Anna Kendrick Could Be Our Next Superhero

Marvel's latest (and possibly greatest) heroine, Squirrel Girl, has been making all sorts of waves recently. While the character has existed since the '90s, she only got her own comic series last year, and people have been going nuts over its mix of progressive politics and sassy Internet-style writing. And now, according to TVLine, it looks like a Squirrel Girl TV show might be happening. TVLine reports that Marvel and ABC are developing a comedy series called New Warriors, which would have Squirrel Girl as a primary focus. That's an exciting report, but if the show does happen, who will play Squirrel Girl? After all, it'd be a pretty juicy role for any woman who prides herself on being replete with moxie.

Already, Anna Kendrick has thrown her hat into the ring — way before the New Warriors show report was even announced. Earlier this year, the actor told Net-A-Porter:

"My brother sent me a Squirrel Girl comic because he thinks I should [play her]. I don’t know what Squirrel Girl does other than be half squirrel, but I could be half squirrel!"

I think so, too. And I'm not alone. Scott Pilgrim director Edgar Wright has already tweeted his support for Kendrick playing the role and he got thousands of retweets and likes, suggesting that many other fans also think the star would be a perfect fit for the character.

But if Squirrel Girl does come to TV, it's not guaranteed to be Kendrick's role, of course. The actor isn't the only one interested in the part. Shannon Purser (who you probably know as Stranger Things' Barb) has also signaled she'd be up for the job. And why wouldn't she be? Purser's already shown she's got the sort of charm that has the entire Internet pining after a character that only had a couple of scenes, so Squirrel Girl could be a good match.

But there are also countless other actors I could imagine doing great things with the role. Think, for example, of Emma Stone, another lady with red hair and sharp wit. She's mostly taken on serious roles (like Sam Thomson in Birdman or Mia Dolan in La La Land)over the last couple of years, but she more or less elevates two feet off the ground when she does comedy, because she's supernaturally good.

This said, does the actor have to have red hair? Perhaps not. Really, what the star of a Squirrel Girl show would need to exude is a happy-go-lucky vibe first and foremost, and secondly, a sense that they can handle themselves. As such, I'd love to see an actor who's as Internet friendly (see: having a massive number of memes, gifs and 'grams with her image) as Broad City's Ilana Glazer taking the reins on this project.

Glazer's an old hand at improvisation, she's got buckets of charisma, and she's done a ton of television. The only fly in the ointment might be age: Squirrel Girl is markedly younger than the usual Marvel heroine, and she's supposed be in college. Glazer is 29, but then again, Kendrick is 31; perhaps age won't actually make any difference, here.

I'm sure Kendrick, Purser and Stone would all make amazing Squirrel Girl(s). But personally, my vote goes for Glazer being cast as the happy-go-lucky goofball Squirrel Girl we deserve.