Before cinematic universes and superhero flicks became commonplace, there was 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. The property lasted nearly two decades, with multiple actors playing the beloved mutants. X-Men alum Alexandra Shipp recently reflected on playing Storm after Halle Berry, while also weighing in on who should take the role next.
Alexandra Shipp made her debut as Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse, before reprising her role in the final chapter of the franchise, Dark Phoenix. The 30 year-old actress had some big shoes to fill, inheriting the role from Oscar winner Halle Berry. She was recently asked by Comic Book Movie about her time as a mutant, saying:
I loved the experience. I think it was so definitive of my 20s to be part of that. I’d never worked on anything so big and to also be able to play not only one of my favorite superheroes growing up, but also reprising a role Halle Berry played was a huge honor.
How sweet is that? While Alexandra Shipp’s time as Storm seemingly came to an unexpected end after 20th Century Fox was acquired by Disney, she was super happy with her time playing Storm on the big screen. Even if Halle Berry wasn’t exactly forthcoming with advice on how to play the Marvel’s Weather Witch.
Alexandra Shipp got to take the mantle of Storm in the First Class timeline, which featured younger versions of the beloved X-Men. In Apocalypse she became one of the titular villain’s Four Horseman, but eventually switched sides and helped the heroes in the final battle. She’d become a full-fledged X-Man in Dark Phoenix, participating in the team’s civil war over Jean Grey.
Later in her same interview, Alexandra Shipp addressed the possible future of Storm on the big screen. Following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the X-Men were finally able to join the MCU. This hasn’t happened quite yet, although Patrick Stewart’s role in Doctor Strange 2 definitely hints at this eventually happening. But who should replace Shipp as Storm? She’s got some thoughts, saying:
In future, I think I’d like to see a woman of darker complexion play Storm. I think it’s about time that we see that representation, and I’m more than happy to see that. I think it would be really great. The little girl in me would really like to see that.
Touche. Over the past few years, there’s been a ton of conversation about onscreen representation. The discourse also includes colorism; light skinned people of color are sometimes given more opportunities than actors with deeper, more rich skin tones. Alexandra Shipp seems to be acknowledging her privilege in this matter, and would love to see an actress with a darker complexion play Storm next.
Unfortunately, there’s currently no indication as to if/when Kevin Feige and company will finally bring the X-Men to the MCU. But fans can’t wait, and have been theorizing about which actors could play fan favorite characters like Wolverine and Storm. Considering Patrick Stewart’s role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, maybe Alexandra Shipp will get another chance to play her signature hero on the big screen.
The next installment in the MCU is Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
