Viola Davis Envisions Marvel Role as ‘Iron Mania’ Following ‘G20’ Premiere

The Oscar-winning actress, known for her powerful roles, teases a potential Marvel debut and pitches her own superhero alter ego.

At the recent premiere of her action thriller G20, Academy Award winner Viola Davis expressed enthusiasm about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In G20, Davis portrays U.S. President Danielle Sutton, who confronts a terrorist siege during a G20 summit. The film’s intense action sequences led to a jesting comparison of her character to Marvel’s Captain America.

When asked about the possibility of playing a Marvel superhero, Davis responded affirmatively, stating, “Yeah, absolutely.” She humorously proposed creating a new character named “Iron Mania” or “Iron Shaniqua Mania,” drawing inspiration from the iconic Iron Man. Davis noted her daughter’s passion for Marvel films, mentioning they’ve watched nearly all of them multiple times.

Davis is no stranger to the superhero genre. She has portrayed Amanda Waller in several DC projects, including Suicide Squad (2016) and its 2021 sequel. She also reprised this role in James Gunn’s reimagined DC Universe, voicing Waller in the animated series Creature Commandos.

While “Iron Mania” isn’t an existing Marvel character, the MCU has previously introduced successors to established heroes. For instance, Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams debuted as Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) and is set to star in her own Disney+ series. Given Davis’s acclaimed acting prowess and her evident interest, it’s conceivable she could bring a compelling new character to the Marvel universe.

G20 is scheduled for release on Prime Video on April 10, 2025.