Marvel: 7 things we must see from the MCU’s Storm

Everything we need from Storm when she makes her Marvel Studios debut.

There are a lot of characters we hope to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the very near future. Among the top three is undoubtedly Storm.

Besides the fact that Storm is just a fantastic hero, we haven’t been given the chance to see what she’s fully capable of on the screen. Halle Berry was very good in Fox’s X-Men franchise, but she wasn’t given the chance to be the Storm we deserved. Alexandra Shipp came close but, unfortunately, 20th Century Fox dropped the ball with her. The lack of screen-time and definitive lines ruined what could’ve been a game-changer.

Recently, there have been rumors that Beyoncé could end up becoming the MCU’s Storm. The actress may be joining the shared universe soon but, right now, however, that’s all they are: Rumors. And that might be a good thing.

There are a lot of things that go into playing an iconic comic book hero like Ororo Monroe. There are certain personality traits and physical attributes that we need. Some of them are obvious while others aren’t. Here are the ones that we definitely have to see.

Dark-skinned

This has been a big issue for a lot of people – this writer included. Storm is African and has always been drawn as a dark-skinned woman. Even the X-Men cartoons made sure that her skin was a darker shade of brown. Sadly, this hasn’t been the case in the movies as both versions of Storm to appear on the big screen were light-skinned woman.

If Marvel Studios truly want to make people happy with Storm’s introduction, it’s imperative that they get this right. Not only does this show that they care about the image of Storm, there’s also the fact that people who look like her will appreciate this as well, allowing them to see themselves represented on the big screen.

Just like casting Lupita Nyong’o and Letitia Wright in Black Panther. If you’re going to cast Storm, that’s the first step.

African

We live in a world full of hopeful actors and Africa is certainly no different. It shouldn’t be tough to find a promising talent from Africa who’s willing and able to play Storm.

We’ve seen what happens when someone tries to force an accent and it doesn’t work. It can ruin a movie if you cringe whenever they open their mouth. With that in mind, it’s important that Marvel Studios doesn’t take the easy way out and portray an Americanized Storm; they must go with authenticity.

It may take some time, but it’ll be worth it. And it could prove to be beneficial as the actor in question may also have ideas and experiences to help shape Storm throughout their tenure. Knowing the culture (Storm’s mother is Kenyan but moved to Egypt after Storm was born in New York) could add more authenticity to the role. Small things like this really will go a long way.

Unknown Actor

Halle Berry is undoubtedly a major name, so it goes without saying her presence in Fox’s X-Men franchise would have drawn a lot of people to the character. However, a famous celebrity isn’t needed this time around. Honestly, it probably wasn’t important then either, but now, it’s less so.

Comic book movies are so popular that they’re making an Eternals movie. Even the most well-versed comic book fan may not know a lot about them. And the good thing about an unknown or lesser-known actor is the lack of expectations and, by extension, the lack of pressure.

When Chris Evans was cast as Captain America, we didn’t know how good he’d be; the same can be said for Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. We knew who they were, but they weren’t the biggest stars on the planet (at least at the time). This gave everyone a nice surprise when they were ultimately much better than anticipated.

Commanding presence

This is a big deal. Storm is a leader. She isn’t always the one in charge, but people follow her because she has a take charge attitude that her teammates gravitate to. She demands respect and is more than happy to put fear into anyone who threatens her or anyone that she cares about.

This is something that has to translate to the big screen. Whoever plays Ororo Monroe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to be able to steal a scene from anyone. If Captain Marvel, Dr. Strange, or the Hulk are attempting to talk down to her, the actor has to be able to portray a high level of confidence.

Storm doesn’t take any mess from gods. Why should she seem scared of mere mortals? Especially since she’s still worshiped as a goddess herself.

Don’t be afraid to go statuesque

Adding a statuesque physique can help with the on-screen presence. Storm doesn’t have to be short and slim. Ororo Monroe should be a tall, physically fit woman. Having someone with that look when she’s commanding the elements will make the visual intense. Now, that’s not to say that Storm has to be six feet tall or over. Nonetheless, having someone with an intimidating physical look would remind everyone why she’s worshiped. Even if they aren’t tall, an athletic appearance could work as well.

We love the mohawk

One of Storm’s trademark looks is her white hair. While in Japan (Uncanny X-Men No. 173), Storm had an experience that caused her to try out a new look. She ditched her old costume and sported black leather pants and a vest. With the uniform change came a new hairstyle as well.

She shaved her long white hair into a mohawk – a drastic change, but it was loved. Every so often she’ll go back to the mohawk because people love it so much. It gives Storm a tougher look. Alexandra Shipp had the mohawk in X-Men: Apocalypse and the fans really appreciated it. The same thing would undoubtedly happen again if that look returns whenever Storm makes her MCU debut.

Storm can already be an established hero

We don’t need Storm’s origin. Yes it would be nice to see it down the line, but it isn’t necessary to show it right away. Make her a veteran X-Man and established hero right from the start. This would save the time of having her figure out how to use her powers. She could already be a hero that we know about.

Plus, audiences don’t necessarily want or need the learning process for characters like Storm or Wolverine (especially when we already got variations of them in the X-Men franchise). After waiting years for them to come to the MCU, just give us the Storm we deserve.

Would you like to see Storm in the MCU soon? Let us know in the comments below!