Anna for CAPTAIN MARVEL: The Case for Anna Faris to be Carol Danvers
I will admit it. I am a total Anna Faris groupie. I fell in love with her when I made the decision to watch The House Bunny because nothing better was on television and I could have done with something cute. I had completely forgotten about her role in the Scary Movie movies. But damn if I didn’t melt when that perky voice exclaimed “Kindness is just love with its workboots on!”
I am also a Carol Danvers groupie. We’ve grown apart in the last few months as I’ve waited issue by issue for things to show up on Marvel Unlimited, but she still holds my heart. Her first Captain Marvel series was the first run I ever bought in full, and she was the first female superhero I experienced in print. I have strong feelings about Carol Danvers, guys.
Look at that face. LOOK AT IT.
In light of the recent announcement that Martin Freeman was going to join the cast of Captain America: Civil War, someone at Panels mentioned that Marvel in general–and Civil War in particular–was turning into a What’s Your Number reunion. Jokingly, I threw out that Anna Faris would be cast as Carol Danvers.
And then, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I pondered.
And pondered.
And finally, I decided: dammit, she would make a great Carol Danvers. Here are some reasons why.
#1 GIRL GOT RANGE
A superhero movie (well, a big ticket superhero movie that is not a vaguely misogynistic take on the superhero trope badly disguised as a romantic comedy) would be the perfect type to round out her totally awesome range of actorship. She started out as a serious stage actress until she realized she rocked it at comedy. Scary Movie might have been her big break, but it’s not the only thing she can do.
#2 SHE DESERVES IT
With twenty five years of film and television under her belt, she is finally becoming a familiar name. Unfortunately it seems like it’s more because of her hotshot husband than her own delightful talents. She needs something that can throw her more into the “I’m completely awesome” limelight. Cause she is.
#3 LITERAL WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER REUNION
I totally want Carol to be Sam’s Beard. Just for a little while.
Also it would completely up the likelihood of anyone getting Cap mostly naked.
#4 SHE’S NOT THE CAROL WE WOULD EXPECT
When people talk about their ideal casting for Carol Danvers, there is often mention of at least one eight-foot Amazon with a fifty-foot kickspan and a go-hard attitude. But hey, wasn’t it better for a pilot to be a bit diminutive anyway? We don’t know if Captain Marvel will be a modern rendition or something out of time (probably the former considering what MCU is doing with its “older” characters), but even today, female fighter pilots can run pretty short.
Also, just because a woman is smaller in no way indicates that she can’t go hard. Anna Faris has been pretty adorable in the past, but she’s shown that she can be tough when she needs to be. We all want a Cinematic Carol who will punch a shark one minute (or use a shark to punch another shark, maybe) and be adorable with her ten year old bestie the next. So why not have Anna do it?
#5 SHE WAS A PILOT
Anna was in FLIGHT ACADEMY at the end of 22 Jump Street.
Technically I suppose she’s a flight instructor, if we follow the trope…but at some point that means she would have learned to fly, right?
Mic. Drop.
It’s quite possible that the 2018 movie has already been cast. But who cares? I’m still rooting for Anna.
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