Who Should Portray Queenie In A Live-Action Adaptation?

Casting Queenie feels like casting a delicate instrument: you need someone who can play bright, plucky notes and also hit deep, resonant chords. I often think of Jodie Comer when I imagine that spectrum — she’s got comic timing, visceral emotional access, and a comic pliability that would make Queenie unpredictable in the best way.

Queenie’s charm lives in micro-behaviors: a glance that reads someone, a pause before a joke, the sudden drop into sorrow. Jodie’s ability to shift energy instantly would let scenes breathe and surprise. She’d also bring a ferocious commitment to the role, making Queenie feel fully realized rather than a caricature.

From a practical side, she could handle accents, period cadence, and the physical intimacy of close-up telepathic moments, so I’d be thrilled to see her take on those layers — it would be intense and tender at once.

If I picture Queenie in a new live-action take, I think about authenticity and emotional complexity first. Jurnee Smollett would be a killer choice: she brings this natural warmth and a sly, magnetic energy that could make Queenie feel lived-in rather than stylized. Jurnee’s performances have shown she can handle humor, heartbreak, and sudden toughness without tripping over tonal shifts, which is crucial for a character who can read minds and yet craves connection.

Beyond the acting chops, I’d want makeup and costume to emphasize Queenie’s era — soft finger waves, tea dresses, slightly exaggerated 1920s silhouettes — while keeping her grounded. The tricky part is balancing her light, flirty side with the undercurrent of isolation and power; Jurnee could do both and give the role cultural freshness if the adaptation leaned into a more diverse casting. Watching her steal quiet scenes with a single look is the exact vibe Queenie deserves, in my opinion.

I love imagining the practical, stage-y approach to Queenie: someone who can own a room without shouting and convey inner thought with a twitch of an eyebrow. Rachel Brosnahan comes to mind immediately because she already perfected that rapid-fire expressiveness in 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'. Rachel’s comedic timing is impeccable, but she also has a way of softening into genuinely moving moments. For Queenie, that duality is essential — the lightness that charms other characters and the quieter, painful depth when betrayal or temptation hits.

From a theatrical standpoint, I’d push for a performance that uses physical beats: Queenie’s pauses, the way she tilts her head when she’s reading someone, a practiced smile that sometimes slips. The actor should be able to carry musical beats too; even if the adaptation doesn’t have singing, rhythm in dialogue will sell Queenie’s flirtatious nature. Casting someone like Rachel also guarantees on-screen chemistry, which is half the role’s success. If she took that part, I’d want subtle costume changes across scenes to mirror Queenie’s shifting loyalties — small, brilliant visual storytelling that complements the acting. That kind of layered design would make her arc hit hard, and I'd be thrilled to see it.

If I had to throw one curveball into the hat, I’d pick Zoë Kravitz for Queenie. She’s cool and effortless, with that sly smile that can turn any scene into a quiet standout. Zoë has a natural intimacy on camera that would make Queenie’s telepathy feel effortless and modern rather than overly theatrical.

She can do soft humor and sudden heartbreak, and I think she’d bring a slightly edgier, contemporary spin to the role. It’d be fun to watch her flirtatiousness contrast with tender moments; her chemistry with the rest of the cast would probably be magnetic. Overall, Zoë reading minds? Yes, please — I’d be glued to the screen.

Sometimes I wonder whether they should simply bring back the original portrayer, because Alison Sudol brought a soft, fragile strength to Queenie that’s hard to forget. That said, if a complete reboot is the plan, I’d love to see a stage-trained actress who can hold long, intimate takes and switch tonal gears on a dime — someone with musical instincts, since Queenie’s warmth often feels musical in cadence.

An underrated choice might be an accomplished theater actor transitioning to screen; they tend to have that sound-and-silence control you need for telepathy scenes. Think of performers who can sing a sentence with the same emotional clarity as a verse of a song. They’d bring depth to Queenie’s emotional arcs and keep the live-action feeling immediate and present.

Ultimately, I’d root for a performer who respects Queenie’s playfulness but can also carry the loneliness underneath. That balance is everything, and it’s what would make me rewatch the film multiple times.

Casting Queenie is such a tempting creative puzzle for me — I keep picturing someone who can be goofy, incandescently warm, and quietly dangerous in the same scene. If I had to pick a fresh face who could bring those layers to a live-action version of 'Fantastic Beasts' Queenie, I'd go with Anya Taylor-Joy. She has this porcelain vulnerability but can flip into a fierce, unhinged intensity when needed. That mix would sell Queenie's charm and the darker emotional beats that come with legilimency and complicated loyalties.

Costume and chemistry matter as much as raw talent. Anya already nails period-inflected roles and has the wide-eyed, expressive features that make small gestures read big on camera. Pairing her with an awkward, earnest Newt would create the kind of spark that feels organic rather than manufactured. And I’d want the director to lean into Queenie’s physicality — those languid, knowing looks, the way she listens like she’s already inside your head.

Ultimately I adore the idea of a Queenie who’s soft around the edges but has teeth underneath. Anya could make audiences forgive her darkest choices because you’d still feel her humanity, and that’s what I’d love to see up on screen — complicated, lovable, and unforgettable.

Imagine a woman who can read your thoughts before she smiles — that kind of presence is the core of Queenie, and for me the ideal pick would be Anya Taylor-Joy. She has that porcelain, slightly otherworldly look that reads perfectly in period pieces, and her face is an expressive canvas: a twitch of an eyebrow or a half-smile tells you whole paragraphs. Anya can do vulnerability and mischief in the same breath, which is crucial for a character who’s both playful and heartbreakingly human.

Beyond looks, Queenie needs lightness of touch and uncanny timing. Anya’s work in 'The Queen’s Gambit' and 'Emma' shows she can sell warmth and awkwardness, and she takes direction well without losing her quirky center. Chemistry with the lead—someone like a soft-spoken Newt—would be essential, and I can already picture their scenes: languid, tender, and occasionally electric.

If we want a Queenie who’s luminous, sly, and heartbreakingly sincere, Anya feels like a modern, believable choice who can make audiences both laugh and ache.,There was a scene in 'Fantastic Beasts' that always made me pause — the way Queenie listens before she speaks. If I had to pick someone who could capture that quiet psychic listening, I'd push for Letitia Wright. She brings warmth but also a layered intensity; she can be bright and mischievous while carrying emotional weight beneath the surface.

Casting Queenie isn’t only about charm; it’s about listening, reacting, and letting that empathy inform every line. Letitia has shown in various roles that she can turn a small expression into a world, which is perfect for a character whose power is inward and relational. Also, casting her would broaden representation in a period-fantasy world in a thoughtful way rather than tokenizing it.

I’d love to see how she crafts Queenie’s voice — the jokes, the whispered truths, the heartbreak — and how she plays off the male lead. It’d feel fresh and honest to me, and I’d be excited to watch it unfold on screen.

I keep picturing a bold, modern take: give Queenie to someone with unexpected range like Michaela Coel. She has that rare ability to be hilarious and devastating in the same breath, which would make Queenie’s lighter moments delightful and her darker turns gutting. Michaela would bring razor-sharp emotional honesty and could reinterpret Queenie’s vulnerabilities with fresh cultural notes, making the character feel wholly new while honoring the original spirit.

Also, if continuity is desired, Alison Sudol is still a beautiful pick — she created a version many people adore. But if I’m dreaming, Michaela’s energy would flip the role in a thrilling way and keep me glued to every scene, no question.