Recasting the MCU: Part 3

By Austin Johnson

I’m pretty satisfied with how the recast is going so far. My favorite one is definitely Delroy Lindo replacing Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. My least favorite one is Cynthia Erivo for Okoye, not because I don’t like Erivo but because Danai Gurira is so hard to take out of my head as that character. Part III has some solid variety, so let’s get to it.

5.) John David Washington as T'Challa/Black Panther

Portrayed by Chadwick Boseman in the MCU.

It is very difficult to find a guy who can properly rock the Black Panther suit and convincingly give us an accent like Chadwick Boseman did in the stages leading up to Endgame. I think we have to find a guy who has already proven himself a bit but not too much. John David Washington blew audiences away with his performance in BlacKkKlansman from 2018 and has the ability to represent a massive character like Black Panther. JDW is seven years younger than Boseman and doesn’t have a whole lot of roles to reference from which makes him a risky and fun pick. I think we will know quite a bit more about JDW’s abilities whenever Tenet comes out.

4.) Malcolm McDowell as Odin

Portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the MCU.

Sir Anthony Hopkins really can’t be seriously contemplated as an actor you would replace, but doing it with Malcolm McDowell certainly softens the blow. McDowell is 77 and Hopkins is 82 and there’s a certain gravitas that both of them have and Odin isn’t on the screen a ton but it definitely matters that we replace Hopkins with someone like McDowell, because we currently see it as a heat check performance. We need it to stay that way, my bloody droogs.

3.) Emily Blunt as Peggy Carter

Portrayed by Hayley Atwell in the MCU.

I like Peggy a lot, but I think there could be some better writing and stronger representation within the role. Emily Blunt is just a year younger than Hayley Atwell and they were both born in the great city of London. Blunt makes every project she’s in a bit better and I see her having quality chemistry with Ryan Gosling’s Captain America. Blunt is surely going to be around for a long time but she’s already building a nice resume. My favorite roles of hers are in The Adjustment Bureau, Sicario, and A Quiet Place. She’s able to adapt in pretty much any kind of setting you put her in.

2.) Mos Def as Mordo

Portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor in the MCU.

Just going to have some fun with this one. Mos Def is a fantastic artist and a pretty good actor. Mordo doesn’t have a ton of screen time, so I think it’s fine to throw a rapper into the role. Mos Def is about four years older than Ejiofor, which kind of surprised me but I think his charisma would work within the MCU. I also see a whole new wave of Mos Def fans and that’s a really cool thought.

1.) Janelle Monae as Valkyrie

Portrayed by Tessa Thompson in the MCU.

Tessa Thompson could get her own film as Valkyrie and it would be totally badass. She is wicked talented and someone that I have no desire of ever replacing in anything she’s been in. I felt like going close to Thompson’s heart, so her good friend, Janelle Monae is the new Valkyrie. Monae is about two years younger than Thompson and they’re both under 5'4". Both of them carry a certain confidence that is equally beautiful and important to have on the big screen. While Tessa is definitely one of the standouts from the more recent films, I think Monae could do some cool shit as Valkyrie.