The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of star-power. It's true; all the big stars find their way there eventually. Look no further than the recent Captain America: Brave New World, which has brought Harrison Ford into the MCU franchise and will reportedly bring Liv Tyler back after nearly two decades. Marvel knows the stars.
The Multiverse Saga has seen the additions of some more big names, including Olivia Colman, Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Debra Jo Rupp, Emma Caulfield, Angelina Jolie, Barry Keoghan, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, and so many more. And with Robert Downey Jr. set to return to the franchise in a brand new role, the star-power is clearly still alive and well in the MCU.
That being said, rumor has it that Marvel Studios is particularly interested in adding two more major stars to the franchise - both of whom have made it big on Netflix in recent years.
Marvel rumored to be interested in casting Jonathan Bailey and Jenna Ortega in MCU roles
Is Marvel Studios about to add more Netflix fan-favorites to the MCU? It certainly sounds like that could be a possibility. According to two new reports, they are interested in two actors in particular, as veteran insider Daniel Richtman claims that the studio is considering Jenna Ortega for a role in the franchise, while Marvel scooper MyTimeToShineHello says that Jonathan Bailey is being considered for the role of Richard Rider in the upcoming Nova series for Disney Plus. Needless to say, both of those would be huge additions to the MCU.
Jenna Ortega has been acting for many years, but her performance as Wednesday Addams in Netflix's Wednesday in 2022 garnered her critical acclaim and catapulted her into superstardom. She recently appeared in 2024's spooky sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice alongside Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara, and is also set to reprise her role as Wednesday in the upcoming second season. To say that she would be a welcome addition to the MCU would be an understatement, but there is one interesting thing we should point out: She technically already is a part of the franchise.
Ortega appeared in Iron Man 3 back in 2013, playing the Vice President's daughter. Given that she was much younger at the time, and she didn't play a major role in the film, there is more than enough scope to bring her back in a new role. After all, the franchise is currently going through its Multiverse Saga and bringing back classic MCU stars in new roles, so it wouldn't be totally outlandish for them to do it here with Ortega. And let's not forget that Gemma Chan and Michelle Yeoh have already done that, appearing in two MCU movies as two totally different, unrelated characters.
As for who she could play, well that list is endless. But let's just say this: Fans have been campaigning for her to play the role of White Tiger for a long time now, and with Daredevil: Born Again set to begin a (hopefully long) run on Disney Plus, there is an opportunity her to make that happen.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Bailey is currently enjoying a major level of superstardom himself. A tenured theater and TV star in Britain, he reached a global audience through his work on Bridgerton, in which he portrays the beloved Lord Anthony Bridgerton, who got the main focus of the show's second season. As well as continuing to star in that, he appeared in the acclaimed Fellow Travelers, the Academy-Award-nominated Wicked, and is next set to star in Jurassic World Rebirth. Needless to say he has the skills needed to bring a character like Nova to life.
A member of the Nova Corps, Richard Rider has access to the Nova Force, which provides him with super-powers and durability, allowing him to operate as the hero known as Nova. He has long been one of Marvel's most popular characters who has yet to appear in the MCU franchise. After years of speculation, it was finally confirmed that a Disney Plus series based on the character is in development at Marvel Studios, with a likely release date of 2027 or 2028. Is that enough time to get Jonathan Bailey on-board? We hope so!
The most recent Netflix addition to the MCU has been Heartstopper's Joe Locke, who played one of the main roles in Agatha All Along. Beloved by fans and praised for his performance, Locke is now expected to play a primary role in the franchise's future. He also worked with Bailey in an episode of Heartstopper, so Marvel might be making the right choice in expanding its pool of Netflix stars.
Here's hoping that both Ortega and Bailey make their presences felt in the MCU in the near-future.