Casting Lisbeth Salander: 11 Actresses Who Deserve to Be ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’
Sony Pictures has confirmed Lisbeth Salander will finally return to the big screen in “The Girl in the Spider’s Web.” The adaptation of the fourth novel in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series goes into production this September with “Don’t Breathe” director Fede Alvarez. Rooney Mara, who earned an Oscar nomination for playing Salander in David Fincher’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” will not be back, which means all eyes are now watching closely to see which actress ends up taking on the iconic role.
Sony has also announced that a global casting search is currently underway to find the perfect Lisbeth Salander, while Variety is reporting that A-list names like Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson are already in contention.
Part of what made both David Fincher and Niels Arden Oplev’s Swedish original so exciting was the casting of Mara and Noomi Rapace, respectively. Neither actress was a major star with a built-in screen persona, which made their performances intensely surprising. “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” would be wise to follow suit, even if Sony may want a high profile celebrity to ensure a healthy box office run.
With that in mind, we have some ideas for who should become the next Lisbeth Salander.
Tatiana Maslany
The past four seasons of “Orphan Black” have proven Tatiana Maslany’s ability to literally play anything, and when you think about Lisbeth, she actually proves to be a synthesis of the many clones Maslany embodies on the BBC America sci-fi drama. Sarah’s innate badassery, Helena’s damaged psyche, Cosima’s nerdy quirks — all of these qualities and more add up to a character who Maslany could all too easily take on. You might even argue she’s been training for the role this entire time. And as this upcoming fifth season of “Orphan Black” will be its last, she’s got room in her schedule. -Liz Shannon Miller
Zoe Kravitz
Kravitz is one of the most high profile names to appear here, but her career thus far has been mostly made up of supporting turns in blockbuster movies like “The Divergent Series.” She’s still waiting for her breakthrough lead performance, and Salander would unquestionably be the perfect vehicle. Similar to Mara, there’s an alluring edge to Kravitz that would do Salander justice. She’s got a magnetic screen presence that keeps your eyes locked to the screen and can capably mix an intimidating toughness with a wounded vulnerability, an essential combo for anyone stepping into Salander’s complicated shoes. Her supporting work proves just how slyly she can operate on the fringes of any given scene, whether she has lines or not (see “Big Littles Lies” as an example), and that’s actually where Salander thrives. Kravitz could dominate and forcibly blend into the background, making her an ideal choice. -Zack Sharf
Garance Marillier
Garance Marillier carried the jarring cannibal drama “Raw” — her first feature — on her shoulders, balancing vulnerability and aggression in a profound way. That mix is perfect for Lisbeth Salander. The character demands a strength both physical and mental, and Marillier went through the ringer in “Raw,” facing sexual assault, grim murders and other unimaginable trauma. Plus casting a virtually-unknown actress in the role is what gave both Noomi Rapace and Rooney Mara a canvas on which to build the character without preconceptions. -Bill Earl
Kaya Scodelario
Scodelario has long been one of Hollywood’s favorite short list contenders — she was infamously part of the last round of Katniss Everdeen maybes before the role went to Jennifer Lawrence (and we can see how that worked out for J-Law), later popping up all over “Divergent” dream cast lists — before landing in yet another YA-fueled franchise, “The Maze Runner.” But Scodelario’s bonafides extend way past chosen-girl roles in blockbuster franchises, and she turned in a wholly electric (and mostly unsung) performance as Cathy in Andrea Arnold’s flinty and dark “Wuthering Heights” back in 2011. She’s next got a star-making role in the newest “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequel, but her talents belong in a feature that puts the focus on her, not a staggering, surly Johnny Depp and snarling sea-ghosts. Scodelario has a deep sensitivity pulsing through her work, but she’s also got the kind of surprising toughness that Lisbeth all but requires. -Kate Erbland
Sofia Boutella
Sofia Boutella first came on our radar as the razor-legged assassin in “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” and she’s found herself in the thick of blockbusters with work in “Star Trek Beyond” and the upcoming Tom Cruise-led “The Mummy.” All of this is to stay she’s well versed in big-budget studio filmmaking, which is only a plus. Fortunately, she’s also got the same fiery edge that made Noomi Rapace so perfect for the role. Boutella has a killer stare and would be able to bring out the unpredictable urgency to Salander that makes the character such a dangerous thrill. Boutella has the rage needed to make Salander an ambiguous anti-hero. Somebody get her in the casting room ASAP. -ZS
Roberta Colindrez
Diehard “Girls” fans may remember her as Tako, Adam’s gay best friend who could open a bottle of beer with her teeth, but Roberta Colindrez is about to become America’s next lesbian heartthrob when Jill Soloway’s “I Love Dick” hits the streaming waves. Colindrez plays Devon, an androgynous Texas cowboy who may or may not seduce Kathryn Hahn’s Chris. As Lisbeth, Colindrez would bring a swaggering toughness to the bisexual detective that Mara could only dream of. -Jude Dry
Jamie Clayton
Aside from her almost uncanny resemblance to Mara, “Sense8” star Jamie Clayton already has a devoted cult following in the sci-fi/genre world that makes her a ripe, if unlikely, choice. Clayton plays Nomi Marks in “Sense8,” a political blogger and hacker trying to crack a dangerous conspiracy, so we know she has the acting chops for Lisbeth. Plus, casting a trans actress would just be totally badass way to drum up new interest in the franchise. -JD
Maika Monroe
The “It Follows” breakout has already proven that she can carry an entire film, and her Final Girl sensibilities across a number of new wave horror films (like “The Guest,” presumably like the upcoming thriller “Tau”) and action-skewing offerings (she was virtually unrecognizable in the lackluster “The 5th Wave,” sporting a very Lisbeth-like dark mop) make it clear that she can deliver on darkness. Monroe seems to have no bones about transforming herself for films, one of the key requirements of taking on Lisbeth, and she’s itching for another role that take her to the next level. -KE
Imogen Poots
The revenge ink scene from “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is one of the more harrowing sequences of the decade. So, to ensure that whoever steps into Lisbeth’s boots is used to on-screen life-and-death fights with despicable characters, why not pick one of the stars of “Green Room”? When called upon, Poots is one of the best in the business at summoning an “I-am-not-to-be-messed-with” presence, perfect for any potential Lisbeth. -Steve Greene
Riley Keough
Lisbeth is a character caught up in a neverending power struggle. In relationships, work and general matters of the law, her survival depends on identifying advantages and exploiting weaknesses. Though “The Girlfriend Experience” doesn’t have quite the level of bloodshed that the Millenium Trilogy does, Keough’s work on the Starz series’ first season was an expertly walked tightrope of physical and psychological control. She could trade in the iciness of Chicago high-rises for the icy, cutthroat climes of Stockholm with ease. -SG
Mackenzie Davis
In the opening season of “Halt and Catch Fire,” Davis’ Cameron Howe has a Lisbeth Salander 1.0 feel. Beyond her computer skills, Cam’s spirit of defiance has helped provide an anchor as the show has progressed. Though most might know her from her more reserved work in the “San Junipero” episode of “Black Mirror,” she has the badass bonafides to take charge as any future Lisbeth story would need. -SG
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