Anya Taylor-Joy
If you kept up with the horror genre of late, there’s a good chance you at least recognize Anya Taylor-Joy. The rising star who had an impeccable cinematic introduction with last year’s highly impressive “The Witch, continued her good fortunes with M. Night Shyamalan‘s surprisingly fun “Split” earlier this year (she also did “Morgan” in-between, but we’ll kindly overlook that one), and seems to have legend-in-the-making status, which makes her a great candidate for Lisbeth Salander. Her expressive eyes contain volumes, and her ability to find the strong and the impressionable in all her characters to date suggests that she’ll find Salander’s strengths and weaknesses with ease. She’s a talent that’ll likely to go places in this business, but wouldn’t it be great if this were the role that propelled her?
Alicia Vikander
Alicia Vikander isn’t hurting for work these days. The high-in-demand Oscar winner seen in “Ex Machina,” “The Danish Girl” and “The Light Between Oceans” already dipped her toes into high-profile studio projects with “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” last year’s “Jason Bourne” and the currently filming “Tomb Raider” remake. But if she can fit “The Girl In The Spider’s Web” into her very, very busy schedule, she would most certainly be an excellent pick for the part. A good while back, she was rumored to be Mara’s replacement, but there’s no doubt she has the tools to truly transform into Lisbeth Salander, and she’s the kind of high-profile pick we could see both Pascal and Rudin pushing for.
Jasna Fritzi Bauer
Even in the indie scene, people might not recognize Jasna Fritzi Bauer’s name. The German actress is building a healthy profile in her native land with celebrated films like “Barbara,” and more recently with a breakout turn in “Axolotl Overkill.” Similar to how Noomi Rapace became an overnight sensation with the original Millennium film trilogy, Bauer could really hit it big playing Lisbeth Salander. Sony would have to take a shot on a mostly unknown and developing talent, but it could pay off quite handsomely. Sometimes, it’s best to go with someone audiences might not know. After all, it worked pretty well for both Rapace and Mara.
Carla Juri
It’s possible you skipped out on “Wetlands.” That’s understandable; the gross-out, German coming-of-age dramedy is certainly not everyone’s dirty cup of tea. But you will have missed Carla Juri’s incredible, fearless lead performance, which put her on plenty of radars. She’s since landed roles in “Morris From America” and “Brimstone,” and she’ll likely gain her biggest audience yet this fall with a turn in “Blade Runner 2049.” Juri is a star on the rise, who has already shown quite the range, and Lisbeth Salander could be the marquee part for her best turn yet.
Riley Keough
It was less than a decade since Riley Keough came onto the scene with 2010’s under-appreciated “The Runaways.” But it hasn’t taken Keough long to prove her immense talents. Whether it’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Magic Mike,” or, most notably, “American Honey” and Starz‘s “The Girlfriend Experience,” Keough is having a killer winning streak at the moment, and that’s only expected to continue, especially as she’s set to star in Steven Soderbergh‘s “Lucky Logan,” Trey Edward Shults‘ mysteriously intriguing “It Comes At Night,” David Robert Mitchell‘s “Under The Silver Lake” and Lars von Trier‘s currently filming “The House That Jack Built.” There’s no doubt that Keough would kill as Lisbeth Salander, but with so many opportunities on her plate, she doesn’t really need the role. She’s well on her way to forging her own path to stardom, though we’d still love to see her as the edgy journalist/hacker.
Kiersey Clemons
Whether it’s “Dope,” “Transparent” or “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” to name a mere few, Kiersey Clemons always stands out. Her screen presence is electric. And though she was poised to play Iris West in the DC Films universe, that remains a big question mark given the delay and creative fallout going on with “The Flash,” so she’s yet to have her big breakout moment. However, “The Girl In The Spider’s Web” could be it, if she’s given the chance unleash the serious talent she has waiting in the wings. Clemons as Lisbeth Salander could truly surprise us all.
Thoughts? Weigh in with your own choices in the comments section.