Captain Marvel 2 found its great evil. According to Deadline, British actress Zawe Ashton was cast as the main villain in the second independent film based on the superheroine also known as Carol Danvers. Neither Marvel Studios nor Disney have made official comments on the news and, of course, the identity of the character Ashton is playing remains a secret for now.
Ashton’s big breakthrough in his country came in the dramatic comedy series Fresh meat, where he was a member of the main cast from 2011 to 2016. His other credits include films Night animals, Greta and Velvet Buzzsaw, where he acted alongside Mysterio, from Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jake Gyllenhaal. She also made her Broadway debut in 2019, in a revival of the play Betrayal, where she starred with Tom Hiddleston (MCU’s Loki). So she is no stranger to the MCU elite.
Brie Larson will again play Captain Marvel / Carol Danvers in the sequel, with WandaVisionTeyonah Parris continues his career as Monica Rambeau and Mrs. Marvel the star Iman Vellani should also appear. It is not yet known whether Jude Law (Yon-Rogg), Ben Mendelsohn (Talos) or Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) will reprise their 2019 roles Captain Marvel.
Nia DaCosta (Candyman) is set to direct Captain Marvel 2, with Megan McDonnell, one of the WandaVision, currently writing the script.
Speculation is sure to increase in the coming weeks and months about who Ashton is playing. Danvers’ list of enemies is not as star-studded as that of some of his MCU colleagues, and we’ve already been introduced to several of his best known – Yon-Rogg, the Supreme Intelligence, Ronan the Accuser – previously.
A possible candidate is Moonstone, also known as Karla Sofen, a former psychologist who is, like Carol, imbued with superpowers after coming into contact with Kree technology. A member at various times of Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil and Thunderbolts, she really assumed the identity of Mrs. Marvel (formerly Danvers) in Black Avengers by Norman Osborne.
Another possibility is Deathbird, also known as Cal’syee Neramani-Summers, who has been associated with the X-Men over the years, but started out as an enemy of Captain Marvel. She is an outcast member of the alien Shi’ar race, which could be an intriguing way for the MCU to introduce this species, unless its training is largely renewed.
The film could also feature a gender-changing villain – as the first film changed Carol’s predecessor, Mar-Vell, from man to woman (played by Annette Bening), which remains a potential path as well.
We will probably find out soon who Captain Marvel will face in his film, but for now we will start the guessing games! Captain Marvel 2 arrives on November 11, 2022.