Make way for the queen! Less than a day after ABC and Marvel announced that Anson Mount will play Black Bolt, word has come down that Serinda Swan has also joined Marvel’s Inhumans, as Medusa.
Entertainment Weekly broke the story about Swan’s casting, and it’s not the first comic book inspired role for the actress. She previously appeared as Zatanna in three episodes of Smallville before landing starring roles in Breakout Kings and Graceland. Because of Medusa’s importance to the Inhumans, Swan is likely the female lead of the TV series. However, fans who aren’t familiar with the comics may have some questions about who Medusa is and why she is so important. Fortunately, we have the answers!
Medusa is best known for her striking red hair, which has incredible tensile strength and the ability to elongate at will, while also giving Medusa the ability to carry herself or heavy objects. Think of the way that Disney used Rapunzel in Tangled, except on a much grander scale.
Medusa also has the honor of being the first Inhuman to be introduced in the Marvel Universe. She was initially a member of the Frightful Four, a villainous counterpart to the Fantastic Four. But it was later revealed that Medusa had lost her memories when Maximus the Mad usurped the throne from his brother, Black Bolt. Medusa eventually regained her memories and reunited with Black Bolt as queen of the Inhumans before going on to occasionally join the Fantastic Four.
For decades, Medusa and the rest of the Inhumans were better known as supporting characters. But in recent years, Marvel has aggressively pushed the Inhumans in their comic book universe. Consequently, Medusa has emerged as one of Marvel’s top heroines and headlined many of the Inhumans comic book titles as the sole ruler of her people. Medusa has even joined A-Force, the team of all-female Avengers that emerged during the Secret Wars crossover. More recently, Medusa led her followers into war against the mutants during the Inhumans vs. X-Men event series.
Now that the Inhuman royal family are finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Medusa’s profile will inevitably be raised again. It should be interesting to see how Medusa’s signature hair will be rendered on screen. Either way, we’re very excited about this show!
Are you eager to see Swan become Medusa? Use your hair to leave a comment below!
Images: USA Network/Marvel
