After years of scene-stealing supporting roles, most notably his Emmy-nominated performance as “Pornstache” in the Orange is the New Black cast, it appears that Pablo Schreiber is finally achieving the stardom he really deserves. Years after his leading role in Den of Thieves - an instant action movie classic from 2018 - he would land, arguably, the biggest part of his career thus far in the Halo cast as Master Chief in Paramount+’s series adaptation of the hit video game franchise. That being said, a role in one of the upcoming Marvel movies is one way he could get bigger at this point.
While he has worked with many veterans of comic book adaptations throughout his impressive career so far - such as former Captain America actor Chris Evans in Defending Jacob, and his half-brother, Liev Schreiber (Sabretooth in 2008’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine), in The Manchurian Candidate - the actor still has yet to star in any superhero movies (or TV shows) of his own. However, he has been the subject of rumors suggesting that he could be next in line to play a certain iconic character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I will get to that soon enough. I would, instead, like to begin our picks of Marvel characters for Pablo Schreiber to portray with one that reminds me, just a bit, of his Halo character.
Clay Quartermain
There is not a soldier more fierce in the Halo universe than Master Chief, whom Pablo Schreiber brings an unprecedented sense of humanity to on the TV show. A Marvel character of similar attributes is Clay Quartermain - a former United States Air Force pilot who would go on to lead many adventures of a strange and dangerous variety as one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most skilled (and most notably arrogant) agents.
However, unlike Master Chief, the operative has limited experience going to space or fighting aliens, which I actually think is all the more reason why Schreiber should be considered for the part. Instead of aliens, the actor would fight paranormal entities as Quartermain, who eventually led a S.H.I.E.L.D. unit made up of classic horror characters known as the Howling Commandos, which totally needs its own MCU movie or TV show at some point.
The Thing
Before he made himself at home in outer space as Master Chief on Halo, Pablo Schreiber was seen aspiring to leave Earth one day in the 2018 Neil Armstrong biopic, First Man, as one of the most famous astronauts in history: Jim Lovell. That is actually just one reason why I would consider him for the role of one of the most famous astronauts in comic book history - Ben Grimm, who is better known as The Thing - in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot from Marvel Studios.
On top of his experience playing spacemen, I think that Schreiber, who is commended for his ability to authentically portray inner vulnerability despite his tough exterior, would do a stellar job portraying The Thing’s inner vulnerability despite his (literally) tough exterior. To do so, I would actually recommend choosing the Michael Chiklis method using prosthetics instead of performance capture - thought either would be a new experience for the actor.
Gambit
The movie that would finally convince the world that Pablo Schreiber was action star material was 2018’s Den of Thieves, in which he held his own brilliantly opposite Gerard Butler as the alpha dog in the titular den. If he were ever interested in playing a character of a similar nature, but of less violent means and more unique power, the solution may lie in another highly anticipated reboot from Marvel Studios.
Gambit is a Cajun card shark and mutant with bio-kinetic abilities whose expert skills in the art of thievery earned him a spot on the New Orleans chapter of a secret criminal society known as the Thieves Guild, for which he would also become the leader. Schreiber’s close resemblance to the X-Men character is another reason he would be fit to bring him back to the big screen after he was previously played by Taylor Kitsch in X-Men: Wolverine and almost played by Channing Tatum in his own solo movie.
Wolverine
Speaking of X-Men: Wolverine, I mentioned earlier how Pablo Schreiber’s half-brother, Emmy nominee Liev Schreiber, also starred in that 2008 prequel as Sabretooth, who is the older half-brother of Hugh Jackman’s titular character in that film’s canon, at least. Well, wouldn’t it be fun if the former Ray Donovan star reprised the role whenever Marvel Studios officially reboots the X-Men movies but, this time, they cast the actor’s real half-sibling to play his brother?
Even that idea sounds like a bit of a stretch (let alone sacrilegious to some fans). I really bring up the idea of Schreiber succeeding the role of Wolverine because it would not be the first time someone has, as he is one of several actors previously rumored to revive the character in the MCU. While a recent interview with the actor for GQ confirms that the rumors were always nothing but rumors after all, I hope there could be a chance that they become reality one day, as Schreiber also bears a striking resemblance to the ageless, adamantium-clawed mutant.
Knull
You know, if that wild idea of having Pablo and Liev Schreiber appear in an X-Men movie together as Wolverine and Sabretooth really did happen, it would be the second time the half-siblings appeared in a movie together. The first time (as mentioned earlier) was in director Jonathan Demme’s 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate, where both of the siblings play soldiers who fall prey to a mind control conspiracy. However, since Pablo’s character suffered an especially devastating fate as a result of the brainwashing experiment, I think he deserves to play a character on the opposite end of that spectrum.
The solution to that, once again, lies in the Marvel Universe in the form of Knull, who, indeed, posses the ability to control the minds of others. Of course, that barely scratches the surfaces of what this being of great power and, especially, great evil is capable of - such as complete immunity to death, shapeshifting flight, and the ability to create life. Schreiber has played a few unlikable dudes - like “Pornstache” - but none who pose as much of a threat as this comic book villain who could be the greatest big bad the MCU has ever seen if he were brought in.
On second thought, if Pablo Schreiber would like to make his comic book movie debut as a character so dark, maybe he could also look into auditioning for some upcoming DC movies.
