Naomi Watts has officially expressed her interest in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a villain, though for a heartwarming reason. The franchise has attracted high-caliber talent since its start with 2008's Iron Man, which included Jeff Bridges as the final villain. Since that film, impressive figures such as Cate Blanchett, Michael Keaton, and most recently Christian Bale, have taken villainous roles in the franchise. The roles of MCU villains are likely attractive to actors of their level of prestige due to the often one-film commitment and the complex and rich layers available to Marvel baddies.
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The latest actor to report an interest in a Marvel villain role is Naomi Watts. Watts has enjoyed an impressive career in Hollywood, including a leading role in 2005's King Kong. Largely recognized for her work in horror films, Watts shot to stardom with David Lynch's chilling Mulholland Drive. She and Lynch reunited semi-recently with Twin Peaks: The Return, and Watts is set to star in upcoming horror remake Goodnight Mommy.
In an interview with ComicBook.com, Watts revealed why she wants to play an MCU villain sometime in the future. She charmingly stated that her children are fans of the MCU, which has fueled her interest in joining the franchise. Check out what Watts had to say below:
"Oh, my gosh, yes. [My kids are] into all of those movies. I guess I would love to play a villain and am always interested in being in movies that my kids might appreciate and think I'm cool in because I'm very uncool according to them. Whatever Marvel franchise wants to come my way, I welcome it."
Though she has previously been fancast as the Invisible Woman, a villainous role would suit Watts based on her film background, and she clearly agrees. Watts has two teenage children, who are clearly big fans of the superhero genre. Watts' comments merely confirm that she would welcome any opportunity presented by the MCU, and isn't eyeing any formal roles as of now. However, with the impressive upcoming slate of films for Phases 5 and 6, there is no shortage of roles for Watts to take on future projects.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has branched out in terms of genre in the past couple of years, with Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness marketed as one of the franchise's first horror endeavors. With upcoming Halloween special Werewolf By Night and the unique team-up in Marvel's Thunderbolts, not to mention the sitcom-esque Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Phases 5 and 6 are likely to experiment even more with tone and genre, so perhaps a villainous role in a future Marvel horror project is in Naomi Watts' future. That development would certainly delight Watts' children, as well as fans of the actor and the MCU in general.