Glen Powell Doesn’t Agree With Avengers: Doomsday Writer About His Superhero Future

After one of the writers on Avengers: Doomsday gave an idea for who Glen Powell should play in the MCU, the actor did not agree with what was said about him. Since stealing the show in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick, one of the biggest hit movies in history, Powell has come up often in talks about playing multiple superheroes in upcoming blockbusters. However, the big mystery is still whether this is something Powell wants to take on.

Glen Powell explained how he is not actively looking to play a superhero in any upcoming MCU or DCU movies or TV shows. Speaking to Collider about his work on Chad Powers (which features Loki creator Michael Waldron as an executive producer), he noted how the show was "always conceptualized...as a superhero story." While he loves "the duality of superhero stories" and secret identities, he made it clear that there is not "one superhero in particular [he is] chasing" to play on screen:

"Michael Waldron and I created Chad Powers, and we always conceptualized that as a superhero story. There's very much a Batman/Bruce Wayne thing going on there. There's the super version of you and then there's sort of the version that you can kind of hide from the world. So, I love the duality of superhero stories. I love the idea of secret identities. I love all that, but I can't say that there's one superhero in particular I'm chasing."

He further shared how he does not feel "like a superhero" in his own life, looking at those stories as projects that build something from the ground up. Once the central character gets their powers, Powell loses "the...emotional connection" he feels in the initial stages:

"Look, the thing about superhero stories that I've always loved is it's like the early days of something, building something. I don't feel, as a person, like a superhero. Once someone becomes super, I sort of kind of tend to no longer feel, I don't know, the same emotional connection."

This comes after Waldron (who was originally the writer for the MCU's fifth Avengers movie) singled out Nova as a character Powell could potentially play in the MCU. While he kept his comments short, Waldron said Powell could play "a pretty good Nova" if he were to join the expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Studios is currently hard at work on Avengers: Doomsday, which will be the franchise's fifth Avengers film and the third movie released in Phase 6. Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU as Doctor Doom, facing multiple generations of Marvel heroes as his actions put the multiverse in danger of collapsing. Avengers: Doomsday will debut in theaters on December 18, 2026.

What's Next for Glen Powell (Not the MCU)

Glen Powell has enjoyed an impressive run of success over the past few years, courtesy of projects such as Anyone But You, Hit Man, and Twisters. Looking forward, after the recent release of Chad Powers on Hulu, Powell shows no signs of slowing down with his filming schedule.

Up next for Powell is Edgar Wright's remake of The Running Man (one of a handful of Stephen King novels being adapted for movies this year). Set for a November 14 release, Powell will play the leading role of Ben Richards, who risks his life by participating in a terrifying reality TV show so he can earn enough money to save his daughter's life.

Further in the future, Powell is confirmed to reprise his role as Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin in Top Gun 3, which was confirmed for development shortly after Top Gun: Maverick's 2022 release. While story details and a production timeline are still being kept under wraps, Powell is lined up to reunite with Tom Cruise (Maverick) and Miles Teller (Rooster) for another high-flying adventure for his sometimes hot-headed Navy pilot.

While fans have fancast Powell as countless superheroes (including Cyclops, Green Lantern, and Nova), this genre does not appear to be on his radar for the foreseeable future. As much as that could change with time, Powell has plenty to keep him busy in the movie world over the next few years.