You may recognize Joe Alwyn from his 2016 acting debut in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, or his more traumatic performances in Boy Erased and Harriet, or from other period pieces like The Favourite and Mary Queen of Scots. You may also recognize him as the longtime boyfriend of Taylor Swift, who recently outed him as the true identity of “William Bowery” - a co-writer on a few tracks from her latest album, folklore. Perhaps you will be able to claim you recognized him from the Marvel movies one day.
I should probably clarify his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or even Sony’s Spider-Man character-based franchise) as a completely hypothetical scenario at this point, but hey, things change. In fact, considering the impressive career that the 29-year-old, English actor has accrued thus far (and in such little time, too), I would not be surprised if Kevin Feige and co. are already looking into which characters Joe Alwyn would be an ideal candidate for.
That also happens to be exactly what I did in preparation for this very list, which names a handful of heroes (or villains) from the pages of Marvel Comics whom Joe Alwyn just might have the chops to pull of on the big screen. The following six characters are who came to mind, starting with one whose traditional time setting might help the actor feel right at home.
Hamilton Slade
With his roles in the aforementioned The Favourite and Mary Queen of Scots, as well as playing Bob Cratchit opposite Guy Pearce’s Scrooge in 2019’s A Christmas Carol miniseries on FX, Joe Alwyn is no stranger to 19th Century costume dramas. While this is a genre that the MCU hasn't made any effort to tackle yet, it would not be impossible since many Marvel characters do come from that period, such as Hamilton Slade. Not to be confused with the modern day descendant of the original Phantom Rider, Carter Slade, this wealthy mutant, destined to be Clan Akkaba’s next leader before Dracula made him a vampire, would be a perfect way for Alwyn to continue his reputation for Victorian Era characters, possibly in the upcoming Blade reboot with Mahershala Ali?
Hyperion
On the other hand, Joe Alwyn may also be looking for a change of pace with the Marvel Cinematic Universe when the option arises, and this character has the potential to be an interesting change of pace for franchise as well. Originally introduced as a villain named Zhib-Ran, Hyperion is often called “Marvel’s Superman” since he is actually an alien with a slew of common superhuman abilities and a weakness “argonite radiation.” I don’t know about you, but bringing this reformed antagonist into the MCU as a means of satirizing the Man of Steel (which Deadpool could certainly be of great help to thanks to the Disney/Fox merger) sounds like a golden opportunity that Alwyn would undeniably fun portraying.
Adam Warlock
Speaking of gold, this cosmic hero was literally the Marvel Universe’s “golden boy” when it came to avenging Thanos’ actions in the comic book that inspired Avengers: Infinity War, which fans assumed would mark his official arrival after he was teased in one of of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s post-credits sequences. However, Adam Warlock still has yet to grace the silver screen in an MCU installment and fans are still waiting for the moment he does, which means that his debut (previously rumored to be in Galaxy of the Galaxy Vol. 3) is sure to be quite an event. In this case, why not make Joe Alwyn’s official induction into the franchise an event of the same magnitude by giving him the role?
Human Torch
Of course, the arguably more anticipated event is when the Fantastic Four will finally join the MCU after three (technically four) lackluster big screen adaptations previously - yet another reason to be thankful for the Disney/Fox merger. There has been plenty of speculation among fans (and the staff of CinemaBlend, too), even before said acquisition, of who should be cast as this latest incarnation of Marvel’s first family, with John Krasinski for Mister Fantastic and his real-life wife Emily Blunt for Invisible Woman as common favorites, but no one seems to agree on who should play the crew’s incendiary member, Human Torch. While it would require a slight uptick in Johnny Storm’s age, I genuinely believe that Joe Alwyn looks the part and it would also give the actor a chance to show off the charm that made Taylor Swift fall in love with him.
Captain Britain
In addition to looking the part, Joe Alwyn would also sound the part of this lesser-known hero who is, essentially, the United Kingdom’s answer to Captain American, but with plenty of characteristics to help him stand out. Captain Britain is the alter ego of Brian Braddock, a British physicist who gains powers such as superhuman strength, enhances senses, and even flight from a mystical amulet given to him by Merlin himself. It is a surprisingly juicy role that Alwyn better start campaigning for now, especially since fellow English actors like Simon Pegg and Orlando Bloom have previously expressed interest in playing him.
Spider-UK
If Joe Alwyn were to miss out on playing Brian Braddock, there is another Braddock whom he might even be more interested in playing. In 2018, while promoting The Favourite with co-star Nicolas Hoult, Alwyn told MTV that the superhero he would most like to play is Spider-Man, which is, of course, impossible now with Tom Holland owning the role for. However, amid rumors of an upcoming interdimensnional crossover film, it would be possible to bring in the webslinger’s British counterpart Billy Braddock, better known as Spider-UK, and make Alwyn’s ultimate dream come true.
What do you think? Should Spider-UK be given the live action treatment with Joe Alwyn in consideration, or is three Peter Parkers sharing the screen enough for you (especially of two of those Peter Parkers are Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield)? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on Joe Alwyn, as well as even more hypothetical comic book movie casting sessions, here on CinemaBlend.
