Exclusive: Jason Statham Has Joined Marvel
Our trusted and proven sources have leaked that action star and actual Cockney-accent-haver Jason Statham is joining Marvel.
This article is more than 2 years old
The Marvel Cinematic Universe will one day encompass every actor, working, retired, living, or dead. Marvel Studios is currently in something of a rebuilding period; since Avengers: Endgame in 2019, they have been steadily replacing their original roster of heroes with next-generation versions and adding in increasingly obscure characters. According to our trusted and proven source, Jason Statham is the latest star to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This is a pretty big get. Jason Statham in the world of Marvel has a lot of possibilities, as the British film star has turned himself into one of the biggest action stars of the entire world in the last decade or so. We do not yet have any word of who Statham could be playing, but it is safe to assume that it will be someone from Marvel Comics that looks good with a shaved head and has a better cockney accent than whatever Oscar Isaac was doing.
We can check off a few boxes of who we know Jason Statham will not be playing for Marvel. Some of the most prominent British superheroes in Marvel continuity include Black Knight (who is being played by Kit Harington as of Eternals), Merlin (an actual possibility considering how much magic stuff is being introduced via Doctor Strange and The Scarlet Witch), and Captain Britain. The latter (traditionally named Brian Braddock) is essentially the over-the-pond equivalent of Captain America, so it could be a good use of Statham’s action bonafides.
However, our strongest guess for Jason Statham in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that he might be playing Union Jack. There have been several different characters of that name in the comics; Union Jack has consistently been portrayed as kind of a cross between Batman and James Bond. He is a non-superpowered, British secret agent who originally began his service to the Crown in World War I. Union Jack has actually briefly appeared in the MCU already; the first version of the character, James Montgomery Falsworth was played by JJ Feild in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger as part of Steve Rogers’ WWII-era Howling Commandos.
Jason Statham could be neatly slotted into Marvel as Union Jack, given that version of the character is probably in his 90s now. The current comic book version of Union Jack is named Joseph Chapman. Unlike his aristocratic predecessors, Chapman has a working-class background along with his martial arts skills that would match Statham’s on-screen vibe pretty neatly.
We will have to wait to see exactly how Jason Statham will be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is possible that he will be playing an entirely original character, or that he will be some kind of government liaison (a la Martin Freeman as Everett Ross) rather than a superhero. It is even entirely possible that he will be playing a villainous character, given his success at that angle in the Fast and Furious franchise (before it was commercially and narratively advantageous to turn him into Dwayne Johnson’s buddy). But regardless, this will be a pretty exciting new turn for the MCU.
