Elisabeth Moss in the MCU? Fans Search for the Perfect Actress to Portray a Fierce Comic Book Hero
When it comes to playing female superheroes, people tend to think of that work as a young woman’s province. Those who are middle-aged need not apply, it might seem at first glance. A closer look reveals that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has flouted that convention on a few occasions. Now fans are looking to have someone new join the club.
That would be Elisabeth Moss, 38, the acclaimed actress who has won multiple accolades for her work, particularly for The Handmaid’s Tale. Now, a mainstream hit could help her join the MCU as Elsa Bloodstone.
How did Elisabeth Moss get famous?
Most of the headlines about Elisabeth Moss these days center around her role as June Osborne in the dystopian Hulu series A Handmaid’s Tale. The story about a society that oppresses women is often in the headlines as protesters don the familiar red robes seen in the show. That role also brought Moss one of her two acting Emmys, the other being for the TV movie Top of the Lake.
Moss first gained attention via another political series, The West Wing, playing the daughter of president Bartlett. Her star rose when she appeared in Mad Men as Don Draper’s secretary Peggy Olson. Top of the Lake came along in 2013, and The Handmaid’s Tale followed in 2017.
Moss has also seen success on the big screen, primarily in the realm of independent film, with acclaimed performances in The Square, High Rise and Her Smell.
She has also seen some mainstream success, with roles in Jordan Peele’s Us, and she proved she could carry a horror film, The Invisible Man, which was one of this year’s few hits before the pandemic hit.
Who is Elsa Bloodstone?
Some Marvel fans see Moss as Elsa Bloodstone, who as of yet has not appeared in a movie or TV show. The character first appeared in 2001 in her self-titled miniseries. Her character is a monster hunter whose mythology crosses paths with several classic monsters, including Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster.
One MCU character she has crossed paths with is Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers’ best friend Maria Rambeau. In the comics, she and Monica were recruited to fight Bizarre Weapons of Mass Destruction. Monica plays some kind of part in the upcoming MCU series WandaVision on Disney+, signaling that there could eventually be a window via which Elsa Bloodstone could appear.
According to ComicBook.com, a series with Elsa was considered back when Marvel Television was still affiliated with ABC. That unit, which also oversaw Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and other shows, no longer exists, with Kevin Feige’s team now overseeing the TV shows that will include WandaVision.
What do fans say about casting older actors?
A Reddit thread asked fans who they pictured playing Emma, even though no movie or show is known to be in the offing. One fan suggested, “If they want an actress closer to Benedict Cumberbatch’s age range, I’d probably go with Sarah Paulson, Jessica Chastain or Elisabeth Moss. If they want to go with a younger actress, I’d go with Samara Weaving or Lily James.”
That prompted a discussion of older female heroes in the MCU, of which there have already been a few. Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in full Tony Stark gear in Avengers Endgame last at the age of 46, and Michelle Pfeiffer, 62, starred in Ant Man and the Wasp as the original Wasp.
Another fan replied, “I love the thought of hiring 30-40s yo actresses in an action movie. Charlize (Theron) proved that (it could be done). And it helps (solve) ageism and misogyny problems, even not that much, in Hollywood.”
That said, there was some disagreement that she should be played by an older actress. Since the character is immortal, she could be played by someone of any age, although she’s usually depicted as being 20-something. Another fan said, “She needs to be in her 20s and she doesn’t need to be a redhead. She could be blonde. She should be British or at least be able to pull off the accent. Finally, it’s all about the attitude with her. If you can’t capture her energy, it won’t work. There have been a few interesting names but nothing that feels right.”
