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Dream Casting: Marvel's take on Birds of Prey
Dream Casting is an imaginative look at the casting process of potential Hollywood projects based on comics and other media. This isn't just about what is being made; this is about what should be made, and who we think should be the stars.
Welcome back! After a brief hiatus, Dream Casting is back in 2020 to keep bringing you far-fetched (but often very insightful) ideas for how to cast nerdy movies that haven't been made yet.
This week, with Birds of Prey in theaters, I thought it would be fun to imagine what the Marvel Studios equivalent of that movie might look like. I considered directly adapting one of Marvel's all-female teams, like A-Force, Daughters of the Dragon, or the Fearless Defenders. But those feature a lot of characters who are being used other places, and none of them had quite the colorful Birds of Prey both-sides-of-the-law energy I was looking for, so I decided to wing it.
I built the cast around the existing MCU characters of Captain Marvel and Valkyrie, since Brie Larson and Tessa Thompson seem very enthusiastic about working together. Then I added a mix of Marvel Comics women, good and bad, who would make for a great caper movie. Whether they're in superhero costumes or streetwear, this movie should be wildly colorful.
Here we go!
Brie Larson as Captain Marvel
After Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel is so full of cosmic power that a street-level adventure might be just the thing to make her more relatable.
Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie
Valkyrie's the ruler of the Asgardians now, but you know she'd be happy to help a group of women in need, even if their actions might fall outside the law.
Ilfenesh Hadera as She-Hulk
Ilfenesh Hadera (Godfather of Harlem) is the same actress I picked for the upcoming She-Hulk TV show, and she could easily move between that and the movies, considering how many stars from the movies Marvel is bringing to TV.
Eliza Scanlen as Singularity
Eliza Scanlen (Little Women) is an incredibly promising young actress, and she'll bring life to Singularity, a sentient universe in the shape of a young girl.
Taylor Swift as Dazzler
If you're going to give Dazzler a part in a movie (not counting the cameo in Dark Phoenix), why go halfway? Dazzler's supposed to be a major pop star in the Marvel Universe, so let's cast a real pop star with an interest in acting... and work in a new song or two (there's no way it won't go better than Cats).
Hayley Kiyoko as Squirrel Girl
One of Marvel's most popular young heroes, Squirrel Girl was supposed to be in a TV show that never happened, so it's wild that she hasn't made it into a movie yet. This will be a great introduction for her, and Hayley Kiyoko (Five Points) will be a lot of fun in the role.
Hunter Schafer as Boom Boom
Boom Boom never made it into an X-Men movie, despite being an endlessly fun character. Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) can make her as likable as she is frivolous.
Margaret Qualley as Songbird
Songbird is one of the Marvel Universe's great success stories of a villain who became a hero, which puts her in a position to bridge the two worlds for a story like this. Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood) would be charming in the part while still portraying the character's moral complexity.
Ana de Armas as Diamondback
Diamondback is a thief with a heart of gold and a former love interest of Captain America. It's a little late for the Captain America part in the MCU, but she would still fit perfectly into a caper movie like this, and Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049) would make her a star.
Natalie Dormer as Moonstone
Moonstone is a dangerous woman and basically the opposite of Captain Marvel. Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) excels at this sort of thing.
Bianca Belair as Titania
Instead of relying on special effects like She-Hulk, I wanted to find a genuinely intimidating woman with real muscles to play the mighty Titania, and WWE NXT wrestler Bianca Belair is perfect for that. Plus, she has enough charisma for the big screen.
