Ben Mendelsohn in Talks to Join ‘Captain Marvel’ as Film’s Villain

“Rogue One” vet would play the leader of Marvel alien antagonists, the Skrulls

Ben Mendelsohn Captain Marvel

“Rogue One” co-star Ben Mendelsohn is in talks to join Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” in the role of the villain, an individual with knowledge of the project tells The Wrap.

Mendelsohn would play the leader of iconic Marvel alien antagonists, the Skrulls.

“Captain Marvel” starring Brie Larson as the studio’s first female superhero to get her own standalone movie will be a prequel set before “Iron Man.”

[powergridprofile powerrank=”1600″ node=”267126″ type=”person” path=”http://powergrid.thewrap.com/person/ben-mendelsohn” title=”Ben Mendelsohn” image=”ben_mendelsohn”]

Samuel L. Jackson will also return as Nick Fury for the film — this time without the eyepatch because the film will be set in the 1990s (presumably before he lost use of his left eye).

“Captain Marvel” will by directed by “Mississippi Grind” helmers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.  Geneva Robertson-Dworet wrote the most recent draft of the script. Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”) wrote previous drafts of the script with Nicole Perlman (“Guardians of the Galaxy”). Victoria Alonso, Louis D’Esposito and Stan Lee are executive producers with Feige producing.

In an interview with Indie Wire, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige discussed the plan moving forward after the fourth “Avengers” film and how the Captain Marvel film will play a big role in bringing the current story to a close. “We’re really focusing on ‘Captain Marvel’ and the work that Anna and Ryan are doing,” said the Marvel honcho. “It’s going to be a big part of heading towards this epic conclusion and epic finale of 22 movies over the course of 10 years. That is focus for the next six movies we have to finish and get out.”

If you’re not up on your Marvel Comics, though, you could be forgiven for not knowing who or what a Skrull is. The Skrulls, a humanoid race with green skin and pointy ears, rule an interstellar empire in the Andromeda galaxy. What makes them a threat is their shape-changing powers. They can morph into just about anything that’s roughly the same volume as their bodies (and even get a little smaller or a little bigger), which enabled them to infiltrate and eventually subjugate other species.

Created by the legendary Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, they first appeared in “Fantastic Four” #2, making the Skrulls almost as old as the Marvel universe itself. (The Marvel Universe began with “Fantastic Four” #1 in December, 1961, with older characters like Namor and Captain America, who debuted in Marvel’s earlier incarnation, Timely Comics, later imported into Marvel.)

 

“Captain Marvel” is set for release on March 8, 2019.

Variety first reported the news of Mendelsohn’s casting.

Comments