Simon Pegg's career if full of roles in many different blockbusters and geekier film properties. From Mission: Impossible to Stark Trek to Star Wars to Ready Player One, Simon Pegg is everywhere. But one glaring gap in his resume is that he has never done a superhero film. But that doesn't mean he isn't interested. There's one Marvel character in particular, one who doesn't have a lot of people calling for his cinematic debut, that Simon Pegg would like to bring to the MCU: Captain Britain. The actor explained his desire to play Brian Braddock (or another character), saying:
I mean, Captain Britain was this Marvel superhero that I loved growing up, 'cause he was the British member of that community. I even have a Captain Britain mask when I was a kid, but I fear I would probably be slightly too old now, but if they do have... If a Captain Britain movie comes about, they're gonna need a British cast, so I'll be waiting.
It is totally understandable that Simon Pegg would want to play Captain Britain, given his nationality and attachment to the character. The superheroes and fictional characters we connect with as kids generally stay with us for the long haul. Although Brits are currently portraying American superheroes like Superman and Daredevil, it would certainly be appropriate for a character named Captain Britain to be portrayed by an actor like Simon Pegg.
As Simon Pegg notes in speaking with JoBlo, he might be too old for the role now. Given the long contracts on these superhero movies, studios do tend to shoot for younger actors, but you can never say never with Marvel. And even if he was too old to play Captain Britain, that doesn't mean that Simon Pegg couldn't be involved in bringing the character to life in the MCU. Simon Pegg is an accomplished writer, having been one of the writers on Star Trek: Beyond and Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, including The World's End. He certainly understands humor, which is a huge part of Marvel's secret. One could imagine he could bring something truly unique to the table with a Captain Britain film.
For those unfamiliar with the character and fear he may just be a British Captain America, that's not entirely the case. The hero, clad in the British Lion or a Union Jack Costume, is not a super soldier like Cap, but was actually a scholar named Brian Braddock. His powers are derived from magic he received from Merlyn, allowing him to fly and have all the usual powers like superhuman strength and speed. Captain Britain actually has ties to the X-Men and is the brother of Betsy Braddock (Psylocke) and the leader of the European X-Men/Avengers-esque group Excalibur.
A couple years back there seemed to be a possibility that Captain Britain could be getting his own TV show. While that never came to fruition, the beauty of the current MCU is that it is full of possibility. Captain Britain may seem like an obscure character that people won't get behind, but the once dorky Captain America is now the heart of the films and the hyper-weird Guardians of the Galaxy are fan favorites. With Phase 3 ending next year I imagine that the original Avengers will be either dying or having diminished roles moving forward. This would allow for second-tier characters to step up and other new characters to come in, so why not Captain Britain?
I would really love to see what Simon Pegg would do with a superhero movie, in front of or behind the camera so hopefully we'll see it before long. Check out our Marvel Cinematic Universe page for all the happenings in Marvel's universe and for all the latest in movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.
