Cynthia Erivo Sets Sights on Her Childhood Dream X-Men Role as Mutants Near Their MCU Debut
From Oz to ozone: After Wicked, Cynthia Erivo is setting her sights on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, aiming to bring Storm to life.
Cynthia Erivo just said the quiet part out loud: after Wicked, she wants to call down lightning. As in, Storm. From X-Men. And yes, Marvel really is cooking up an X-Men reboot right now.
Erivo shoots her shot
In a new chat with Variety tied to her Wicked run, Erivo lit up when the topic of the MCU came up and admitted Storm has been on her mind since she was a kid. She even doubled down on June 4, 2026, repeating that it is the dream role.
"Childhood fantasy of mine."
Worth noting: if Marvel calls, the look could be striking. Erivo often rocks a sharp buzzcut, which would contrast nicely with Ororo Munroe's classic long, white hair from the comics. No, that is not a deal or a tease — Marvel has not announced casting for Storm yet, and the X-Men reboot is still in development at Marvel Studios.
Meanwhile, she is jumping from superheroes to a legend
Superpowers aside, Erivo is also set to play South African music icon and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba in The Road Home, a biographical drama from StudioCanal. She called the project something she is "really excited and scared about," which, honestly, is exactly the right energy to bring to a role like that.
Storm remains a hotly pursued role
Erivo is not the only one eyeing the clouds. A few high-profile names have already publicly volunteered:
- DeWanda Wise (Jurassic World: Dominion) told The Movie Dweeb back in 2024 that Ororo is the only Marvel character she has ever wanted to play.
- KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk) said in 2019 via Variety that Storm represented a powerful, dark-skinned Black woman she saw herself in — and she wants a shot at bringing that to the screen.
- SZA has also put her hand up and said she would love to play Storm.
So yes, the Storm race is crowded, and Marvel will do what Marvel does: take its time, make us speculate, and then drop the news when we least expect it. For now, chalk Erivo down as officially interested — and already juggling a stacked, very different kind of icon in Miriam Makeba.