Singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and producer Janelle Monáe wants to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the franchise prepares to introduce the X-Men. In an interview with Empire, Monáe expressed her desire to play Storm, the mutant capable of controlling weather and atmospheric patterns.
While recording her 2018 album Dirty Computer in Atlanta, Monáe spent time with director Ryan Coogler, and actors Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, and Michael B. Jordan while they were filming Black Panther in the area. She took the opportunity to express her desire to possibly introduce her run with the character in the planned 2022 sequel to Black Panther.
“I definitely have thrown it out there,” Monáe told Empire. “One of my dreams has always been to play Storm. I don’t know if she comes in Black Panther, but it would be a dream to have her in it. I don’t know where they are with that. A lot of women have played Storm and they’ve done an exceptional job, and I would love to be in that line of artists and get to do Storm justice.”
Janelle Monáe wants to play Storm in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: https://t.co/X5BykKD9sV pic.twitter.com/5L3yZzRipm
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) July 7, 2020
Storm’s alter ego, Ororo Munroe, has been romantically involved with Black Panther alter ego T’Challa in past runs in the Marvel Comics series.
There is currently no timeline to reboot the X-Men franchise within the MCU, but the studio has indicated that it’s in the plans. In the meantime, Monáe will flex her acting chops in the forthcoming horror film Antebellum.
In previous live-action X-Men films the role of Storm has been played by Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp.