‘X-Men’: People Don’t Want Storm in the MCU Unless She’s Treated Right
When Disney acquired Fox, it was music to many Marvel fans’ ears. It meant that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would have the ability to add many new classic Marvel characters never before seen in the MCU. Among those characters were the X-Men, one of the most popular superhero groups in comics history. One incredibly popular member of the X-Men is Storm.
If Storm does pop up in the MCU, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s appeared onscreen. But fans are excited at the possibility as many fans felt like she could have been portrayed better before. So who is Storm, who played her in the past, and why is it that Marvel fans think she has the potential to be a much better character on film?
Who is Storm?
According to the X-Men wiki, Storm (real name Ororo Munroe) is a member of the X-Men with the power to control the weather. She has signature white hair and hails from a long line of African priestesses. Throughout her time in the comics, she’s had many compelling storylines. She went from being a member of the X-Men to the group’s leader.
She also had a relationship with T’Challa (aka the Black Panther). Combine her great stories with her cool powers, and it seems like there would be no shortage of interesting movie plots to insert her into. So why is it that she’s had such lackluster representation in the films so far?
Who played Storm in the X-Men films?
Storm was originally played by Halle Berry in 2000’s X-Men. Berry also played the character in the ensuing sequels. She’s an ever-present force at the X-Mansion, but doesn’t really get any of the main storylines in any of those films.
In X3: The Last Stand, she has a more prominent role after several of the X-Men die and open up something of a power vacuum.
Berry didn’t have the best experience on the X-Men set, telling Variety that she didn’t get along very well with director Bryan Singer:
“I would sometimes be very angry with him… got into a few fights with him, said a few cuss words out of sheer frustration. When I work, I’m serious about that. And when that gets compromised, I get a little nutty. But at the same time, I have a lot of compassion for people who are struggling with whatever they’re struggling with, and Bryan struggles.”
In the newer X-Men movies, the younger version of the character is portrayed by Alexandra Shipp.
X-Men fans want Storm treated right
In a Reddit thread speculating on a new X-Men film series, one fan talked about the potential treatment of Wolverine. The poster notes that no X-Men film should focus solely on that character. In the comics, Wolverine was initially used as a supporting character, whereas in the films he became the lead due to his popularity. Cyclops was the team’s leader.
Another fan agreed with this sentiment, and added they thought Storm was treated unfairly:
“I second this.
I need Storm to get her just due and not be background-diversity wallpaper.”
If Marvel digs into the comics, they’ll find some great stories centering around Storm. The fact remains that Storm has been vastly overlooked in the X-Men films. Sure, they put a big star in the role in Berry. But there were probably better performers for the role.
Though Berry is no slouch as an actor, Angela Bassett in the 90s would have been spot-on casting. Now Disney has a chance to do an even better job casting the role – though Shipp did a fine job when she took the part.
An X-Men reboot gives Marvel an opportunity to do justice to these classic characters. It’s going to be hard to find enough screen time for everyone due to the X-Men’s status as an ensemble. But there’s no question that Storm should be front and center for this new iteration.
