The Marvel Cinematic Universe has included a number of heroes and villains from its comic book source material throughout its many movies and TV series, but one superhero yet to get the live-action treatment that fans have been calling for is Doreen Green a.k.a. Squirrel Girl. The fan-favorite character received a Marvel Comics reboot in 2015 thanks to writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson. The series titled Unbeatable Squirrel Girl kicked off by following Doreen as she enrolled in college and attempted to juggle school with superheroics.
In recent months, there has been more talk of a Squirrel Girl live-action adaptation, though largely from actresses or directors who would like to see the character realized on the big screen. Pitch Perfect’s Anna Kendrick said she’d be up for the role, and the director she worked with on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Edgar Wright, also said he’d like to see the actress in a movie version of Squirrel Girl. Now, Stranger Things actress Shannon Purser, who plays fan-favorite character Barb, is campaigning for the role of Squirrel Girl as well.
In an interview with Revelist, Purser was asked about her desire to bring Doreen Green to life – following the actress’ tweet about wanting to play Squirrel Girl. Purser spoke about her love of the character and how Squirrel Girl differs from other superheroes, specifically female superheroes, in live-action comic book adaptations:
“I think Squirrel Girl is just adorable but at the same time is totally boss and completely awesome. I think people need a character like that. It’s easy in the superhero realm to feel like a lot of the female superheroes we see are grown women who are super responsible and know what their purpose is and that kind of thing. Squirrel Girl is a little bit younger and like a real person, trying to figure out her life and then also having to save the world. I love that.”
At this point, talk of a Squirrel Girl movie – or Netflix series, another option tossed around by fans – is simply speculation since Marvel Studios hasn’t announced any plans to adapt the character to live-action just yet. But, that said, Purser would be an ideal candidate for the role, especially if an adaptation were to follow the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl storyline following Doreen starting college. Additionally, at 19 years old, Purser may be perhaps more willing to sign on to a multi-picture or multi-year deal, which has become par for the course with superhero universes, than the 30-year-old Kendrick.
Of course, the actress chosen for the role of Squirrel Girl will largely depend on whether Marvel goes the movie or the Netflix/TV series route. Kendrick would bring plenty of name recognition to a movie about a superhero that may not be well known among the average moviegoer – plus, she’s a favorite among fans for the casting. But, in terms of its TV series, Marvel tends to cast lesser known actors, so Purser may be a better fit if the studio were to adapt Squirrel Girl for Netflix or another network.
All that being said, a Squirrel Girl adaptation is not currently in the works. Though perhaps Kendrick, Wright, and Purser’s comments on the subject could help showcase that Doreen Green has become a beloved comic book character worthy of a movie or TV series. Certainly, as Purser pointed out, Squirrel Girl would be a different but welcome kind of hero in a cinematic universe with very few female superheroes leading their own titles.
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We’ll keep you updated on Squirrel Girl as more information becomes available.
