‘The Power of the Dog’ Features 3 Marvel Stars; Is Jesse Plemons Next?
As the 94th Academy Awards draw closer, The Power of the Dog looks like it will become one of the night’s big winners. The Western drama from director Jane Campion (The Piano) has gained particular praise for its cast. Three of the four actors who lead the movie have ties to Marvel Comics adaptations. And although more and more Hollywood stars are popping up in comic book projects, this begs the question of whether Jesse Plemons could become the next Marvel superstar.
‘The Power of the Dog’ features 3 Marvel stars
The Power of the Dog didn’t intend to tap into Marvel’s casting department. But alas, both Campion’s latest and the powers-that-be at Marvel have a clear eye for talent. Benedict Cumberbatch stars in The Power of the Dog as cynical rancher Phil Burbank. The actor, of course, has played Doctor Stephen Strange in multiple films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), including 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Speaking of Spidey, Kirsten Dunst — who plays Rose Gordon in The Power of the Dog — starred opposite Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. And her on-screen son in The Power of the Dog, Kodi Smit-McPhee, played Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler in both 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019’s Dark Phoenix. But should Plemons, Dunst’s real-life fiancé and The Power of the Dog husband, expect a call from Marvel anytime soon?
Jesse Plemons could fit into the MCU’s plans
As of now, there’s no news regarding Plemons potentially joining the MCU. Of course, given his connections to past Marvel stars, it’s certainly possible. Moreover, many in the industry consider him a versatile and wildly underrated talent. In recent years, Plemons’ star has continued to rise. An Oscar nod for The Power of the Dog and his upcoming role in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon definitely make him more attractive to Marvel.
And it’s not hard to imagine him fulfilling any number of roles. Clearly, the actor can play a sentimental softie, and when Marvel brings the Fantastic Four in, Plemons would make the perfect Ben Grimm aka The Thing. But he’s also capable of going dark. Perhaps he could be a villain going forward or even a no-nonsense government agent type. Given Plemons’ varied filmography, he could fit into any number of upcoming Marvel Phase Four projects with ease.
Jesse Plemons is set to co-star opposite an Avenger in a new TV show
As if Plemons’ casting in the MCU didn’t already feel inevitable, the actor is about to work with one of the franchise’s most popular stars. According to Deadline, Plemons will star opposite Elizabeth Olsen in the upcoming HBO Max series Love and Death. Olsen, of course, plays Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch in the MCU. And she recently gained an Emmy nomination for her work on Marvel Studios’ first Disney+ series, WandaVision.
Love and Death — which is based on a real-life murder case — sounds like it will be quite the departure from the world of Marvel superheroes. Alas, the combination of Olsen and Plemons makes the show one to watch. Though a premiere date is not yet set, Love and Death is expected to debut in 2022. In the meantime, Olsen appears with Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which hits theaters on May 6, 2022.
