Everyone knows Mary Jane Watson is Spider-Man’s main squeeze throughout the comic book franchise, however, Spider-Man has a more extensive dating rap sheet than one might assume — he even courted Captain Marvel for a short time. His next most notable love interest after Mary Jane is college student and police captain’s daughter Gwen Stacy. In an alternate comic book universe, Earth-65 Gwen takes the place of Peter Parker and becomes Spider-Woman, also known as Ghost-Spider, or Spider-Gwen. The Marvel bigwigs were initially hesitant to explore Gwen’s story further given her unforgettable death in The Amazing Spider-Man comics, however, the decision served them well as her character rose to insurmountable popularity amongst fans.
The popular character has been brought to life on the big screen previously by actresses Bryce Dallas Howard in Spider-Man 3, Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and voiced by Hailee Steinfeld in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man: No Way Home opened up possibilities for other Spider-Verse cross-overs into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, before the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home there were rumors of Gwen Stacy’s return, which Emma Stone addressed and denied directly. Fans have been vocal about wanting to see Gwen Stacy in the MCU; according to Multiverse Direct, even Kevin Feige has said he wants a Gwen Stacy movie. We would love to see our favorite comic book heroine brought to the big screen once again. Here is a list of six actresses we think should play Gwen Stacy in the MCU.
Related Link: Spider-Man: No Way Home: 3 Things that Didn’t Work in the MCU Movie
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6 Elle Fanning
Hulu
Elle Fanning is the younger sister of fellow actress Dakota. Fanning made her big-screen debut as the younger version of her sister’s character in the drama film I Am Sam. Since then, she has starred in several film roles including The Neon Demon, The Beguiled, and How to Talk to Girls at Parties. More recently, Fanning has starred in Hulu’s The Girl from Plainville, starring as the infamous Michelle Carter, and the satirical dramedy The Great. Fanning’s depiction of Empress Catherine II in The Great earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, which is why we think she should play Gwen Stacy in the MCU.
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5 Kiernan Shipka
Constantin Films
Actress Kiernan Shipka has been acting since she was a mere five months old. After taking on several smaller TV roles, she got her big break as Sally Draper on the critically acclaimed Mad Men. Her role as Sally Draper was lauded by critics, and in 2014, she was featured as one of Time Magazines’ “25 Most Influential Teens of 2014.” Since Mad Men, Shipka has starred in several film and TV roles, including the Netflix film The Silence opposite Stanley Tucci, proving she can hold her own working opposite veteran actors. Shipka should play Gwen Stacy in the MCU because she has experience bringing a comic book character to life, having starred as Sabrina Spellman in Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina based on the comic series Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
4 Chloë Grace Moretz
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
Chloë Grace Moretz is no stranger to the superhero genre, having played the critically acclaimed Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2. Her resume includes a variety of genres, including horror, comedy, drama, and science fiction, which proves she’s versatile enough to take on the role of Gwen Stacy in the MCU. Furthermore, looking at her previous work, Moretz definitely has the acting ability to bring layers to the conflicted comic book heroine, which will be a requirement for taking on the fan-favorite role.
3 Jenna Ortega
Paramount Pictures
Jenna Ortega is an accomplished young actress who has been acting since she was a child. Since she transitioned from child star to adult star, she has starred in the Netflix series You, the Netflix horror film The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and voiced Brooklyn in the popular Jurassic Park canon series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. Ortega has also been cast as Wednesday Addams in the Tim Burton-directed Netflix series. The young actress received praise from critics for her breakthrough role as Vada in the drama The Fallout. Ortega is currently taking the world by storm, having recently starred in the latest installment of the Scream franchise and being named by The Hollywood Reporter as the “Next Big Thing,” which is why we think she’s perfect for the role of Gwen Stacy.
2 Anya Taylor-Joy
BB Studios
Anya Taylor-Joy has already won several awards throughout her career, showcasing her ability and talent to take on any project. The gifted actress has proven her range through a variety of roles such as Peaky Blinders, The Queen’s Gambit, Emma, and the not-yet-released Furiosa. We would love to see Taylor-Joy take on the role of Gwen Stacy in MCU just to see where she goes with the character. We have no doubt she could nail the character’s inner conflict as she adjusts to becoming a superhero, but would also elevate the character with her undeniable star power. According to Forbes, Taylor-Joy is the front-runner for possible casting choices for Gwen Stacy.
1 Sophie Turner
Forma Pro Films
Having previously starred in all seven seasons of the HBO smash success Game of Thrones as Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner could no doubt take on Gwen Stacy with ease. Not only does she have the iconic Gwen Stacy look, but she certainly has the acting ability to bring us a fully fleshed-out version of the college student-turned-superhero. Furthermore, she is no stranger to Marvel movies, having starred as a young Jean Gray in X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
