Before being honored at this year's Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards with the Max Mara Face of the Future Award, X-MEN: APOCALYPSE actress Alexandra Shipp sat down with THR to talk about her rise to stardom, what film projects she'd like to see made, and her desire to lead an X-Men spinoff film featuring the weather-wielding mutant Storm.
After speaking with the outlet about staying positive during a time when women are making big changes in the film industry, the 26-year-old actress told THR that there are still so many stories she'd like to see up on the big screen. "There are so many female stories that can be told. Audiences want to feel represented. They want to identify. I always joke around with my friends that we need a lady Fight Club. How awesome would that be? We are like, "But would it be mental warfare?" [It] would be passive-aggressive ways of fighting each other."
Later in their talk, Shipp was asked if there'd been any movement on an X-Men spinoff film featuring Storm, a role Shipp took over from Halle Berry for Bryan Singer's X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. Unfortunately, it sounds as if it will be a while before the weather-wielding mutant gets her chance to go solo up on the silver screen. Shipp confirmed as much by saying, "Not yet, but I am hoping we will get around to it. It is definitely time for these Storm fans to get the movie they have been dying for." When asked about what she would want from the Storm project, Shipp replied, "There are so many different storylines that we could take on when it comes to Storm — whether she is losing her powers or going back to Africa. I just want there to be a message of "this woman doesn't need a man." Just one movie where a woman doesn't need a man, really."
While the jury is still out as to whether or not a Storm spinoff film will come rolling into theaters, fans of the character can look forward to seeing Shipp as the wondrous Wind-Rider in Simon Kinberg's X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters February 14, 2019.