X-Men is one of the best properties Marvel Studios has to offer, and fans of the superhero genre were ecstatic when it was finally confirmed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be bringing the characters into the fold. The X-Men consists of powerful mutant superheroes who each have unique abilities and traits. From Wolverine and Professor X to Magneto and Mystique, it’s not hard to understand why people love these characters so much.
And now that we know the X-Men are coming to the MCU, we can’t help but wonder which actors will be cast in the iconic roles. As for the character of Mystique, she’s been portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, Rebecca Romijn, and Morgan Lily in the live-action movies. But who has what it takes to play the mutant next?
We’re breaking down six actresses we think would be awesome in the role of Mystique. Let’s start with our first pick, Anya Taylor-Joy.
Anya Taylor-Joy
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Anya Taylor-Joy is already part of the Marvel Universe. Yes, that’s true. The actress starred as the character Illyana Rasputin in The New Mutants. But given that the movie was a bust, receiving poor reviews and bombing at the box office, she deserves another chance! The 26-year-old would be the perfect actress to portray Mystique. She’s incredibly talented and would be able to bring all of the character’s complexities to life.
Taylor-Joy is best known for movies like The Witch, Split, Last Night in Soho, The Northman, and The Menu. She also starred in Netflix’s acclaimed miniseries The Queen’s Gambit and had a prominent role in Peaky Blinders. The Emmy Award nominee has fantastic range, playing all sorts of characters from sweet and innocent to jaded and cunning.
Mystique is a character who demonstrates a wide variety of characteristics, and I have no doubt Taylor-Joy could portray them all. She’s one of the best young actresses working today.
Jodie Turner-Smith
Mystique is a complete force onscreen, and so is actress Jodie Turner-Smith. The 36-year-old is such a compelling talent, bringing a fierceness to every role she takes on. She has a presence that’s hard to take your eyes off of, not to mention the fact that she’s absolutely stunning.
Turner-Smith has been acting in shows and movies since 2013, but she really captivated audiences around the globe with her role in 2019’s Queen & Slim alongside Daniel Kaluuya. In the years since then, she’s appeared in After Yang, White Noise, and Murder Mystery 2. Many have rallied for her to be cast as the next Bond; that’s how much of a force she is.
Mystique is incredibly powerful, but she also has her vulnerable moments where she feels unaccepted and she often struggles with her appearance. An actress like Turner-Smith could certainly bring these qualities to life, as we’ve seen her be stoic and sensitive in different roles. She also has a humorous side to her, which is definitely in line with the Marvel character.
Seeing Turner-Smith shape-shift as Mystique would be awesome, and because we already know she’s a talented actress, she’d no doubt be able to bring to life any other character Mystique turns into.
Ella Purnell
Ella Purnell is an absolute star on the rise worth paying attention to. The 26-year-old actress has been acting for over a decade, and so far her resume has been very impressive. Like the other actresses on this list, Purnell just has a presence about her that’s irresistible. Even if she’s playing a villain, you can’t help but root for her. That’s definitely a quality about Mystique that has to be portrayed, and Purnell could do that.
Getting her start in movies like Never Let Me Go, Maleficent, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, the English actress has more recently been seen in movies like Army of the Dead and the award-winning show Yellowjackets. In the Showtime hit, she portrays teenage Jackie, proving she can play complex characters. Jackie isn’t a straight-up antagonist, but she’s selfish and can be pretty mean to the other girls. At the same time, it’s easy to empathize with her, even when she’s being awful.
Purnell could easily bring Mystique’s formidable side to life, as well as her insecurities. She can evoke fear but also appear fearful, which is an incredible ability.
Fans of the actress have dream-casted her in various Marvel roles in the past, but I think Mystique could be just the right fit.
Jodie Comer
If you’ve watched the show Killing Eve, you’ll understand why Jodie Comer would be a great choice to portray Mystique. The 30-year-old actress is a force to be reckoned with, just like the Marvel mutant. She brings such unique qualities to every role she takes on, and would be a welcome addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Comer is best known for playing Villanelle in Killing Eve opposite Sandra Oh, a psychotic assassin. The character is incredibly complex, and I can’t imagine any other actress playing her. Even though she’s an antagonist, she’s so incredibly endearing. She does bad things but is just so effortlessly cool about it all. Mystique has villainous qualities, of course, and I could see Comer perfecting the role.
Apart from Killing Eve, Comer has appeared in movies like Free Guy and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and shows such as Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned.
The English actress has spoken out about joining the MCU in the past after rumors swirled claiming she’d be playing Sue Storm in a new Fantastic Four movie. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, she denied she was being cast as The Invisible Woman, explaining:
"“No. Guys, I don’t know anything about it. I feel like, when I say this, people are like, ‘Okay.’ It’s like you can’t win either way.”"
Maybe Comer’s not a good fit for The Invisible Woman, but she’d be amazing as Mystique.
Margot Robbie
Where do I start with Margot Robbie? She’s just so incredibly talented. With every role she takes on, she proves she’s one of the best actresses of our time. At 32 years old, the Australian star already has such an impressive lineup of acting credits. She’s been nominated for two Academy Awards and is best known for a variety of different movies.
From her breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street to her most recent film Babylon, Robbie is a powerhouse who commands every scene she’s in. She’s really demonstrated range throughout her career thus far and has taken on the pressure of portraying real-life figures and iconic fictional characters. This includes Sharon Tate, Tonya Harding, and even Harley Quinn.
Given Robbie has already starred in the DC Universe as Harley Quinn, we know she’s down for comic book adaptations. And who would she fit better in the MCU than Mystique? Recently, we discussed a piece of fan art that depicted the actress as the X-Men character, and it convinced us even more that she would be perfect for the part.
Robbie’s no doubt got a busy schedule, but a casting like this could be game-changing for the MCU and we’d love to see it!
Olivia Cooke
And finally, last but not least on our list is the amazing Olivia Cooke. The 29-year-old actress might not be a household name yet, but she’s displayed her talent time and time again with a combination of independent films and popular titles over the years. And she might’ve just established her big breakout hit with House of the Dragon, in which she plays Alicent Hightower.
The English actress has been gracing our screens since 2012, starring in horror movies like The Quiet Ones and Ouija. She’s also appeared in favorites like Me Earl and the Dying Girl and Thoroughbreds. Those who tuned in for the show Bates Motel will remember her as the character Emma Decody. And more recently, she co-starred in the critically acclaimed movie Sound of Metal alongside Riz Ahmed.
Cooke really gets to show her acting chops in House of the Dragon, in which she plays a character viewers love to hate. Alicent is such a complex person. She’s insecure and envious, yet assertive and determined. These qualities are definitely ones Mystique possesses. Cooke brings an incredible presence to the role and somehow forces the viewer to empathize with her, even when she’s doing the wrong thing.
There have been rumors of Cooke joining the Marvel Universe, but nothing concrete. Seeing her as Mystique in the MCU would be awesome, no doubt.
Which actress do you want to see playing Mystique next?