Natalie Portman won’t be coming back to the Thor franchise, so there’s an opening. And Tessa Thompson of Creed fame appears to be stepping in for the female lead. Fascinatingly, though, Thompson won’t be limited to one Marvel movie.
Thompson’s character is allegedly a “kind of superhero” and will be popping up elsewhere in Marvel’s movies. So that leads to the next question: Who’s she playing?
Carol Danvers
Captain Marvel is, by far, the most obvious nominee here. Kevin Feige has already admitted we’ll know who the cast and filmmaker will be by this summer. That also happens to be when filming for Thor: Ragnarok starts. If you want somebody who can fight in space and alternate realities and can hold their own with Thor and the Hulk, that’s a short list, and Danvers tops it.
Photon
Instead of Captain Marvel, Thompson could play a former Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau. Rambeau is a fan-favorite not just as an Avenger, but also a member of Marvel’s comedy team Nextwave, so if they wanted to lay the groundwork for a Deadpool-esque comedy, Rambeau would be where to start.
Moondragon
Another nominee is the perfection-obsessed Moondragon. Moondragon would be a tough character to adapt, as she’s got a pretty strong superiority complex and basically got her powers by obsessively working out and experimenting on herself, but she’s had a thing for Thor in the past, and if they wanted to connect Thor’s adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy, this would be a good place to start.
Caiera
Marvel has said Planet Hulk isn’t going to happen as a movie. But that doesn’t mean they can’t use characters from that book, and nothing about Thompson’s casting says she’s a love interest for Thor. Caiera was the lieutenant to the planetary dictator central to the Planet Hulk story and ultimately wound up marrying the Hulk and bearing his child. Fans love the character and hated how she was written out, so this might be a good way to bring her back.
MODOK
Okay, this one isn’t remotely likely, but casting a beautiful actress as a giant flying head would be hilarious, and a bold move from Marvel. We’ll find out soon enough; Thor: Ragnarok arrives November 2017.