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Credit: Marvel StudiosThe actress for Storm in the X-Men Universe, previously under 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), is no longer interested in working for Marvel.
Related: Fans Upset at Shocking Addition to MCU’s Reported New ‘X-Men’ Team
Recently, Marvel Studios unveiled significant details about the eagerly awaited third installment of the Deadpool film series, appropriately named Deadpool 3. This upcoming chapter is poised to integrate into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) following The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, now known as 20th Century Studios. There have been speculations that Deadpool 3 will prominently incorporate plot elements from the Fox X-Men Universe.
With this news that the X-Men Marvel universe is joining the main Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) world, the chances of classic X-Men characters joining the fray are essentially inevitable.
The announcement that X-Men was officially joining the MCU was made by the actor Ryan Reynolds, famed for his portrayal of Deadpool/Wade Wilson, in collaboration with his “frenemy” Hugh Jackman, who plays Wolverine/Logan/James Howlett in the X-Men Universe.
Recent Marvel Studios film The Marvels AKA Captain Marvel 2, also began forging direct connections to the X-Men universe.
The Fox X-Men movie series delved into the adventures of mutants endowed with extraordinary abilities, coexisting in a modern world with regular humans. The central focus, taken from the Marvel Comics series of the same name, was on the opposing viewpoints of Professor X and Magneto regarding the relationship between Mutants and humans. Their conflicting ideologies created tension that led other Mutants to align themselves with one of the two sides.
Key figures entangled in these dynamics included Patrick Stewart portraying Professor X/Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr, Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe, AKA Storm, Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey, James Marsden as Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique/Raven Darkholme, Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner, AKA Nightcrawler, and Anna Paquin as Anna Marie LeBeau, AKA Rogue, among others.
Subsequent films like X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) delved into prequel narratives and explored themes of time travel, introducing younger versions of characters like Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique, portrayed by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence, respectively.
Now, speaking to Entertainment Tonight (ET), the actor who played the younger version of Halle Berry’s Storm, Alexandra Shipp, fresh off her stint in 2023’s summer hit Barbie, indicates that she’s done with Marvel and the whole X-Men franchise.
When asked directly by ET whether she had plans to rejoin Marvel, Shipp quite bluntly said:
You know, what’s kind of funny is… no, I’m not interested.
The former Storm actress went on to add that she would be supportive of someone else taking the role, but that she was done with Marvel — for good, and is at a “different place in [her] life”:
The thing is, what I love about the career that I’ve been able to form is that I can play many different things, and at this point, I feel like I’ve done what I needed to do with Storm, and I think that there are other women who could take on that role and really kill it and support that. But for me, I just feel like I’m at a different place in my life.
Related: Report: New ‘X-Men’ TV Show To Change Format in Major Way
Once upon a time, actors all across Hollywood were chomping at the bit to get a slice of the MCU pie.
With 2008’s Iron Man reinvigorating Robert Downey Jr.’s career, and Joss Whedon-directed The Avengers changing the “connected cinematic universe” game in 2012, it seemed as if Marvel Studios (and parent company The Walt Disney Company) could do no wrong.
Now, with reports of superhero fatigue in audiences, and recent Marvel outings taking in achieving middling box office and critical success, it appears as if this “fatigue” might have spread to the actors of Hollywood, as well.
From Marvel easily nabbing serious theatrical and film talent like Tom Hiddleston as Loki Laufeyson/Loki Odinson, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, the late Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther/King T’Challa, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, Cate Blanchett as Hela, and even Natalie Portman as Jane Foster — that landscape has definitely shifted.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe attempts to claw its way back to relevance following the firing of Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors, having based their entire Phase Four and Phase Five building up to Avengers 5 AKA Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the MCU is definitely on a shaky precipice.
Do you think the MCU is in danger of losing total relevance? Does Alexandra Shipp leaving Marvel behind her indicate a bigger trend? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!