Lashana Lynch is everywhere these days, and we couldn’t be happier. She is a rising star in the industry, appearing in Captain Marvel in 2019, then following up her MCU debut with No Time to Die in 2021, becoming the first woman ever to hold the 007 title. She even had a minor role as a Captain Marvel variant in the 2022 blockbuster Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Lynch has certainly proven herself as an actress in Hollywood and should see even more opportunities come her way shortly. She has been acting since 2007 and appeared on multiple television shows like Still Star Crossed and Crims, but her claim to fame came from her portrayal of Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel.

Lynch has been cast in the upcoming Bob Marley biopic from Paramount. The casting search was supposedly rigorous, with quite a few actors considered for the role, similar to the process that Kingsley Ben-Adir went through to land the part of the reggae legend. As we await that project’s release, here’s a closer look at Lynch’s finest films to date.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

5 Captain Marvel (2019)

     Marvel Studios

It’s hard to believe that Captain Marvel was already the 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set in 1995, the story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes Captain Marvel after Earth is caught in the center of a galactic conflict between two alien civilizations. Several actors reprise their roles from previous MCU films in Captain Marvel, including Samuel L. Jackson, who was digitally de-aged in post-production to reflect the film’s 1990s setting. It set the record as the first woman-led superhero film to pass the billion-dollar mark, despite some of the film’s mixed reviews.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Brie Larson plays the titular role with a leading confidence that matches, if not surpasses, the male superhero turns as of late. But it’s Lynch who steals the show as Maria Rambeau. It’s no surprise, then, that a sequel, The Marvels, is in the works. Its scheduled release is February 17, 2023.

4 Fast Girls (2012)

     StudioCanal

Fast Girls follows a street smart runner who develops an intense rivalry with an equally ambitious wealthy young athlete. The 2012 British drama film is directed by Regan Hall and written by Jay Basu, Noel Clarke and Roy Williams. The film follows the story of two women and their racial and personal differences as they become professional sprinters and join the British relay team for a World Championship event. This comedy-drama about a young sprinter from a London council estate is a likeable enough feel-good film, played with heart by its young cast. An emotionally charged Lynch especially shows promise here, so it’s no wonder she went on to bigger Hollywood projects.

3 No Time to Die (2020)

     Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Daniel Craig’s farewell to the James Bond franchise, No Time to Die drove in $56 million during its opening weekend, according to industry estimates. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s how the movie starts: James Bond is no longer serving MI6, but his peace and quiet with Madeleine (Léa Seydoux) doesn’t last after an attempt on his life. And when an old CIA friend (Jeffrey Wright) turns up asking for help, Bond is lead down the trail of a mysterious villain (Rami Malek in ultimate creep form) armed with dangerous new technology and a backstory tied to Madeleine.

Despite the film’s mixed reviews, it’s hard to dispute Craig’s dedication to the role — even when his version of Bond might seem a bit laissez-faire every now and then. Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 clocks in at almost three hours, leaving plenty to dissect with its many supporting characters and action sequences. One of whom, a fan-favorite, is Lynch taking on the 007 title. Her character’s mysterious entrance had us hooked, and it’s a delight knowing that she can perhaps keep the franchise going in an exciting new direction.

2 Ear for Eye (2021)

     BBC Film

Ear for Eye follows British and American Black characters of different generations navigating their way through today’s society, offering a critical perspective on the state of the nation. A fiery Lynch is among the standout elements of British writer-director Debbie Tucker Green’s punchy, radical reinvention of her 2018 stage play. The end result mixes spoken word, physical theater, and music to offer a vital perspective on racial injustice on both sides of the Atlantic. The film is composed of three distinct but connected parts, all of which play out against a stark black backdrop with minimal props. With an impressive 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Ear for Eye is not to be missed.

1 The Woman King (2022)

     TriStar Pictures

The Woman King is turning heads and impressing both critics and audiences around the world. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film is about an all-women legion of warriors, led by Nanisca (a knockout Viola Davis), who are tasked with protecting and defending the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa in the 19th Century. Lynch plays Izogie, one of Nanisca’s strongest warriors, who also becomes a mentor.

“It took me the entire shoot to get ready,” Lynch recently told EW about training for her character. “I was shooting Matilda last summer and we tried to push training as far to the end as possible so that I wasn’t switching gears too far in advance. So the last two weeks of Matilda, I was shooting in the day, like 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and then training in the night, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., which was really intense. That alone gave me a really deep foundation for what it’s going to take to represent the Agojie in the most authentic way. What it was going to take to withstand 3 a.m. night shoots, doing fight routines on my own, doing my own stunts, because she was also a badass. So I trained at the end of Matilda, and then we trained every single day that we were working [on The Woman King]. An hour and a half of weight training in the gym and about three hours plus doing martial arts and core work.”