X-Men fans petition Marvel to cast Dominique Jackson as Storm

After last year’s box-office bomb, Dark Phoenix, effectively ended the X-Men film franchise as we knew it, Marvel’s band of mutants are in time-out inside Professor Xavier’s mansion as Marvel Studios architect Kevin Feige mulls how to introduce them into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. That hasn’t stopped fans from imagining how characters like Wolverine, Rogue and Mystique might return and, more importantly, who should play them.

A new Change.org petition has one popular pitch: Pose star and transgender activist Dominique Jackson as Black weather master, Storm. “Fans of the the X-Men’s Storm finally deserve to see an on-screen version of her that matches the strong black woman leader we grew up with from the comic books,” states the petition, which has attracted 2,000 signatures and counting. And Jackson herself is ready to suit up. “Thank you all 4 making my day,” the actress wrote on Instagram. “I have always looked to Storm as representation of my trueself!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBhk8hNFaZF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Storm has previously been portrayed onscreen by Halle Berry in the original X-Men trilogy as well as 2014’s Days of Future Past, with Alexandra Shipp taking over as a younger version of the character in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. In both cases, though, fan consensus was that the character never received the showcase she deserved. “If there’s anyone that could fill Storm’s cape it would be Ms. Jackson,” the Change.org petition argues, citing a heroic backstory that includes fleeing her native Trinidad and Tobago to escape persecution for being transgender, and finding a new family in New York’s ballroom scene, which is depicted on FX’s Pose. “Ms. Jackson’s journey has all the makings of a true X-Men, compassion, nerve and leadership.”

Twitter didn’t need any additional convincing.

For her part, Jackson is simply honored to be nominated for the role, even if Marvel doesn’t come calling. “Its not even about if Marvel sees this, but just knowing that you are valued is what is important and makes us all feel human and respected as a part of community and society!” she wrote on Instagram. “So I implore you, as you uplift and empower me so should you uplift and empower those around you who worry every day if it could be their last.”