Rosario Dawson has built up a very solid career steeped in nerdy roles. From Men in Black II to a live-action take on Star Wars’ own Ahsoka Tano, Dawson clearly enjoys being a part of popular genre franchises.
After all, she was a key player in Netflix’s street-level Marvel series, taking on the role of Claire Temple in Daredevil. She would later move on to play the character several more times in the other connected shows, with The Punisher being the only one she wasn't in.
And when it comes to roles and types of characters she’d like to take on, Dawson doesn’t seem shy about sharing her laundry list of dream franchises she’d like to step into.
Rosario Dawson’s Mutant Ambitions
Speaking to Collider, Marvel and Star Wars star Rosario Dawson discussed her career and the many franchise characters she’s inhabited as an actor.
“… I’ve done so much different genre stuff and have done so many low budget, independent… kind of things and then these bigger projects, marathons. Like it’s so funny like the idea you couldn’t get people to watch an 18-hour movie, but you could watch 18 episodes and binge-watch it, you know?… So it really depends on the person… what kind of humor you’re into.”
Dawson went on to detail what goes into her decision-making process when choosing new projects, adding that she always tries to ”challenge” and “push“ herself in that regard.
“I feel like that’s been a big part of my decision-making film-wise is, ‘Have I done it before? And is it an audience maybe that I haven’t explored?’ … I’m just trying to challenge myself, and push myself and, not get too familiar. Some people really lean into that you know you can count on their laugh or a smile or something like that 15 minutes in and they become that kind of actor or whatever, but I just want to be a part of all the genres.”
And as for those genres, she has a fair few that she’d especially like to tackle, specifically including something mutant-related for Marvel:
“I just want to be in all the universes i’m in… Marvel, DC, you know. I’m hoping to be a mutant one day, and in Star Trek, and then, that’s it. Then I’m good.”
Dawson as a Member of the X-Men?
It’s worth noting that, as mentioned above, Rosario Dawson has already played a Marvel character for several years. But should that preclude her from taking on a mutant role in the MCU?
A few actors have played multiple Marvel characters before, including Gemma Chan in Captain Marvel and Eternals. Not to mention the somewhat ambiguous nature of the Netflix Marvel series with regards to MCU canon. It’s possible that Claire Temple might be played by someone else if she appears again, or that the character simply won’t be a factor. However, Dawson has indeed stated her strong desire to portray Claire once more.
One must wonder though, what Mutant character could Rosario Dawson play in the MCU? Moira MacTaggert, perhaps? Moira did, in fact, take on a very sizable role in recent runs on the. X-Men comic books, and Dawson seems suited for the character.
Of course, it remains to be seen if Marvel Studios’ upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again will incorporate any more of the Netflix cast beyond Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, but it could end up that Dawson could end up back in Claire Temple’s shoes once again when the show premieres in Spring 2024.
