After years as a face without a major character attached to her, it is nice to see Alexandra Breckenridge in a leading role. Despite countless supporting and recurring spots on some of the most popular TV series in recent memory, the Netflix original drama Virgin River seems to have given her more mainstream exposure than ever. Therefore, she is just that much closer to following several of her previous co-stars’ footsteps by landing a part in Marvel movies or, perhaps, a DC Comics adaptation.
Now, to be fair, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DCEU, or even the steadily rising franchise of Valiant titles, would not be the 38-year-old actress’ first comic book role. Alexandra Breckenridge appeared on the fifth and sixth season of The Walking Dead as Jessie Anderson - a mother who, after the death of her abusive husband, formed a romantic relationship with Rick Grimes that was cut short by hungry walkers invading the isolated community of Alexandria. Shortly afterward, she was cast as Kevin Pearson’s ex-wife, Sophie, on This Is Us, which notably stars Black Panther actor Sterling K. Brown.
That being said, when will it be her turn to play an Avenger, or a member of the Justice League, or an even just an ally (or enemy) of either? Well, in anticipation of when that opportunity presents itself, I have a few ideas on characters from both major comic book universes whom Alexandra Breckenridge seems like the best choice, at the moment, to bring to life on the big (or even small) screen. Five characters, to be exact, came to mind, starting with one who has the same occupation in common with her current most popular role.
Amelia Voght
For any comic book fans reading this who have never heard of Netflix’s Virgin River (which could be most of you), it stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda Monroe - a widowed Los Angeles nurse practitioner who moves upstate in search of a fresh start and, possibly, a new chance at romance in the titular remote town. When comparing the role to former mutant terrorist turned S.W.O.R.D. agent Amelia Voght, the similarities run a bit thicker than one might assume.
The X-Men character (born with the power to teleport) was first introduced as a nurse to the recently injured Charles Xavier, whom she fell in love with until their initial disagreement over human-mutant co-existence ended their relationship. While Alexandra Breckenridge has yet to play a violent, supernaturally powerful being, Melinda Monroe is one of many strong-minded, romantically burdened characters in her repertoire that she could channel into this portrayal. Plus, like Amelia Voght, she is well known as a redhead.
Poison Ivy
Her reputation as a redhead is not the only reason I would highly recommend Alexandra Breckenridge as Pamela Isley - arguably the most famous and intrinsically voluptuous redhead in comic book history. I am also far from the first person to recommend this casting, and even by referencing of one of the actress’ most notable roles, in particular, at that.
Pamela Isley is, of course, better known by Gotham City authorities as Poison Ivy, due to her plant-like abilities, which she has even used to successfully seduce Batman. Alexandra Breckenridge played a ghostly maid of similarly seductive qualities on Season 1 of American Horror Story, convincing me that adding a more sinister agenda to this part would make her an Ivy who could drive Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne out of his mind.
Mystique
I must admit, however, that red is not Alexandra Breckenridge’s natural hair color, but neither is blonde - the other shade she commonly switches to. A tendency for this brown-haired performer to frequently change her look to best suit a role is something she has in common with Raven Darkholme (better known as Mystique). However, once again, that is not the only reason I would consider her for the X-Men character.
I will have to pull the romance card again here since the shapeshifter is just as famous for her many love connections, of varying degrees, with several mutants (including Wolverine, Sabretooth, and even Iceman, before he came out of the closet), which I guarantee Alexandra Breckenridge could bring a much-needed human quality to. Not to mention, regardless of which side she is on, Mystique is a total badass and, like I touched on before, that is the kind of role the actress has yet to and deserves to play.
Hawkgirl
On the other hand, DC also has more than its fair share of badass women, yet there are still plenty more who, unfortunately, have not graced the silver screen. In fact, among the many classic members from the Justice Society of America set to appear in Black Adam, Hawkman (played by Aldis Hodge) is on the list, but not his partner in crime (and life), Hawkgirl.
Well, if not in the highly anticipated Dwayne Johnson vehicle, I certainly hope there are still plans for Hawkgirl to eventually see her live action cinematic debut, especially for how her more primitive fighting style and preference for medieval weaponry is used on the big screen. That being said, Alexandra Breckenridge could not ask for a more badass comic role and, standing at 5’7”, she already has some of the physicality the role demands.
Astrid Mueller
Now, I would like to go back to Alexandra Breckenridge’s American Horror Story stint, which actually saw her play two roles that, along with The Walking Dead, still barely scratch the surface of her history as a criminally underrated scream queen. The self-proclaimed horror fan is always down for a good thriller, whether she is enjoying one or starring in it, and there are plenty of other characters from the DC catalog who would certainly fit that bill.
One of the most fascinating I could find, which best matches the actress’ specific horror tastes, comes from the Vertigo title Clean House, in which a journalist investigates deaths mysteriously connected to a book by famous self-help guru Astrid Mueller. Her extremely charismatic and dangerously manipulative personality makes her one of the cunningly chilling antagonists in comics as of late - a role perfect for an actress known best for predominantly playing innocents.
What do you think? Does playing a comic book villain seem like the next natural step in Alexandra Breckenridge’s career, or are you a fan who craves more romantic roles from her? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the Virgin River star, as well as even more hypothetical comic book movie casting sessions, here on CinemaBlend.
