‘House of the Dragon’ Star Bethany Antonia Has Her Eyes Set on Storm and Marvel Should Probably Pick Up the Phone
Few characters in comic book history carry the weight and regal presence of Ororo Munroe, the weather-controlling mutant known as Storm. The Fox films never gave Storm the spotlight the character truly deserved, with Halle Berry’s version receiving roughly 15 minutes of screen time across three films, leaving fans hungry for a portrayal that finally does justice to one of Marvel’s most powerful and layered heroes. With the MCU now building toward a full-scale reintroduction of the X-Men, the question of who steps into that role has become one of the most hotly debated casting conversations in fandom.
‘House of the Dragon‘ and the X-Men happen to share a major cultural moment right now, with the HBO fantasy series returning for its third season and Marvel’s mutants set for their official MCU debut. It is a convergence that nobody quite expected to produce a casting pitch, but that is exactly what happened. Phoebe Campbell, who plays Lady Rhaena Targaryen, and Bethany Antonia, who plays Baela Targaryen, were sitting down to discuss Season 3 of the show when the conversation took an unexpected turn into Marvel territory.
When asked which superhero or comic book character she would want to play in the future, Antonia did not hesitate before naming Storm. Her initial response was a mix of excitement and caution, telling the interviewer: “Oh, Storm, but I think that’s already taken.” When the interviewer clarified that Marvel had not yet made any official casting announcement for the MCU version of the character, Antonia’s reply was short, direct, and immediately quotable, telling ComicBook.com: “There’s a rumor, but like, call me.”
Storm was portrayed in the original ‘X-Men’ films by Halle Berry, and then by Alexandra Shipp in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ and again in ‘Dark Phoenix’, with the character otherwise limited to animated appearances since then. The X-Men will formally enter the MCU through ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, giving Storm’s upcoming casting even greater urgency as Marvel prepares to reintroduce the team to a new generation of audiences.
Antonia is far from the only name swirling around this role. Names that have circulated in the rumor mill include Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Cynthia Erivo, who has publicly described Storm as her dream role, as well as DeWanda Wise, who has also been mentioned in early reports. The sheer volume of talent being discussed speaks to just how coveted the part has become, and how determined fans are to see it done right this time.
Given everything she has already delivered as Baela Targaryen, it is hard to argue that Marvel should not at least return that call. Whether you think Bethany Antonia has what it takes to command the skies as Ororo Munroe is exactly the kind of conversation the comments section was made for.
