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Let's talk about Chandra Nalaar, but first, one silly logistics thing for those of you who don't follow Magic: the Gathering lore with a detailed eye:

Chandra is originally from (as in, she was born on) a plane called Kaladesh. After the Phyrexian invasion, there was a rebellion on Kaladesh which led to a new government taking over. They renamed the plane Avishkar.

Chandra was born to human parents. Depending on which story you believe, she had two sisters and a brother or she had no siblings. Fire magic came easily to her, but it was banned on Kaladesh. A torrent of anger led to her lighting several huts in her village on fire, which brought down the wrath of the government and led to her destroying the entire village, including her family, burning nearly everyone to death. She was just about to be executed when her spark ignited and she planewalked for the first time.

The other story is the government burned her village to squash a rebellion and rather than executing her in her village were going to do it in a major town square, making her village's deaths not her fault. She told both stories in different circumstances.

She wandered about a fair bit, meeting Gideon, Jace, Liliana, Ajani, and a number of other 'walkers. Her emotional volatility and fiercely independent streak (common in {R} mages), along with teachings from Jaya Ballard (another {R}-wielding planeswalker) led her to believe a person's individual needs and desires come above all others, often putting her at odds with Gideon (and his desire for order and lawfulness) and Jace (with his colder, knowledge-based approach to magic).

She joined the Gatewatch and battled back the Eldrazi threat, encountering Nissa, who would end up becoming Chandra's romantic partner (despite rumors to the contrary, Chandra is pansexual and kind of a mess romantically. There was one book which tried to make her something other than that was effectively retconned to make her what she was always meant to be - emotional and impetuous). The Gatewatch then got its butt kicked by Nicol Bolas and she had to deal with the trauma of that. She then joined in the battle against the Phyrexians and was there, defending Wrenn when Wrenn moved planes around to contain the Phyrexian menace.

Chandra is red-haired and amber-eyed, and her hair turns to flame and her eyes often glow red when she's performing magic. She is emotional and impulsive, and every card ever made for her is mono-{R}. According to her Wikipedia page, she's 5'6" and 130 lbs, though I've always felt she looks shorter than that in her images. That said, I've picked five actors to play her in the upcoming movie - all of whom would need a wig for the role!

#5 - Sammi Hanratty

Not gonna lie, I've never watched Yellowjackets, but it's absolutely on my list of shows to watch when I have the time. That said, Hanratty has this... look. There's an intensity in her eyes which matches that of Chandra's. For a 29 year-old actor, she has a list of accomplishments, both in film and TV, and she has also won multiple awards for ensemble casts - a good sign she would do well as a member of a group of planewalkers working toward a common goal.

#4 - Sydney Sweeney

Sweeney is another actor with a great deal of experience for someone her age. In addition to her multiple awards for Euphoria, she produced and starred in the gore-fest horror flick Immaculate and has also proved additional ensemble chops in The Handmaid's Tale. The only action movie I've seen her in was Madame Web, which was sort of famously not-liked by just about anyone, but she emotes really well, a key for anyone playing Chandra. When you can tell exactly how someone is feeling - and how strongly - by simply seeing their eyes, it's a good sign. Sweeney shows fear, anger, resolve, and love with the slightest change to her countenance.

#3 - Ariana Debose

I first became aware of this actor because she was an original cast member in Hamilton, on Broadway. She's gone on to a prolific career in film, even if the films haven't been well-liked. She was in a near-future sci-fi film called I.S.S. which I actually liked; it had a bit of an Alien thing with everyone trapped and no one knowing what was going on. She was also in Kraven the Hunter, the only movie everyone seems to agree was worse than Madame Web, and I saw her just recently in Love Hurts, where she gets to be a bit of a killer. She's another one who emotes really well, and she's a little older than the others on the list so far (34), adding some gravitas and experience which Chandra surely has, despite her actual age (which is unknown, of course). And did I mention she won an Academy Award?

#2 - Katee Sackhoff

This was the first actor I thought of, and it's because when I think of Katee Sackhoff, I think of Battlestar: Galactica. Starbuck, Sackhoff's character, was tough as nails, and you believed her every minute. Sackhoff played her as impulsive, fiery, and generally unimpressed with the chain of command, which certainly matches Chandra. Then I remembered BSG was a long, long time ago and Sackhoff is my age! At 44, she'd be an older idea of Chandra, but if they decide to age up the cast I can't think of a better choice. She's also a nerd-dom darling, with roles in The Flash TV show and The Mandalorian as Bo-Katan Cryze. Any Longmire fans out there? She played a fabulously broken character there, too, displaying her range. Slap a wig on her and I'd believe she was Chandra incarnate.

#1 - Zendaya

Zendaya is an award-winning triple threat who would bring some serious star-power to the role. She has a fabulously, if subtly, expressive face, and as long as I've been aware of action movies I think dancers are among the best choices for action stars. She has also shown great range in her career, co-starring with Sweeney in Euphoria, playing the more awkward MJ in Spiderman: Homecoming, and, of course, Chani in Dune. I can see it in my head right now - the moment just before Chandra explodes with rage, that moment when the anger builds up inside her but before it boils over, just before her hair bursts into flame. I envision Zendaya in that moment, and I completely believe it.

Whomever they cast in whatever roles, you know I'll be seeing this movie. Who would you cast as Chandra?

Thanks for reading.