Zawe Ashton's gender-swapped villain

Zawe Ashton, the British actress best known for her role as Vod in Channel 4's hit series Fresh Meat, has been confirmed to be playing a gender-swapped villain in the upcoming Marvel Studios film, The Marvels.

Ashton will be taking on the role of Dar-Benn, a high-ranking Kree warrior who wields an accuser's hammer similar to the one used by Ronan in Guardians of the Galaxy and the first Captain Marvel movie. Dar-Benn was originally depicted as male when he first appeared in Silver Surfer comics in the 1990s.

Aside from her upcoming role in The Marvels, Ashton has made a name for herself with memorable appearances on TV shows like Doctor Who and The Handmaid's Tale, as well as in the Netflix horror movie Velvet Buzzsaw. Ashton is also the real-life partner of Tom Hiddleston, who has plenty of experience of his own as a Marvel villain from his decade-plus as Loki in the MCU.

In The Marvels, Ashton's Dar-Benn will be facing off against three powerful heroes Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) who come together through cosmic means. Samuel L Jackson will also be returning as Nick Fury, while Saagar Shaikh, Zenobia Shroff, and Mohan Kapur will be joining the cast as members of the Ms Marvel series.

The Marvels is set to hit theaters on November 10, 2023, and Marvel boss Kevin Feige has been hyping the film as being just as important as an Avengers movie. "There's something immensely powerful about seeing Monica and Kamala and Carol together in a frame," he told EW. "To me, it's only akin to the first Avengers movie and seeing the six of them together in a frame. It's chill-inducing. They're so great together, and they all have different histories with another."

In the meantime, fans can catch up on Captain Marvel, which is currently streaming on Disney+ and available on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download. Don't miss out on the latest from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and mark your calendars for November 10, 2023, when The Marvels hits theaters.