The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into the biggest phenomenon in Hollywood history. There is simply no denying its grandeur, both in terms of scale and success, as it has successfully found a way to remain relevant throughout the course of three different decades and it has continued to reel in new fans along the way. The fact that it has managed to do all of that with so much content from the same continuity is a testament to both its storytelling abilities and the investment of its fans.
So many people love the MCU, and that extends to the actors behind the cameras as well. The franchise has drawn in so much star power over the years and there are plenty of actors who would love to take part in one of its countless comic book adventures. And yes, that includes some of Hollywood's biggest names - even Harrison Ford, who will add his name to the MCU legacy when he debuts in Captain America: Brave New World.
Now, it turns out that another major name in Hollywood today has been having talks with the studio and that has led to speculation that Marvel may be about to make the recast of all recasts happen.
Colman Domingo in talks with Marvel Studios
Colman Domingo has revealed that he has had conversations with Marvel Studios about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. During this year's Variety's 10 Actors To Watch, the star revealed to Screen Geek that he has spoken to the studio about a potential role in the MCU.
"I have had a meeting with Marvel, yes," he said, adding that "it wasn’t specifically about anything". He continued: "They literally sat down and said, “What do you want to do?” And I said, “I don’t know. What do you got for me?” So we’re having engagement, of course."
The actor, whose career has skyrocketed over the course of the past few years, has had his name come up among conversations between Marvel fans quite a lot over the past year due to a number of rumors that have suggested the studio was considering him for one role in particular. And if those rumors do turn out to be true, it could have quite an interesting effect on the MCU's Multiverse Saga going forward.
Since the beginning of this year, there has been speculation that Marvel was interested in having Domingo take on the role of Kang the Conqueror. That role was previously played by Jonathan Majors and, before Marvel parted ways with the actor, the character was being set up to be the franchise's new "Thanos-level threat" as the Big Bad of the Multiverse Saga. Although, it seemed as if they changed direction after announcing that Doctor Doom would be the franchise's new villain (with MCU veteran Robert Downey Jr. set to play the role) and that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would be reworked into a film about Doom titled Avengers: Doomsday.
Even so, the rumors of a Kang recast persisted as a number of insiders have reported that Marvel will likely bring the character back to inevitably write him out, potentially having his departure signify the arrival of Doctor Doom. In fact, one reliable insider claims that the studio has already found a replacement; if that's the case, could Domingo be that choice? The actor did acknowledge the rumors earlier this year, saying that he "would welcome a conversation around it".
Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but it does present audiences with a bit of a conundrum: Would casting Domingo as Kang be a waste if the plan was to merely give the character an exit? An actor as charismatic as him could deliver a thriller of a performance, so it's easy to see why so many fans would love the idea of him playing that character.
But that's just one of the roles he could play; there is another possibility. Domingo is already working with Marvel Studios on an MCU-adjacent project, voicing Norman Osborn in upcoming animated Disney Plus series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. It's quite possible that this could lead to him playing the character in a live-action project, effectively bringing him into the MCU in one of the future Tom Holland-led Spider-Man movies.
Of course, those are just theories, but Domingo himself is eager to join the world of the MCU, telling Screen Geek:
"Who would not want to be a part of the MCU? I just wouldn’t want it to be right. And something that is created for me and something where I feel like I can give something of myself to. So we’ll find out what that is. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m patient."
From the sounds of things, he will pop up in the franchise in the future. Whether that's in one of the aforementioned roles or another one entirely remains to be seen. But the actor is certainly no stranger to the comic book genre, due to his voicework in the animated Spider-Man series, as well as voicing Batman in two Spotify-produced scripted podcasts. He also played a main role in all eight seasons of AMC's Fear The Walking Dead - a spinoff of comic book-based show The Walking Dead - portraying the enigmatic Victor Strand.
It's safe to say that the MCU would be better off with him in a major role. Here's hoping that it comes to fruition.