Colman Domingo is one of those actors who guarantees a good to excellent performance in film, television, or on stage. The man’s presence burns a hole in the screen, as there has been plenty of evidence in his past work. He can be gentle, or he can be challenging. He can be a monster – or he can be thoughtful. Any way that you put it, Domingo makes it look as natural as breathing and effortless as putting on a hat. His rise as a recognizable star only continues to grow, and Hollywood has been taking notice.
Domingo continuously works in film and television, and each role becomes more significant or prominent in entertainment. The actor is set to co-star in Michael Jackson’s biopic, Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, an untitled Steven Spielberg film, and is set to write and direct Nat King Cole’s biopic. Domingo has already caught the attention of Marvel and is set to star as Norman Osborn in the mega studio’s latest animated series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Though this is not the actor’s first foray into comic book adaptations—check out Spotify and Warner Bros’s Batman Universe—the actor shared with us a noteworthy meeting between him and Marvel Studios about an MCU role.
During this year’s Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch, we were able to speak to Domingo directly – and he informed us that he has spoken with Marvel Studios about collaborating. When asked if he would be interested in working with Marvel, he said this:
I have had a meeting with Marvel, yes. But it wasn’t specifically about anything. They literally sat down and said, “What do you want to do?” And I said, “I don’t know. What do you got for me?” So we’re having engagement, of course. Who would not want to be a part of the MCU? I just wouldn’t want it to be right. And something that is created for me and something where I feel like I can give something of myself to. So we’ll find out what that is. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m patient.
The part that caught our attention was what wasn’t said. There was no mention of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, but the actor and the studio shared a mutual desire to work together. This led us to think:
Who could Colman Domingo play in the MCU, and how can they make it happen?
Charles “Professor X” Xavier
Marvel Studios has been gearing up to bring the X-Men back to the big screen for a long time. There has yet to be any casting, directing, scripting, or costume concept news. President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, said in a recent interview, “The X-Men are an important part of that future,” when referring to the MCU. Casting must be correct to capture Professor X’s essence, personality, and nature; one must look at Colman Domingo.
Domingo’s past work has brought to roles where his character is seen as a mentor or teacher. In HBO’s Euphoria, he played Zendaya’s character’s sponsor, Ali. The character came from experience and would become someone who would be looked upon for guidance. Furthermore, his role as Bayard Rustin in 2023’s Rustin was a figure that led his friends and colleagues toward a cause during the Civil Rights movement. The actor has played these roles with care and understanding of the importance of their representation to audiences.
Lastly, Domingo fully embraces the idea of his characters and being their “advocate.” In an interview with Backstage.com, the actor states, “I think when acting’s done well, you’re connected to every character that you play. You have questions about that character, and then you want to fight for them. You want to be their advocate.” This quote leans heavily on Domingo playing his characters to the best of his abilities and feeling a strong bond with them—something needed to play such an influential character like Charles Xavier.
Norman Osborn
“I got some big shoes to fill. I remember I watched Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, who’s phenomenal. And I thought, I get to actually really just play his intelligence and looking at his mind and how he builds, especially with his industries and then how that also becomes narcissistic. It also becomes a detriment as well. I’ve always looked at the Norman Osborn character as being a symbol of mental health when it’s unchecked.”
— Colman Domingo on playing Norman Osborn
On the other side of the spectrum, Colman Domingo can and has played characters with complexity. He’s played Bruce/Batman in Spotify/WB’s The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark and Batman Unburied: Fallen City. A well-known comic book character who continues to struggle with duality and always teetering on the edge of insanity. Osborn has always been seen as a villain who carries an internal battle but still leans on the side of evil with manipulation and knows how to bend people’s will to his needs. The characters’ tactics align with psychological warfare and how to break a charter. Domingo is no stranger to this.
In 2023, The Color Purple saw Domingo as the antagonist, Albert “Mister” Johnson. He is a vile person with hatred in his heart and the need to make those around him suffer. There is still a level of internal pain within Johnson that almost makes you feel sorry for him at specific points of the movie. Domingo may use these ingredients to play Osborn in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, but how could Marvel bring his take on Osborn into the MCU?
Last time we saw Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man, he lost Aunt May, MJ and Ned lost all memory of Peter, and he’s alone without Tony Stark to guide him. Peter will look for someone new to look up to and help navigate his complicated life as a superhero. Osbron can be Peter’s surrogate in the next Spider-Man movie. Osborne shares all the traits with Tony Stark: Entrepreneur, genius, industrialist, inventor, and mentor.
Everything Parker has searched for and the opportunity for the two to meet would lead to the eventual conflict between Spider-Man and Green Goblin on a massive and psychological scale akin to the comic books.
Mephisto
This one may be a little far fetch, but hear me out. Marvel Comics’s version of the Devil has been teased or rumored to appear in the MCU since Wandavision. Hints of the character popped up again in Agatha All Along, but nothing defining as of yet. Including magic, dark magic, and mystical beings opens the door for intriguing characters, storylines, and confrontations. With the expansions of the MCU, like the multiverse, galaxies, and earthbound locations, it’s only a matter of time before they explore the concept of Heaven and Hell.
Mephisto is a nether worldly tempter, a soul broker, and an omnipotent, omniscient infernal manipulator. These attributes and the idea of playing such a bigger-than-life villain are things Domingo has been building up to play. He’s played levels of villainy in his long and eclectic acting career, such as Abegunde “X” Olawale in Zola, William Burke in 2021’s Candyman, and even as Unicorn in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Playing the MCU’s version of Satan would allow Colman Domingo to cut loose and perform in a way that makes the character memorable. Mephisto’s roster of adversaries includes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, and both characters are expected to appear in more MCU properties. This role would allow Domingo to play in multiple movies and make him another heavy hitter in the MCU.
Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm)
This remarkable character’s been in front of us the whole time. The character has appeared in 2016’s Doctor Strange but only in a deleted scene, which means he hasn’t officially shown up. The character could appear in the third Doctor Strange film if the movie were to happen. Stephen Strange has been introduced to Dark Magic in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Magic and has barely dipped his toe in that world. Brother Voodoo is a master of the craft and could compete in Strange’s next journey.
The mid-credit scene in Doctor Strange Part 2 presents the Dark Dimension and horror, along with another possible encounter with Dormammu waits for Strange. He joins Clea Strange for this journey that could require another powerful wizard—enter Brother Voodoo. Domingo’s talent in acting would be a great pair with Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch has played the character with the angle of being “smarter than everybody in the room,” but what if he met someone who can match that and then some? Domingo has played roles with a great level of confidence and intelligence.
Brother Voodoo would already be a seasoned character and a significant user of the Dark Arts. Doctor Strange 3 would allow us to explore the character’s background in bite-size and make it connected to the overarching story. All this would allow Marvel Studios to set up the character to carry his own movie. The movie would showcase Brother Voodoo’s past in connection to his brother, Doctor Voodoo, and how he became the superhero we see in Doctor Strange Part 3. Therefore, this would expand Marvel Studios’s mystical part of the MCU.
Last year’s Rustin showed that he can easily lead a film, and his recent movie, Sing Sing, demonstrates his ability to commit fully to a collaborative setting. These are the qualities of an actor ready to become a household name and even work with major studios like Marvel or DC.
We don’t know what will happen with the Marvel Studios and the MCU, but Doctor Doom, the X-Men, and Secret Wars are arriving. Exploring other parts of the MCU and other characters in the meantime is never a bad idea. Ultimately, the studio would benefit significantly from Colman Domingo’s performance and continue bringing the best actors to their world. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.