Recently, the world has gained, in my humble opinion, a new member of the top horror movie Scream Queens of all time in the form of Alyssa Sutherland. The Australian actor gives, arguably, the performance of her career thus far as Ellie: a single mother who becomes a grisly, unmerciful threat to her own three children and her sister after she is possessed by malevolent supernatural forces in the hit 2023 movie, Evil Dead Rise. She was so creepy and convincing that she not only had me excited by the idea of her appearing in more upcoming horror movies, but also had me wondering if there might be any upcoming Marvel movies in her future.
Now, it may seem like a bit of stretch to some that I would look at Sutherland — who made her acting debut in 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada — and her portrayal of a bloodthirsty Deadite and, subsequently, begin envisioning what roles in upcoming superhero movies might be right up her alley. However, it is in my job description to look at some of the most popular and talented performers of our time and speculate about what Marvel characters they could play if and when they get the opportunity. In that spirit, the following are some of the heroes (and villains) ripped straight from the comics that I would one day hope to see her bring to life on the big (or small) screen.
Moonstone
While I may be accused of recency bias, I genuinely believe that Sutherland gives one of the best performances out of anyone I have seen act in the Evil Dead movies and, especially, when it comes to the portrayal of a Deadite. In addition to all of the wonderful Easter Eggs present, her feral, maniacal approach to the character was an essential highlight of the film and it made me eager to see her take on another villainous role in the future, but, perhaps, one of a more sophisticated nature. There exists a character who has yet to join the MCU’s rogues gallery that might be the perfect choice.
Karla Soften was once just an average human with harmful and manipulative tendencies who took pleasure in using psychiatric tricks to take advantage of her patients. However, she would become an even more problematic threat when the Moonstone (a Kree device that also inspired her alias) gave her powers like strength, speed, gravity manipulation, etc. — and, eventually, earned her spot on a team of reformed criminals called the Thunderbolts, who are getting their own MCU film on the 2024 movies schedule. In case she does not appear in the Thunderbolts movie, she cold still face off against Brie Larson as Carol Danvers in a Captain Marvel sequel some day.
Gaea
On second thought, what if Sutherland is not interested in making her MCU debut as a villain, and would rather play someone who could serve as an ally to the Avengers? Well, I managed to find someone who might fit that bill perfectly, but without straying too far away from her Evil Dead Rises role.
One of the most powerful Elder Gods that exists in the Marvel Comics universe is named Gaea (also spelled Gaia in some iterations), but has also been referred to by some as “Mother Earth” for her ability to control patterns of the eponymous planet. Yet, it would not be technically be wrong to call her a “demon,” due to her vast and diverse possession of various, undefined mystical powers. I would love to see Sutherland try her hand at playing a “demon” who is far less of a bother than Ellie. Maybe there’s a chance that a potential sequel to Eternals has as spot open for her?
Nina Price
Before Evil Dead Rise made an her instant horror icon, Sutherland was certainly not a stranger to the genre, having previously appeared alongside Eli Roth in the 2009 thriller Don’t Look Up and in a series adaptation of Stephen King’s “atmospheric” short story, The Mist. Even more recently, she starred in a flick exclusively streaming on Shudder called Blood Vessel, in which she and other life boat survivors take refuge on an abandoned German boat that happens to be crawling with vampires during World War II. This gave me the idea of casting her in the MCU as someone that would allow her to see things from the perspective of a creature of the night.
While there are many vampiric Marvel characters that I could have chosen from, I decided to go with Nina Price as a potential candidate for Sutherland to play for a couple of different reasons. For one, she is not the kind of bloodsucker who would use her abilities for evil and was even a part of Nick Fury’s team of supernatural beings called the Howling Commandos — meaning she would still be able to play a heroic character. Secondly, unlike other vampires, she also possesses wolf-like abilities that were passed down to her from her lycanthropic uncle, Jack Russell (a.k.a. Werewolf By Night).
Erika The Red
In addition to her horror hot streak, Sutherland’s main claim to fame as an actor is her role in the History Channel’s Vikings cast as Queen Aslaug, who was killed off the series in Season 4. Furthermore, as she revealed during an interview with Collider, the actor (and her character) struggled to be accepted by the show’s devoted fanbase until the bitter, premature end of her tenure. Well, I would love to see Sutherland be given another chance to really shine in a role set in the era of pillaging and such an opportunity may lie in the MCU.
Erika the Red was a Viking whose role in the comics did not last very long (literally one issue), but hers is a story of romance (one she actually shared with Thor after he was manipulated into joining her fray) and tragedy that could make for a really good movie. I think that by channeling some of the same feral brutality she brought in Evil Dead Rise, Sutherland could achieve a truly memorable portrayal of the warrior that would make up for her short tenure in the Marvel Universe. Not to mention, it would give her the chance to team with fellow Aussie, God of Thunder actor Chris Hemsworth.
Lifeguard
Sutherland’s Australian roots alone actually gave me another good idea for a potential Marvel role. It would also allow her the honor of starring in the MCU’s upcoming X-Men movies reboot… whenever that happens.
The character in question is the Australian-born Heather Cameron, who makes a living as a lifeguard — which is just one of the reasons behind her codename. The other is that the golden-haired and golden-skinned mutant has the ability to automatically adapt to whatever environment she finds herself in, making rescues a much easier task for her than normal.
Still, the horror fan — and, especially, the lover of the Evil Dead movies — in me wants to see more of Sutherland embracing her dark side. A few years ago, the DC movies would have been an even more appropriate place for that than the Marvel movies, admittedly. Nonetheless, wherever her career takes her next, I am down for it.
