or a later project. Ridley denied the reports (exactly what someone playing Spider-Woman would say!) but with Tom Holland’s third solo movie looking to ignite the Spider-verse, Spider-Woman could swing onto the big screen sooner rather than later. Like many comic characters, Spider-Woman’s origins have changed over time, from radioactive womb blasts to spider DNA injections, but most of Jessica Drew’s backstories involve a stint unwillingly working for HYDRA. With Bucky and Scarlet Witch both bearing the scars of HYDRA captivity, Drew’s MCU introduction would be simple enough, even without the multiverse.

A strong and intelligent private detective, Spider-Woman is also relatively awkward in social situations – an unfortunate side effect of her abilities. Rey suffered a similar conflict of personality in the Star Wars movies. As heroic as the aspiring Jedi could be, a life alone on Jakku meant Rey was often left awestruck during her space adventures – a fish out of water in the Millennium Falcon, or by Luke Skywalker’s side. As such, Daisy Ridley possesses a strong foundation of experience to play Jessica Drew, but the arachnid superhero isn’t exactly a Rey clone either, dodging the risk of being typecast. Ridley has already developed on-screen chemistry with Tom Holland thanks to Chaos Walking, and also shares Spider-Woman’s London birthplace, making the actress an authentic choice for Spider-Woman.

Rogue

Sooner or later, the X-Men are coming to the MCU, and when they do, Rogue will almost certainly be among the first wave. With her troublesome mutant abilities and recognizable hair streak, Rogue has made memorable turns in comic books, animated TV shows, and the Fox X-Men movie series, where she was played by Anna Paquin. Anna Marie will certainly be difficult for Kevin Feige to leave out of his debut X-Men lineup – not only is she one of the most famous females in Marvel’s canon, but her involuntary abilities highlight the heavy cost that comes with carrying the X-gene.

Like Spider-Woman, Rogue isn’t a huge departure from Rey in terms of personality, motivations and tone. The X-Men regular channels immense power (absorbing the mutant abilities of others), but is scared to unleash her full potential for fear of hurting those she loves, while also carrying the burden of a troubled upbringing. These are qualities that Daisy Ridley brought to life in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Rey was blessed with great latent potential, but feared the consequences of unlocking it – especially after learning her grandfather was Emperor Palpatine. While Rey was never a runaway rebel like Rogue, she did struggle with a lack of identity, having never known her parents. Daisy Ridley could bring all the empathy she infused into Rey to the MCU’s Rogue.

Playing one of the most recognizable female superheroes in Marvel history would surely do wonders for Ridley’s career. Star Wars has turned many a young actor or actress into an overnight star, but that tag can be difficult to shake off. A starring MCU role as Rogue could put Rey in the shade.

Squirrel Girl

Squirrel Girl has long been mooted as a potential MCU addition, and many hoped she’d join the Avengers in time to help take down Thanos. Anna Kendrick has been attached to the role since the rumors first began, and while the Pitch Perfect actress remains a strong choice for this animal-friendly superhero, Daisy Ridley might also suit a live-action Squirrel Girl. Known to her friends as Doreen Green, Squirrel Girl was born with the more useful traits of the nut-munching animals, and can communicate with them to surprisingly useful effect, even chalking up a victory (of sorts) against Thanos in the Marvel comics. Although Squirrel Girl naturally leans more towards the comedic side of superhero culture, her enduring popularity surely means an MCU debut will come eventually.

Visually, Daisy Ridley is as suited to Squirrel Girl as Anna Kendrick – an unassumingly friendly face hiding a deceptive strength, both physical and mental. It may also behoove Ridley to tackle a role that doesn’t take itself as seriously as her Star Wars protagonist. While there’s something to be said for playing to experience, Ridley could be seeking a new challenge. Rey is intense, earnest and determined, rarely cracking a joke on purpose. Squirrel Girl would allow Ridley to play a heroine who isn’t quite so severe, showcasing her lighter side. With Disney+ allowing the MCU to explore different tones and genres, a Squirrel Girl TV show starring Daisy Ridley sounds like an attractive proposition.

Lionheart (Kelsey Leigh)

Like Squirrel Girl, Captain Britain is another comic character permanently linked to the MCU, but while there’s certainly space for Brian Braddock on the big screen, his successor is arguably better suited to live-action. Kelsey Leigh’s backstory is a harrowing one, but steeped in the kind of real life issues that Marvel Studios loves to tackle. A teacher and mother, Kelsey was attacked in her own home and forced to defend her family. Despite being scarred in the incident, Kelsey would later bear witness to the Avengers in battle, and died in the process of protecting Captain America’s prone body. As a reward, Kelsey is bestowed with the powers of Captain Britain, before later assuming the original mantle of Lionheart (which sounds much better, as superhero names go).

An underrated Marvel comics character, Lionheart is more morally complex than the average Avenger, and this makes her ideal for the drama-centric MCU. Kelsey also balances the brave life of a superhero with the more relatable duties of a working single mother. Star Wars fans already know that Daisy Ridley is adept at playing heroic female protagonists, but the actress’ down-to-earth personality (especially when baking rubbish cakes) and British upbringing gives her all the necessary tools to convey both the ordinary and extraordinary sides to Lionheart’s persona.

Abigail Brand

Abigail Brand is a comic character who could be arriving in the MCU imminently. Spider-Man: Far From Home hinted at the existence of SWORD to defend Earth from extraterrestrial threats. Despite SWORD having a presence on Earth (thanks to Maria Rambeau), the final moments of WandaVision prove that a “real” SWORD is indeed hiding up in space. Monica Rambeau has now been recruited, and her story will likely continue in the upcoming Secret Invasion TV series. As the head of SWORD in Marvel comic lore, Abigail Brand is an odds-on favorite to feature heavily in the Skrull takeover storyline. Part alien, part mutant, Brand manipulates blue flame during battle, but hardly needs it thanks to her impressive fighting skills.

Sitting on the more sci-fi end of the MCU spectrum, Abigail is a character that would suit Daisy Ridley’s particular set of skills, and the actress is the perfect age too, with the SWORD leader young for her rank. The MCU has a long history of taking comic characters relatively unknown to the mainstream and turning them into household names (Ms. Agatha Harkness, for instance), so while Daisy Ridley might seem too big an actress for Abigail Brand, the casting would immediately elevate the SWORD agent as a character of importance. Responding to the Spider-Woman speculation, Daisy Ridley revealed that, like the rest of us, she recently enjoyed WandaVision. Perhaps the show’s SWORD setup leads directly to her MCU debut.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3631 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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