In the last five years the film industry has entered what can be described as a golden age of superhero films. With all the recent and upcoming blockbusters in this genre, particularly stemming from Marvel Studios, fans are looking to the horizon for which heroes will receive their own films in the future, and which actors will bring those roles to life. The following article takes a look at actual and possible Marvel films to come, and the actors/actresses that could star in them.

Beginning this discussion is a look at heroes that have already been in films, but have yet to headline their own. For starters, there is “Black Widow.” Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of the Marvel heroine in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers has been well received. The actress has truly brought the strong, complex character to life and audiences, overall, are fans of her performance.

Eventually, it would be logical for Marvel to produce a film with her as the main protagonist. However, with the character’s continued presence in upcoming Marvel films, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), such a film would probably not come for a while and work best as a prequel to all the recent Marvel movies. It could follow Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff in the days before she joined S.H.I.E.L.D.  and could also feature Jeremy Renner as “Hawkeye” since The Avengers indicated the two characters have a shared past. 

Another already existent Marvel hero that could star in a future film of his own is “The Hulk,” played by Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo’s portrayal of Bruce Banner/The Hulk was very popular in The Avengers. Given the lack of success of the first two attempts at a Hulk film, a sequel starring Mark Ruffalo would be a good opportunity to: redeem the character’s former cinematic appearances, further develop Mark Ruffalo’s version of the character, and be a gateway for introducing other Marvel heroes down the line, like “She-Hulk.”

Next for discussion is “Ant-Man.” Ant-Man is the alias for Dr. Hank Pym, a biochemist that develops a formula to alter size and an instrument that allows him to communicate with and control insects.

This Marvel film is set to be released in 2015 as a part of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there are rumors of a cameo appearance in Iron Man 3. Such rumors will be confirmed or denied next week when the film is released theatrically, but if they are untrue then that still allows time to reflect on which actors would be best suited for the Ant-Man role. Of all those under consideration, the following five would be some of the more viable options. In no particular order here is a list of these actors along with some of the work they are known for: 

#1 Jared Padalecki, (Supernatural, Friday the 13th, Gilmore Girls)

#2 Alan Tudyk, (Wreck-It-Ralph, I, Robot, Serenity)

#3 Lee Pace, (Pushing Daisies, Lincoln, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

#4 Adrien Brody, (Predators, King Kong, The Pianist)

#5 John Krasinski, (The Office, Away We Go, Leatherheads)

Whichever actor ends up playing Ant-Man, he will likely also be in one of the future Avengers sequels as well. That being said, if Ant-Man is going to be added to the Avengers roster then there should definitely be a superheroine added to the mix as well to balance out the male star power of the team. That superheroine should be Ms. Marvel.

Ms. Marvel, also known as Captain Marvel and Warbird, is one of the most well known superheroines of the Marvel Universe. Ms. Marvel, a.k.a. Carol Danvers, has a background in the air force and NASA and possesses many powers. In the comics she is a complex, solid superheroine on her own and a valuable member of the Avengers team. It would be preferable if she had her own, standalone film before joining the Avengers. However, with the sequel set for release in 2015 if she is to be added to the team it would be without such a prior introduction or not until Avengers 3.

Nevertheless, with the increasing number of strong heroines in films, but a severe lack of said heroines headlining films, the time is ripe for one to come along. If the Marvel Universe wanted to introduce one of its superheroines to this new golden age of superhero films, Ms. Marvel would be a great way to go. While there have been many actresses rumored to be considering such a part, the following five would likely be the best options:

#1 Yvonne Strahovski. Yvonne is well known and well liked for her role in the TV show Chuck, in which she balances being a beauty and a bad-ass quite well. Her look fits the Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers image perfectly, and many fans consider her their number one choice for the role.

#2 Claire Danes. This actress has risen to popularity recently due to her award-winning performance as Carrie Mathison in the premiere season of the show Homeland. This role illustrates the actress’s ability to add depth, complexity, and believability to a tough, but beautiful female protagonist, qualities that will be vital if a Ms. Marvel film adaptation is to be successful.

#3 Brit Marling. She is a newer, lesser known actress in comparison with some of the other names under consideration. But, she has a look to her that is definitely not stereotypical, and an emotional depth in her acting.

#4 Ali Larter. This actress is well known, and her many action-related roles, such as in the Resident Evil series and Heroes, give credibility to the assertion that she not only looks the part, but could also handle the Ms. Marvel role. 

#5 Katheryn Winnick. Like Brit, Katheryn is a lesser-known actress. But she definitely has the Carol Danvers look, has actually trained in karate and Jiu Jitsu, and based on some of her secondary roles, like in Nikita, has the potential to bring a lot of personality and believability to the character.

These are the five women that seem to be the best choices for fitting the Ms. Marvel bill but, of course, there are many other actresses that fans have suggested as well. Overall though, the final choice would likely be influenced by two main factors: lesser known vs. well known actress, and younger vs. older actress. 

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe in constant motion to produce more kick-butt superhero films, these are only a small number of those that are being or could be brought to life. With Iron Man 3 set to debut theatrically in a week, the world is about to be launched into Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And there is no limit to the amount of new heroes that will be introduced or recurring heroes whose franchises will grow in the years and phases to come.

Reach Staff Reporter G. Culbertson here.