Dolly de Leon Reveals Her Marvel Dream—And It Involves Nightcrawler
DOLLY DE LEON – Award-winning actress Dolly de Leon is ready to trade in her dramatic roles for superpowers as she reveals her desire to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe—specifically in an X-Men film.
Dolly de Leon has expressed her desire to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with a particular interest in being part of the “X-Men” franchise. During an interview on ANC’s Beyond the Exchange with broadcast journalist Rico Hizon, Dolly opened up about her dream roles and her excitement for upcoming projects.
The conversation included a discussion about Dolly’s recently concluded series Nine Perfect Strangers and her forthcoming appearance in Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender. In the highly anticipated adaptation, she will play Lo and Li, twin advisors to Princess Azula, portrayed by Elizabeth Yu.
As the interview neared its end, Rico asked Dolly which major global franchises she’d be interested in joining—citing Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings as examples. Dolly didn’t hesitate to name Marvel.
“Of course, who doesn’t want to do Marvel?! That’s a given,” Dolly said, while also expressing a greater desire to work with acclaimed artists like Christopher Nolan, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Meryl Streep. “But yeah, [the] Marvel franchise would not hurt at all.”
When asked about which Marvel character she’d want to portray, Dolly responded with enthusiasm.
“That’s my favorite franchise, I love ‘X-Men’ so much. I would love to play Nightcrawler, ‘yun nga lang I’m too old to play Nightcrawler, but Nightcrawler is my favorite of all the X-Men. Happy na ako doon,” she said, highlighting her fondness for the teleporting mutant.
Although Nightcrawler is traditionally portrayed as Kurt Wagner in the comics, alternate versions and even a daughter with similar powers exist across Marvel’s multiverse. Dolly added she’d also love to play someone “totally insane and crazy,” with tattoos and a nose ring—something unlike any role she’s taken before.
Currently, Marvel is wrapping up its Multiverse Saga, with major Avengers films scheduled for 2026 and 2027. A new X-Men film is also in development under Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier and writer Michael Lesslie, marking Marvel’s first X-Men film since Disney acquired Fox in 2019.