Emily Blunt — The New Action Hero?

Emily Blunt is really starting to make a name for herself as the go-to heroine, whether she’s called into action against an aggressively violent drug cartel in Mexico or starring as the new face of Captain Marvel.

Ms. Blunt has been rumored to be the new Captain Marvel (A.K.A. Carol Danvers) in the upcoming Marvel film. The new rumors concerning Emily as Captain Marvel come following similar rumors only a few months ago that the studio was interested in casting Charlize Theron in that same role. It seems that, for whatever reason, Ms. Theron declined the role.

Captain Marvel and Carol Danvers were first introduced in 1968’s Marvel Super-Heroes. Danvers was a U.S. Air Force security chief who was transformed into Captain Marvel after being exposed to fallout from an explosion.

While there’s no doubt that Theron could have definitely brought her own flair to the character of Captain Marvel, Emily Blunt may be a better choice considering her recent experiences and Ms. Blunt’s apparent interest in expanding her reputation as an action heroine… or villain.

In recent years, it seems Emily’s focus has been on earning a name for herself in action-oriented films, starting with her roles in the sci-fi films Looper (2012) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Ms. Blunt followed up those successes by starring in the musical fantasy Into the Woods (2014), in which Emily played the Baker’s Wife.

Ms. Blunt is now making headlines as the lead in the action film Sicario, which has already made successful debuts to audiences and critics at film festivals, though Sicario won’t officially be released until September 18.

Emily Blunt stars as a naive FBI agent who is selected by a government task force to join the war on drugs and sent to assist at the border between the U.S. and Mexico, where escalating violence has created a volatile war zone.

On the tail of Sicario, Ms. Blunt has just recently completed filming on The Huntsman, a sequel to 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman. Although Emily is reportedly playing a lead role in the film, there’s no word yet regarding which role Blunt will be playing in the film. Rumors suggest Emily will be cast as a villain, however.

Finally, Blunt will reportedly switch gears, stepping out of The Huntsman’s villainous role and into the shoes (or boots) of the ultimate hero, Captain Marvel, if all goes according to plan.

Emily Blunt is proving herself to be a hot commodity in Hollywood by proving that she has the versatility to play both villain and hero, while also establishing herself as one capable of handling intense action sequences. Could Ms. Blunt be the female version of Tom Cruise?

[Featured image: Emily Blunt courtesy of Cindy Ord/Getty Images for American Institute for Stuttering]