Ever since Disney bought 20th Century Fox last year, fans have waiting for the debut of the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We know it’s coming, but we don’t know any of the details. How mutants will be introduced. It could involve multiple timelines, or maybe even storylines from outer space.
And then there’s casting. It’ll be hard recasting parts have gotten very used to seeing actors in. For example, Hugh Jackman has become the indisputable face of Wolverine on the big screen. Will we accept someone else in that role?
Another iconic character we’re bound to see is Ororo Munroe, better known as Storm. Storm is an X-Men mainstay, and Marvel will need to find someone with real presence to pull off the part. American Gods star Yetide Badaki (Bilquis) has previously made it very clear that she wants the gig:
I don’t think this comes as a surprise to anyone but as a dark skinned woman of African Origin, I’d love to play #Storm @Kevfeige #ryancoogler @MarvelStudios @Marvel @DisneyStudios @WaltDisneyCo @ryanestrada #ShootYourShot pic.twitter.com/TApJqQAIhA
— Yetide Badaki (@YetideBadaki) July 25, 2019
Now, in the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests going on across the world, Badaki believes that it’s the perfect time to introduce Storm into the MCU. Speaking to ComicBook.com, the actor explains what exactly it is about Storm that she loves so much:
"I love Storm because to me she has always been a representation of the power of Black Women. She is Omega level, a Queen, a Goddess. As a child who had recently moved from Nigeria to the US during a time of unrest I remember being blown away by the powerful Storm I saw on Saturday Morning cartoons. This magnificent dark Black Woman looked like me and made me feel like there was nothing I couldn’t do."
Storm definitely did make an impression in those old cartoons:
Badaki stressed that it is now “more important than ever” to quickly pave the way for Storm to enter the MCU. Despite fine performances from Alexandra Shipp and Halle Berry in the past, she thinks that Storm deserves more screen time going forward:
"We’ve had deeply talented Oscar winners portray her and still it always felt like the Weather Witch was never given enough material or screen time. With all that Black Women do to push the needle forward we should be celebrated, especially now. The way Storm has been treated on the big screen sadly feels like a parallel to how Black Women are too often treated in life, underestimated and underrepresented. As the the world and corporations echo the words Black Lives Matter, it is more important than ever for the MCU to show Storm in all her glory and even more so to celebrate dark skinned women who have constantly been ignored and given less opportunity due to colorism."
The upshot of all this: give Storm a solo movie. “It is high time that Storm finally received the solo film treatment that she has so rightfully deserved.”
Again, we don’t know when we’ll see the X-Men on the big screen next, but when it happens, a Storm movie sounds like a great time. In the meantime, you can catch Yetide Badaki in American Gods season 3 when it airs on Starz later this year.
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