Janelle Monáe is best known as a phenomenal Grammy nominated artist and is making a name for herself as an actress with her roles in Hidden Figures, Moonlight, and Harriet to name a few as well as starring in the second season of Hulu’s Homecoming. With Monáe appearing in a leading role in the upcoming thriller, Antebellum, she is ready to add another role under belt: superhero goddess.
In an interview with Empire Magazine, Monáe divulges at the same time she was recording her album, Dirty Computer, in Atlanta, filming for the Marvel blockbuster, Black Panther, was going on there as well. During that time cast members Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan visited her Wondaland studio. While it is not known if Monáe has directly spoken to Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther and its forthcoming sequel, she revealed to the magazine what role she would love to play in the sequel:
“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.”
Although rumors of Monáe playing the weather manipulating mutant have been making the rounds on the internet, nothing is official. Since the announcement of the sequel to Black Panther, there has been speculation of Storm appearing in the MCU film. Other names speculated to play Storm, who in the comics was married to Black Panther, are Beyoncé and Rihanna. Then there are those who want Dominique Jackson, who is best known as Elektra on FX’s Pose, to play Storm. Since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, the studio behind the X-Men franchise, fans have been excited about the possibility.
The role of Storm was originated by Halle Berry in the original X-Men movies and Alexandra Shipp played Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
Shipp explained to Cinema Blend concerning Storm’s future in the MCU:
“No! No, I don’t think Storm needs T’Challa, and I think she needs her own movie! It doesn’t have to be me, it just needs to be made. A woman does not need a man in order to give her validity and she has also been around longer than him.”
Would Janelle Monáe be the perfect Storm? Let us know in the comments or on our social media accounts.
Sources: Empire Magazine, Showbiz Cheatsheet, Trailer Addict, Newsweek, The Digital Wise, Cinema Blend
