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You know, even I forget sometimes that Lucifer, the Netflix exclusive crime thriller series in which Satan himself takes human form on Earth as a club owner and police consultant in Los Angeles, is a DC Comics adaptation inspired by one of the publisher’s more adult-oriented Vertigo titles. That being said, despite how many characters star Tom Ellis would truly be perfect to play in any upcoming DC movies, a role in one of the many upcoming Marvel movies might be the more likely natural direction for the actor to take next. Luckily, I would actually argue that he is already a prime candidate to also play plenty of great characters ripped from the pages of Marvel Comics, including one that would not require much further preparation on his part if we are being honest here.
Mephisto
Comic book fans have been dying to see Mephisto in the MCU for a while now. To make it clear how hotly anticipated he is, some people were disappointed by WandaVision simply because their theories that the mischievous demon might turn out to be the Disney+ series’ true villain proved untrue. That being said, I think Marvel Studios realizes that the time to bring the character who is, essentially, the Satan of the Marvel Universe into the Marvel Cinematic Universe should be sooner than later.
Who better to play this traditionally refaced villain than an actor like Tom Ellis, who already has experience playing the Prince of Darkness (sorry, Ozzy) in one of the most poplar DC TV shows at the moment? Not to mention, the fact that Mephisto is an extra-dimensional being means that the idea of he and Lucifer Morningstar being the same person is not too far-fetched. A concept like that is too engrossing for any actor to refuse.
Baron Blood
On the other hand, I would not hold it against Tom Ellis if he became a little burnt out on playing the ruler of the Underworld. However, if he would be willing to graduate onto a different sort of dark, gothic creature, I might have the perfect character in mind.
Marvel Comics does not get enough credit for its contributions to vampire lore and one of its most fascinating figures of its own mythology is John Falsworth - a Victorian Era nobleman who would adopt the name Baron Blood after Count Dracula turned him into a creature of the night. This bloodsucker would go on to become an ally to the German Army during World War II and during subsequent conflicts, which sounds like a really cool plot point to include in Mahershala Ali’s upcoming Blade reboot to me. Plus, Falsworth is British, meaning Tom Ellis would not have to hide his natural Welsh accent for the role.
Union Jack
I would also not hold it against Tom Ellis if he were to get burnt out on both playing dark, gothic, mythological creatures and hiding his natural Welsh accent for a role. Therefore, I have another Marvel character in mind who, depending on which iteration you would want to focus on, is actually the brother of Baron Blood, believe it or not. His full name is James Montgomery Falsworth, however since he already exists in the MCU as played JJ Feild in Captain America: The First Avenger, we should go with a younger, more modern iteration of the Union Jack moniker.
James Montgomery Falsworth’s successor is named Joseph Chapman - a working class Manchester native whose superb athleticism and peak human strength, speed, and endurance earned him the chance to fight evil in the United Kingdom as Union Jack. While he sounds a bit like the British Captain America, that would more literally be Captain Britain, but this vigilante is just as, if not, cooler in my opinion.
Agamotto
As juicy of a role as Union Jack would be to tackle, in retrospect, why would Tom Ellis not want to tackle more magical comic book characters? The ability to do literally anything (or, at least, whatever the story requires) is the ultimate dream of any actor and one of the most powerful magic wielders in the Marvel Universe is Agamotto.
The spell caster is one of the many who has held the esteemed title of the Sorcerer Supreme before Doctor Strange did and, in case you were wondering, that is, indeed, his “eye” that houses the Infinity Stone which can be used to control the flow of time. I think it would be fun to see Stephen Strange have to join forces with his predecessor by some extra-dimensional causes - something the character will be dealing with Sam Raimi’s upcoming sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - and I think the chance for Tom Ellis and Benedict Cumberbatch to share the screen is something the actors, and their fans, would much appreciate.
Dr. Doom
You know, instead of playing a character who collaborates with Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, it might be even more interesting to see him play someone who has gone toe-to-toe with the sorcerer and also knows a thing or two about magic. Even better would be a role that could end up being the ultimate Big Bad of the MCU’s Phase 4.
I am, of course, talking about someone often referred to as the archenemy of the Fantastic Four (even though he has made enemies with pretty much every superhero in the Marvel Universe), Victor von Doom - the power-hungry and undeniably powerful Latverian genius otherwise known as Doctor Doom. I truly cannot think of a more irresistible villain role for the MCU and one that I am certain Tom Ellis would be honored to play and, more importantly, could play extremely well based on his past depictions of deviancy.
Of course, to avoid falling at risk of typecasting, I could understand if Tom Ellis might have other ideas in mind for how he chooses to move on after Lucifer ends after Season 6 on Netflix. However, if you are one of the many who would love to see the actor make the transition from superhero TV shows (technically speaking) into superhero movies, specifically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is there a particular role you would favor for him?
