Getty Marvel Studios screening
She-Hulk, Captain Marvel and Valkyrie may welcome a new superhero into their Marvel Universe sisterhood soon. Fans are abuzz over an interview that reveals former “American Idol” judge Jennifer Lopez may be a top contender to join Marvel’s roster of stars.
Fans are already speculating about the superhero — or villain — she might play. And they’re thrilled Lopez just acknowledged the buzz. Here’s how it all unfolded…
Director Wants Lopez To Join Marvel Universe
#SheHulk director Kat Coiro says her dream is “to bring Jennifer Lopez into the MCU, so… Put that out there.”
In an interview with entertainment reporter Tara Hitchcock posted to YouTube on August 12, 2022, “She-Hulk: Attorney At Law” director Kat Coiro revealed that she’d love for Lopez to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), home of — the vast web of live-action movies and TV series featuring Marvel Comics characters including Iron Man, Black Panther, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Coiro has worked with Lopez before, directing her in the romantic comedy “Marry Me,” which hit theaters in February 2022. So, Hitchcock wondered aloud whether Lopez had been privy to any “She-Hulk” spoilers.
“Well my dream is to bring JLo into the MCU,” Coiro revealed. “So, put that out there!”
Hitchcock replied, “I’ll absolutely put that out there!”
The next day, in an interview with New Delhi’s Hindustan Times, Coiro added fuel to the fire by saying, “One of the brilliant things about working for Marvel is that you get any actor you want.”
As soon as Twitter account @FilmUpdates shared the initial interview clip, fans flooded social media, with the vast majority agreeing with Coiro’s call for Lopez to join Marvel Universe. Many posted concert photos and videos of Lopez in gravity-defying poses and spandex outfits fit for a superhero.
One Twitter user wrote, “She would slay!”
Another added, “She is already ageless and superhuman! She would be an EPIC SUPERHERO!”
And someone tweeted, “I love JLO and will never understand why she gets so much hate. She a ICON & A LEGEND and I LOVE HER! And I for 1 hope Jennifer Lopez comes to the MCU it needs more Latino representation!!”
JLo Responds to Coiro’s ‘Dream’ Casting Comment
GettyJennifer Lopez performs at the Staples Center in 2018
When Lopez got wind of Coiro’s comments, she was very diplomatic in her response, neither confirming nor denying interest in being part of the MCU, which is famously secretive about casting and plotlines.
The @jloversjlo fan page on Instagram posted a screenshot of the original Twitter post to its Stories and, much to account owner Valsi’s surprise, Lopez shared it to her own Instagram Stories on August 16. The superstar simply wrote, “haha … love u too @katcoiro.”
This isn’t the first time the film director has praised 52-year-old Lopez publicly. In November 2021, a couple of months before the premiere of “Marry Me,” Coiro wrote about the performer in a lengthy Instagram post.
“Yes, she is just as beautiful in real life. Yes, she has the energy and stamina of one hundred mere mortals,” the director wrote. “You might think she’s not human but she has the humanity and vulnerability to prove that she is.”
Playing a Marvel character may be just the kind of role that Lopez is willing to devote her time to. In her August 13 “On The JLo” fan newsletter, she shared that she’s trying to prioritize family time over work projects, especially after marrying actor Ben Affleck and blending their families.
“It’s super important for me, especially now, to prioritize my personal life and not just my work life,” she wrote. “It’s about having enough time to be the woman, the mother, the partner and the person that I need to be for the important people in my life. It must be a very special project if it’s going to take time away from my family.”