5 Actresses Who Could Play the Female Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

By  · Published on July 16th, 2014

Marvel Studios

When news hit yesterday that Thor would become a woman in the pages of Marvel comics, speculation was immediate about whether the character could also switch gender on the big screen. Considering the change in the books is not just a short-term thing, according to Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso (“We have no real exit plan,” he told Time), there’s good reason to think it could impact the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Hemsworth has three more movies in his contract with Marvel Studios, one of which is next year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Another installment each of the Avengers and Thor series is expected to fill the rest of that run. Then, maybe he can be replaced by a woman.

Easy pickings, right? Well, she has to be worthy of filling Hemsworth’s boots, and that means maybe not being cast with a short, petite actress. The concept art for the new Thor doesn’t give much to go by except that she has long blonde hair, like her male counterpart, and looks pretty tough. I figure she ought to be somewhere close to the height of Hemsworth’s incarnation, too (he’s 6’3"). And she’d probably be relatively young, as Hemsworth was when he began (at age 26) – so, sorry Uma Thurman. I also don’t think Marvel would go for someone that famous anyway. Hemsworth was fairly unknown when he became the thunder god superhero. She will be, too.

I’ve selected five actresses who fit the criteria as much as possible. Sadly, for nostalgia’s sake, Maia Brewton is not among them. As much fun as it’d be to see the former child star who played a Thor-obsessed girl in Adventures in Babysitting (and also appeared in Back to the Future and co-starred on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose), the 36 year old is now an attorney. Hopefully the following handful of women can be seen as possible alternatives in her stead.

Jaimie Alexander via Twitter

Jaimie Alexander

There’s a very good chance this 30-year-old actress, who is 5’9" and occasionally blonde, could continue in the MCU with a promotion to leading role. Sif, the supporting character she’s been playing in movies (Thor and Thor: The Dark World) and TV (Agents of SHIELD), may be the one to take over as Thor in the comics. According to Alonso, “One of the women in Thor’s life picks up the hammer. She is in fact worthy. And she becomes Thor.” He won’t reveal who it is yet, but writer Jason Aaron has also hinted that “if you look back over ‘Thor: God of Thunder’ you’ll find quite a few suspects.” Sif has appeared in that series.

But so has Jane Foster, the character played by Natalie Portman in the movies. Maybe she’s the one who is worthy. Never mind that the actress is only 5’3" and hardly Nordic looking. Then again, perhaps neither of them fits, because apparently the new Thor will not be easily recognized as who her alter-ego is. Even if Sif or Jane make the transition, we might also see her make a physical transformation that requires another face entirely.

HBO

Gwendoline Christie

We know, thanks to Game of Thrones, that this British actress looks good in armor and is quite capable of performing action scenes. Upcoming roles in Star Wars: Episode VII and both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay will prove she’s a great franchise player, as well. She’s also the same height as Hemsworth (or taller, “depending on when you measure me”). Never mind that she’s somewhere in her mid 30s already (her true birth year is unknown – even by her, she claims), she’s too perfect for the Asgardian goddess to worry about that. The only real drawback might be that she just seems too obvious for the part, named quickly by multiple fans following the news yesterday, and that means she’d have trouble making her Thor distinct from both Hemsworth’s and from her GOT role as Brienne of Tarth.

Lionsgate

Ronda Rousey

This 27-year-old MMA fighter just recently upheld her title as UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and previously won a bronze medal in women’s judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She’s also about to become a movie star with roles in next month’s The Expendables 3 and next year’s Fast and Furious 7, as well as the Entourage movie and other projects. While a bit on the shorter side at only 5’7", she more than makes up for that with how much she can kick ass. Of course, Thor isn’t always thought of as the most hand-to-hand kinda superhero, he did have a couple good Mjolnir-free fights in the first Thor and The Avengers. Rousey is the most suited for that stuff, though we’ll have to see how her acting is in order to believe she’s franchise lead material.

Paramount Pictures

Margot Robbie

Like Hemsworth, she’s an Australian, and the 24-year-old Wolf of Wall Street breakout is probably the best acting talent among the women on this list (even if the Academy disgracefully failed to recognize her this year). But she is also the shortest (not counting Portman) at only 5’6" and doesn’t have many action scenes under her belt. She did spar well with Leonardo DiCaprio, at least. And maybe she’ll get a bit more experience as Jane in the upcoming live-action Tarzan movie. I’m just really rooting for her to be a big star, and not someone who just gets to play Jane roles. She should be playing the Tarzans and the Thors.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Ireland Baldwin

The daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger is now 18 years old and, as far as I believe, has reached her peak height at 6’2". She hasn’t done much acting, having made her film debut – and so far only appearance – last year playing a younger version of her mother’s character in Grudge Match. It’s a career she wants to pursue, however, and she’s on her way to notoriety through modeling and the occasional Entertainment Tonight correspondent gig. As for how suited she is for a superhero movie role, she is the kid of Vicki Vale and The Shadow. But the biggest reason that the young Baldwin is the best fit for the Thor role is that she kinda looks like Hemsworth. See more of her below, interviewing some Muppets.

Related Topics:

Christopher Campbell began writing film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called Read, back when a zine could actually get you Sundance press credentials. He's now a Senior Editor at FSR and the founding editor of our sister site Nonfics. He also regularly contributes to Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes and is the President of the Critics Choice Association's Documentary Branch.