Emily Blunt Explains Why Her Name Keeps Popping Up in Those ‘Captain Marvel’ Casting Rumors

Ever since Edge of Tomorrow, Emily Blunt’s name has popped up for leading roles in movies like Captain Marvel, and she’s not the only one. After Rebecca Ferguson broke out with her badass role in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, her name was heavily favorited for the role of Marvel’s Carol Danvers. Why is it that only a few select actresses names are rumored for these action-centric roles? Blunt has a good explanation.

We spoke to Blunt last year about those Captain Marvel rumors, and while the actress had no idea who or what Captain Marvel was, she seemed game to take on the role of Carol Danvers if it were offered. Since then, she’s been asked about Captain Marvel a lot, and in a new interview with Indiewire, she clarifies that she’s never been contacted about the part, but she does find it interesting that her name keeps popping up in relation to the role:

I think it’s because the list is very short, because we don’t see women in these kind of roles. So I think as soon as you do a role like that, like Charlize did or I did, or Rebecca’s done — there’s like four of us or something. And Jen Lawrence. So I feel like us four, we get talked about — and Angie, Angelina. So it’s a list of like, four women who are going to be considered for those kind of roles. So I think that’s why the rumors happen, because they’re like, “who else? Surely not another girl can wield a gun,” you know what I mean? “A woman doing push-ups? There’s only one who can do that.”

No one knew Emily Blunt was capable of being an action star until she was cast opposite Tom Cruise (whom she nearly overshadowed) in Edge of Tomorrow. Same for Scarlett Johansson in Iron Man 2, and now she has an integral role in the MCU. Same for Rebecca Ferguson, who — up until Rogue Nation — was known primarily for her role in the fantasy drama White Queen.

Blunt makes a great point — most actresses are more than capable of kicking ass in action films if given the chance. Blunt, Theron, Lawrence, Jolie, and now Ferguson, have all proven they have the chops, but that doesn’t mean other actresses can’t pull it off. They just need to be given the opportunity. A role like Captain Marvel could do for someone what Edge of Tomorrow did for Blunt, or what Rogue Nation did for Ferguson.

Still, Rebecca Ferguson or Emily Blunt as Captain Marvel would be fantastic.