Janelle Monae Wants To Play Storm In ‘Black Panther’ Sequel: ‘It Would Be A Dream’

Janelle Monae already brings the thunder to every performance, so why not a little lightning? 

The actor and musician revealed that she’s actively campaigning to play Storm, aka Ororo Munroe, one of the most powerful members of the X-Men, should the weather-controlling goddess return to the big screen once more. 

If Monae has her way, she’ll make her superhero debut in the long-awaited “Black Panther” sequel, as she’s already approached the film’s director Ryan Coogler about the character stopping by Wakanda. 

The two apparently crossed paths when Coogler visited Monae’s Atlanta-based recording studio while he was shooting the first movie and she was crafting her most recent album, “Dirty Computer.”

“I definitely have thrown it out there,” Monae told Empire in a recent interview. “One of my dreams has always been to play Storm. I don’t know if she comes in ‘Black Panther,’ but it would be a dream to have her in it. I don’t know where they are with that. A lot of women have played Storm and they’ve done an exceptional job, and I would love to be in that line of artists and get to do Storm justice.”

“X-Men” fans already fans seem to be warming up to the potential casting, with Australian artist BossLogic mocking up some rather convincing artwork. 

Monae previously revealed that she wants to star in a “superhero franchise trilogy,” be it as Storm or an entirely new character. 

Halle Berry famously played the iconic Black heroine in multiple “X-Men” films before handing the baton to Alexandra Shipp, who most recently portrayed her in the critically reviled “X-Men: Dark Phoenix.”

But fans have long complained that Storm never received the respect she deserved, as much of her backstory, including her relationship with King T’Challa, whom she marries and then divorces in comic book lore, was never explored on screen. 

In the wake of Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the studio now controls all existing X-Men properties, which means it’s only a matter of time before Storm, Wolverine and the rest of the gang team up with the Avengers. 

The details, however, on the “Black Panther” sequel are scarce, apart from its May 6, 2022 release date, which could be in jeopardy as Hollywood continues to shuffle scheduling over coronavirus concerns. 

And should the powers that be go in a different direction, fans have floated another actor who could play the character: “Pose” star Dominique Jackson. 

Last month, fans launched a Change.org petition to cast her in the role of Storm that racked up nearly 20,000 signatures of support.