Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain is no stranger to the modern-day craze of comic book movies, having starred in the 2019 X-Men outing Dark Phoenix, but while that foray into the Marvel world was lacking, the actress is very open to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in future. But only if she can play a “one-and-done” villain.
“I think that I would be more interested in playing a villain than a comic book hero, because I think villains have more fun, honestly. I would love it to be a villain that’s already established in the comic books and not created, like, a new thing. And, also, I would like it to be a villain that you don’t have to sign such a long deal for. I’m a one-and-done kind of girl. So it would be great to play a character that was naughty and then would disappear.”
Speaking in a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Chastain seemingly takes subtle issue with the character she was given to portray in Dark Phoenix, stating in no uncertain terms that, should she be offered a part in the MCU, it would have to be an “already established” character and not “a new thing.” While Chastain’s Dark Phoenix character, Vuk, the leader of a shape-shifting alien race known as the D’Bari, does appear in the pages of Marvel Comics, they are not a particularly well-known or well-established presence. Not only that, but Vuk goes through some pretty substantial changes when making the leap from page to screen.
So, should Marvel Studios want to add Jessica Chastain to their roster, they will need to find the perfect villainous part for her to play. Chastain is one of Hollywood’s most talented actors, having demonstrated her talents in the likes of Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Interstellar (2014), Molly’s Game (2017), and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021). No doubt she would make a welcome addition to the MCU, with the actress reveling in the chance to play a villain who shows up, unleashes some chaos, and then leaves never to return.
Jessica Chastain can currently be seen flexing her action movie chops in spy movie The 355. Reuniting with Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg, The 355 finds Chastain as CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown, who must join forces with a rival German agent, a cutting-edge computer specialist, and a Colombian psychologist when a top-secret weapon falls into the hands of a group of mercenaries. Together, the four women embark on a breakneck mission to save the world while staying one step ahead of a mysterious figure who’s tracking their every move.
Coming from a screenplay by Theresa Rebeck and Kinberg, and a story by Rebeck, the title The 355 refers to Agent 355, the codename of a female spy for the Patriots during the American Revolution, and stars an all-star cast that includes, Penélope Cruz, Bingbing Fan, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Édgar Ramírez and Sebastian Stan alongside Jessica Chastain.
The 355 was theatrically released in the United States on January 7, 2022, by Universal Pictures.