15 Actresses Perfect for the Role of the Spider-Woman in the MCU

Spider Woman has a long history in the comics with several women taking the name. The best known is Jessica Drew, who brings espionage experience and a distinctive power set that blends bioelectric blasts with superhuman agility. There is also Julia Carpenter, Mattie Franklin, Veranke, and other bearers of the mantle who add different backgrounds and skills to the identity. That variety gives Marvel plenty of options for tone and story without changing the core idea of a highly trained hero who balances spy craft with street level vigilance.

With that in mind, here are fifteen working actresses with proven action work, strong genre credits, and leading role experience. Each has carried major projects or delivered memorable turns in action or thriller stories. Many speak multiple languages or have significant fight training for film. Several have already played characters inside Marvel projects beyond the MCU timeline, while others have built careers across spy thrillers, science fiction, and grounded drama that demand precision and athletic control.

Daisy Ridley

Daisy Ridley headlined three entries in the current era of ‘Star Wars’ as Rey with extensive saber and staff choreography across ‘The Force Awakens’, ‘The Last Jedi’, and ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. She also led the survival thriller ‘Ordinary Angels’ and the mystery ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ while voicing characters in animation and games. She trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and has stage and camera experience that includes physical performance and wire assisted work.

Ridley grew up in London and works in both British and American productions. She has taken on original films and franchise stories and has recorded audiobook and narration projects that highlight clear vocal control. Her recent slate includes independent dramas and contained thrillers that rely on endurance and precise blocking for action heavy setups.

Ana de Armas

Ana de Armas delivered a standout action sequence as Paloma in ‘No Time to Die’ and returned to spy territory in ‘The Gray Man’ with weapons and close quarters work. She earned an Academy Award nomination for ‘Blonde’ and has led projects in English and Spanish since her early career in Madrid. She fronts the ‘John Wick’ spin off ‘Ballerina’ with firearms, grappling, and stunt team training documented through the production cycle.

Born in Cuba and a Spanish citizen, de Armas works across Hollywood and European shoots with bilingual fluency. Her filmography spans action, mystery, and drama including ‘Knives Out’ and ‘Deep Water’ and she balances franchise entries with original films. She has collaborated with veteran stunt coordinators and second unit directors on productions that emphasize practical fight choreography.

Adria Arjona

Adria Arjona played Bix Caleen in ‘Andor’ and co starred in ‘Triple Frontier’ and ‘6 Underground’ with on location action work. She appeared in ‘Morbius’ within Sony’s Spider Man universe and in ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’ with effects heavy sequences. Television audiences also know her from ‘Emerald City’ and ‘Good Omens’ which mix fantasy movement and physical set pieces.

Arjona was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Mexico City and New York City and is fluent in Spanish and English. She studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and has worked in ensemble led action productions and prestige drama. Her recent films include ‘Hit Man’ and ‘Blink Twice’ which combine character work with chase and confrontation scenes.

Rosa Salazar

Rosa Salazar led ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ which required months of performance capture and martial arts training for extended one take sequences. She also appears in ‘The Divergent Series Insurgent’ and the ‘Maze Runner’ films with large scale stunts. On television she starred in ‘Undone’ which uses rotoscope performance that demands precise physicality and consistent movement tracking.

Salazar works in voice, live action, and animation and has training documented for Eagle Claw forms and Muay Thai kicks during ‘Alita’ preparation. She has collaborated with fight coordinators and stunt doubles to integrate practical and digital action. Her credits show familiarity with wire rigs, motion capture suits, and action blocking inside virtual production environments.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Mary Elizabeth Winstead portrayed Huntress in ‘Birds of Prey’ with bow work and tactical movement and she carried the assassin thriller ‘Kate’ with sword and hand to hand sequences. Earlier credits include action in ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and contained tension in ’10 Cloverfield Lane’. She also appears in ‘Ahsoka’ as Hera Syndulla and has experience working on stunt heavy sets with large ensemble casts.

Winstead trained with archery and close quarters choreography for Huntress and worked with stunt teams on long form fight scenes. She has led studio features and streaming films and balances genre work with dramatic roles like ‘Smashed’. Her resume reflects years of set discipline that supports physically demanding characters across different shooting styles.

Eiza González

Eiza González has stacked action credits that include ‘Baby Driver’, ‘Alita: Battle Angel’, ‘Fast and Furious Presents Hobbs and Shaw’, ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’, and ‘Ambulance’. She also appears in ‘3 Body Problem’ and ‘From Dusk Till Dawn The Series’ where she stepped into a genre role that involves combat and movement across multiple episodes.

González is a Mexico City native who works in Spanish and English and has recorded voice roles and live action parts with extensive stunt doubling and practical driving sequences. Her filmography includes heist setups, chase scenes, and weapons handling in productions that rely on precise timing and collaboration with second unit teams.

Jodie Comer

Jodie Comer won a Tony Award for ‘Prima Facie’ and an Emmy for ‘Killing Eve’ where she performed multilingual dialogue and multiple accents with precise shifts inside scenes. She co starred in ‘The Last Duel’ with armored combat and horseback work and led ‘Free Guy’ with motion capture and digital environment interaction.

Comer is from Liverpool and is known for rapid accent switching documented across interviews and press for ‘Killing Eve’ and ‘Free Guy’. She has experience in historical productions and contemporary action and has worked under directors who integrate practical fights with detailed character beats. Her training for stage and camera emphasizes breath control and projection which support action dialogue delivery.

Alicia Vikander

Alicia Vikander headlined ‘Tomb Raider’ with climbing, grappling, and endurance training and appeared in ‘Jason Bourne’ with close quarters choreography. She won an Academy Award for ‘The Danish Girl’ and led ‘Ex Machina’ with precise physical choices that align with science fiction performance.

Vikander trained in ballet before her screen career and brings body control that translates to stunt rehearsals and repetitive action takes. She works in multiple languages across European and American productions and continues the Lara Croft storyline with sequences that combine practical stunts and location shooting. Her credits show comfortable movement in gear intensive setups and cold weather locations.

Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca Ferguson plays Ilsa Faust across several ‘Mission: Impossible’ entries where she trains with firearms, motorcycles, and rope work for high angle stunts. She also stars in ‘Dune’ and leads ‘Silo’ which require disciplined physical presence in large sets and confined spaces.

Ferguson is Swedish and British and has a background in period drama and modern action. Her work on the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series documents repeated collaboration with stunt teams on precision timing under safety protocols. She continues to balance action franchises with dramatic television roles that rely on controlled movement and endurance.

Samara Weaving

Samara Weaving led ‘Ready or Not’ with sprint and stunt coordination inside a single location and followed with ‘Guns Akimbo’ and ‘Mayhem’ which emphasize close quarters combat and improvised weapons. She also appears in ‘Snake Eyes’ where she trains with blades and tactical gear.

Weaving is Australian and works between film and television including ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ and ‘Hollywood’. Her action roles frequently involve practical effects and night shoots that require stamina and situational awareness. She maintains a schedule that mixes studio films with independent projects that keep hand to hand choreography sharp.

Jurnee Smollett

Jurnee Smollett portrayed Black Canary in ‘Birds of Prey’ and trained for striking and acrobatics for club and alley set pieces. She led ‘Lovecraft Country’ which included chase sequences and practical effects movement and appears in ‘Lou’ alongside Allison Janney with more grounded combat.

Smollett began working in the industry as a child and has added action heavy roles in recent years while maintaining dramatic work in series and features. She records music and performs live which supports breath control for strenuous scenes. Her credits cover period settings and present day plots that incorporate running, climbing, and stunt driving.

Lily James

Lily James co starred in ‘Baby Driver’ which features practical driving stunts and rhythm driven blocking and led ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ which included sword training and ensemble fight beats. She also starred in ‘Cinderella’, ‘Rebecca’, and ‘Pam and Tommy’ which show range across period, thriller, and biographical drama.

James trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and works in film and television in the United Kingdom and the United States. Her roles involve singing and dialect work with consistent scheduling on location and in studio environments. She has completed projects that demand endurance across night shoots and multi take set pieces.

Sofia Boutella

Sofia Boutella made a strong action debut in ‘Kingsman The Secret Service’ with blade leg choreography and returned to high impact roles in ‘Star Trek Beyond’ and ‘Atomic Blonde’. She leads ‘Rebel Moon’ which places her at the center of large scale combat and wire assisted movement.

Boutella was born in Algeria and trained as a dancer before moving into film which contributes to clean lines and repeatable choreography on set. She has collaborated with stunt coordinators on fights that combine dance precision with practical strikes. Her work includes makeup heavy roles that require patience and stamina under prosthetics.

Issa Rae

Issa Rae created and starred in ‘Insecure’ while producing features and series across comedy and drama. She voiced Jessica Drew in ‘Spider Man Across the Spider Verse’ and recorded additional voice work for games and animation which builds familiarity with the character’s cadence.

Rae is a writer, producer, and actor with a company that develops genre projects and she regularly records in studio environments that demand vocal consistency. Her credits include ‘The Lovebirds’, ‘Vengeance’, and ‘Barbie’ and she manages promotional tours and press schedules that align with franchise demands. She works closely with choreographers and directors on set to time dialogue within action beats when required.

Emma Mackey

Emma Mackey starred in ‘Sex Education’ and led ‘Emily’ with period appropriate movement and vocal work. She appears in ‘Death on the Nile’ and ‘Barbie’ and brings bilingual French and English fluency that supports work across European and American productions.

Mackey studied at the University of Leeds and worked in theater before moving into screen roles. She has experience on large ensemble sets and location shoots that require continuity of movement and blocking. Her credits show a balance of dramatic presence and physical precision inside crowded scenes.

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