Keke Palmer has been one of the hardest working actresses in Hollywood since she was a child. Her big break came thanks to Akeelah and the Bee, but she’s been steadily working with Disney and Nickelodeon, acting in horror projects, and even working as a pop culture news correspondent or red carpet host ever since. Thanks to her starring role in Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens, it seems that TV audiences finally recognize her talent.
Likewise, Jordan Peele’s Nope has seen movie audiences take notice of her talent. The success of the movie has prompted some genre fans to fancast Palmer in other roles. One particularly interesting bit of discourse making its rounds is just which member of the X-Men Palmer would be best suited to when the X-Men finally enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there are quite a few comic book characters that Palmer would likely have a great time playing.
Rogue
The character that opened up much of the fan discourse is the X-Men’s Rogue. Previously played by Anna Paquin in FOX’s X-Men movies, the character has been a staple in the X-Men catalog since the 1990s. Most fans are more interested in seeing the version of her made famous in the 90s animated series brought to life in live action: a southern belle with a penchant for sarcasm and massive raw power.
Palmer’s charm and high energy would make her perfect for the role, which is why fan art of her as Rogue is flooding social media sites. Palmer herself has expressed an interest in the role. It would certainly be fun to see her interact with Captain Marvel on the big screen, since one of Rogue’s storylines that hasn’t been explored on film involved her stealing the powers of Carol Danvers during a fight. Rogue was a villain prior to joining the X-Men, and that could definitely be fun to explore on screen.
Spinstress
One of the best character types to introduce to the comic book movies is a newer character. That’s because there isn’t a ton of history to bog down writers adapting the character. What's more, there aren’t a lot of preconceived notions about the character that the audience would have going into the project. That’s exactly the case with Spinstress, a princess named Petra whose story is loosely inspired by Disney’s version of Cinderella and Aladdin’s Jasmine.
Petra just made her Marvel comic book debut in September 2022. She’s gifted with Spider-powers by her version of a fairy godmother, who is essentially her universe’s Green Goblin. Her mother is the villain she’s meant to stop, as she happens to be her universe’s Mysterio. Spinstress is the story of Spider-Man if Spider-Man happened to be a Disney princess, and Keke Palmer could certainly sink her teeth into that role with gusto in a multiversal project. Spinstress even sings, and Palmer has the vocal chops to pull that off as well.
Nubia
Switching gears to DC Comics, there is the often unappreciated Nubia. Nubia, depending on the storyline, is sometimes written as the literal sister to Diana’s Wonder Woman, as they are both sculpted from clay by Hippolyta. Sometimes, she’s simply a sister Amazon.
The state of the DC Extended Universe is a little up in the air right now as Warner Brothers Discovery is in the process of canceling and changing projects, so it’s not clear if Nubia would even be part of a future Wonder Woman project. If she was, Palmer could bring a potential lightness to the character, who is often portrayed as very stoic in the comics. It would certainly put Palmer in a role that goes against type, as she’s often cast for her comedic timing, even in dramatic projects.
One of Nubia’s most interesting stories, however, involves her guarding an entrance to the underworld that is accidentally opened. This forces her to team up with Diana, who hasn’t seen her in years. It would provide a good explanation for why the audience hasn’t seen her before then, and would also give the Wonder Woman team a chance to further develop the Wonder Woman mythology.
Poison Ivy
Every actress from Jessica Chastain to Rihanna to Megan Fox has been suggested to play Poison Ivy at one point or another in recent years. There’s just something about a good villain, or antihero, that gets fans talking. Poison Ivy is easily one of the most interesting DC comic book characters, as she’s gone through so many changes since she first entered comics as a femme fatale.
These days, Poison Ivy has her own code of honor, in which she doesn’t usually go after children, animals, or women who are survivors of assault. She focuses her ecoterrorism on wealthy men destroying the planet. She’s also, more often than not, paired up with Harley Quinn, and there is a large contingent of fans who prefer their relationship to that of Harley and the Joker. While Poison Ivy has been adapted more than once in live action (in Batman & Robin, Gotham, and most recently, in Batwoman), she has yet to appear outside of animation with Harley. Palmer and Margot Robbie could have a lot of fun teaming up in a project that sees the two of them as the very flawed heroes of the story.
Dazzler
Like Marvel’s Spinstress, Marvel’s Dazzler also has a penchant for singing, though she’s been around quite a bit longer in comics. Dazzler, real name Alison Blaire, is Marvel’s mutant pop star. She started appearing in comics in the 1970s, she was certainly more prominent in the 1980s as she teamed up with members of the X-Men for different storylines.
Her ability involves manipulating sound waves into light. That can involve anything from pretty light shows at her concerts to creating laser-like beams to use against enemies in a fight. If there’s sound, she can use her power. Dazzler, traditionally, hasn’t wanted to be a superhero, but has wanted to maintain her life as a musician. This makes her an ally, but not a stand-out superhero, and a fascinating character whenever she does stop by to lend a hand. The character appeared in a cameo capacity, played by Halston Sage, in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. However, she would make a great addition to the MCU, and one that Palmer could have a lot of fun with.
Keke Palmer can currently be heard in Lightyear on Disney Plus and be seen in theaters in Nope.