If you're at all familiar with the British Royal Family, you'll no doubt be well-aware that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to part ways from them and embark on their own careers. For Markle, who previously starred in
Suits, that's included signing a deal with Disney which will see her do voice-over work in a multitude of projects.
The Duchess of Sussex clearly wants to break back into Hollywood, and according to
Mail Online (so take this with a pinch of salt), Markle's agents are being told to "actively search" for a superhero role. The fact Disney owns Marvel Studios could obviously open the door to her joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and her name would bring a lot of eyes to any upcoming feature.
Markle's agent is said to be busy fielding offers, and sources claim, "He has said she wants her return to acting to be part of an ensemble cast in something like a superhero film. He's actively seeking such a movie for her. He's saying she is available and open to the best offers. Meghan is planning a series of meetings in Hollywood. She has already done the voiceover for Disney and now word is out that she's looking for a superhero film, as a voiceover or even on screen."
'She knows she can't carry a film as an actress. People won't be able to get past the fact she's Meghan Markle. But she's determined to act again and she thinks a big, ensemble film is the way to go…something that pays big but which doesn't put her front and centre."
This is far from confirmed, but it certainly gives us plenty to think about as Markle seemingly gets set to join a superhero franchise. It could be in the MCU or DC Extended Universe, and we know she's talented based on her work in Suits. With the X-Men and Fantastic Four coming to the MCU, there are certainly plenty of characters for the actress to choose from!
What do you guys think?
Who could play Spider-Woman in the planned movie from
Sony Pictures? Hit the "Next" button to check out our top picks!
Ana de Armas
Ana de Armas first came to our attention in
Blade Runner 2049, but it was
Knives Out that really put the actress on the map. She delivered a phenomenal performance in the Rian Johnson helmed murder mystery, and there's now a huge amount of excitement to see her in action in
No Time to Die.
A
James Bond movie will be the perfect place for de Armas to get used to the spy world, and the Cuban-Spanish actress would undoubtedly be a superb addition to Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
If Sony Pictures is hoping to launch a whole new franchise with Spider-Woman, de Armas would definitely fit the bill, and at 31, she's the right age to play Jessica Drew over an entire series of movies.
Natalia Reyes
Terminator: Dark Fate disappointed at the box office when it was released last October despite being perhaps the best instalment of the franchise since
Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Natalia Reyes deserves a lot of credit for that, though, because she proved to be a compelling and exciting presence in the long-running series who definitely left us wanting more.
That probably won't happen, of course, but there's nothing to say she can't lend her skills to another big budget blockbuster. Reyes is another exciting possibility for Jessica Drew and it's not at all hard to imagine her portraying the tough as nails spy.
She could also bring a vulnerability to Spider-Woman which may be needed, especially if she ends up going on the run from whatever organisation she was working for before suiting up (in the comics, she was a double agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA but that likely won't be touched on in the SUMC).
Hailee Steinfeld
It's sounding like Hailee Steinfeld will have to pass on the role of Kate Bishop in
Hawkeye due to her Apple TV deal, and while that's a great shame, it leaves the actress free to join another franchise.
Sony Pictures nabbing the
Bumblebee star for
Spider-Woman would be a smart move on their part, and it's definitely fun to think about what she could bring to the table as Jessica Drew. We don't know if the studio is hoping to have a younger actress play the hero or someone with a little more experience, but Steinfeld could pull off both an experienced hero
and a rookie vigilante.
Steinfeld is one of the most talented actresses working in Hollywood today and a big enough name to ensure that her casting would be every bit as noteworthy as Tom Hardy and Jared Leto's.
Katherine Langford
Katherine Langford ended up being cut from
Avengers: Endgame, but she's made an impact in
13 Reasons Why and
Knives Out, so we know that the actress is a talent worth watching. In terms of appearance, she looks like a Jessica Drew who has just been torn straight from the pages of the comics, but a role like this requires more than just the right look.
In Langford's case, it's just a bonus, as she's one heck of a talent and the right age to make a team-up of sorts with Tom Holland's Spider-Man a very real and exciting possibility.
The actress has some serious dramatic chops, and could make Jessica both a character who people fall in love with and someone they soon realise is a legitimate badass. If Sony is looking for someone to play Spider-Woman they can turn into a star, Langford is a downright excellent choice.
Kiersey Clemons
The Flash has finally secured a release date, but after Kiersey Clemons was cut from
Justice League, we have no idea whether the plan is still for her to play Iris West in DC Extended Universe.
Even if she does join that shared world, there's nothing to say she can't also play Spider-Woman, and it feels like the actress is just one big role away from putting her name on the map for good.
As we hope is obvious by this point, there's absolutely nothing to say that Jessica Drew needs to be played by a white actress, and it would be great to see Sony add a talented, diverse star to its SUMC.
Florence Pugh
Yes, Florence Pugh is about to make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, but if Yelena Belova is only going to be in
Black Widow, then there's no reason Sony Pictures can't be next to add her to a major superhero franchise. Her star is on the rise in a big way, and Pugh would add some legitimacy to the project as well.
That could be necessary for a movie many moviegoers will probably dismiss as "Spider-Man...but a girl!" and if you've seen Fighting With My Family, you'll know how tough Pugh comes across.
She also has an extremely likeable side, and that's essential for a hero who has a murky past and is no stranger to being a double agent. In some ways, this could be too similar to her role in the MCU as another Black Widow, but depending on what route Sony takes Spider-Woman in, there's no reason this couldn't work.
Jessica Henwick
Jessica Henwick recently revealed that she came close to playing Rey in the
Star Wars sequel trilogy, and that's something a lot of fans would have liked to see, especially after her work in
Iron Fist.
The Netflix series won the actress a lot of fans, but with her unlikely to get the opportunity to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would be great to see her instead suit up in the SUMC.
She could be a truly badass version of Spider-Woman, and has the fighting skills to make Jessica Drew feel like a true force to be reckoned with on the big screen. That's a must for this hero!
Rosa Salazar
Rosa Salazar is another up and comer who won't get the opportunity to return to the role that put her on the map.
Alita: Battle Angel boasted a huge budget (making it impossible for it to turn a decent profit), but Salazar's performance - which was heavily enhanced with CGI - stood out.
She's a likeable, talented presence who is no stranger to action, and she could bring a human quality to Jessica Drew which Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock, for example, was lacking.
He wasn't a character it was fun to spend time with until he transformed into Venom but Spider-Woman needs to be more than that, and we're confident Salazar has all the necessary qualities to make it work.
Lana Condor
Lana Condor had a bit part in
X-Men: Apocalypse as Jubilee, but she's since gone on to do much more than that. She's excelled in
To All the Boys I've Loved Before and its various sequels, while it was recently revealed that the actress also came close to landing the role of Rey in
Star Wars.
That aside, and Condor is another fresh face whose big break is surely on the horizon and it's not hard to see why she would make a good choice for a character such as this.
Yet again, she's not necessarily someone fans would suggest for the role, but if you can't picture her playing a badass superspy, we're not sure what to say! This would be something different, but that's no bad thing, and it would add a diverse and exciting talent to the planned movie.
Kaitlyn Dever
Kaitlyn Dever may not seem like the most obvious choice to play Spider-Woman, but she's an incredible actress who has delivered amazing performances in the likes of
Unbelievable and
Booksmart.
Remember, in the Ultimate Universe, Jessica Drew is a female clone of Peter Parker's, and with Sony not having access to S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, Sony could easily choose to take things in that direction.
In that case, Dever could be a perfect fit, and she would bring a youthful energy to the webbed warrior which helps her stand out as a vibrant and unique new addition to Sony's own shared world.