In 2022, Back to the Future legend Michael J Fox pitched his idea for a reboot of the classic 1985 film. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t go down so well with fans at the time, as the mere mention of a Back to the Future film outside the original trilogy is considered sacrilege.
Fox also suggested that should such a project ever see the light of day, Marty McFly should be played by a female actor. Needless to say, there are probably many Back to the Future fans out there right now who are losing their minds over that sentence alone.
Cast your minds back to 2016, when the reboot Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016) hit theaters. Sure, it’s a bad film, and so it was no surprise that it tanked at the box office, but there were some fans (not all) who weren’t thrilled with the idea of female Ghostbusters.
However, the question as to whether or not a Back to the Future reboot, or even another sequel, could work today is something many of us hope to never have the answer to. But should it happen, and should Marty McFly be a female character, who could play her?
We’ve hand-picked five actors we think would be perfect for the role of a female version of Marty McFly (or an equivalent character) in a Back to the Future reboot or sequel.
1. Isabella Merced Is Familiar With Action and Comedy in Equal Parts
Isabela Merced, best known for bringing the popular cartoon character Dora the Explorer to life in the live-action movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019), would make a perfect Marty McFly in a Back to the Future reboot.
The 23-year-old American star brings a ton of energy, humor, charm, and charisma into the role as Dora. She also appeared in Trans-Formers: The Last Knight (2017), in which she’s easily one of the better parts of the film, and the comedy flick Instant Family (2018).
Merced also has experience on Broadway, so if she doesn’t land a role as the next time-traveling teen in a Back to the Future movie, perhaps there’s a place for her in Back to the Future: The Musical!
2. Isabella Sermon Could Bring Some British Charm to Back to the Future
Yet another Isabella has made it onto our list. Isabella Sermon, 18, is known for her role as the human clone Maisie Lockwood in the box office mega-hits Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
The character of Maisie learns and sees a lot of startling things in both of those films, and so Isabella Sermon has had plenty of practise with wide-eyed-wonder, something Michael J Fox captures brilliantly as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy.
The fact that Isabella Sermon is British makes no difference — after all, if we’re talking about a Back to the Future reboot as opposed to a sequel, she wouldn’t be playing the Marty McFly.
Related: Does ‘Back to the Future’ Exist Within the ‘Star Wars’ Universe?
3. Maya Hawke Oozes ’80s Energy Just Like Back to the Future
There are many actors from Netflix’s Stranger Things (2016) who could play Marty McFly in a Back to the Future reboot, such as Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler) and Sadie Sink (Max Mayfeld), however, we think Maya Hawke would be the best choice.
Hawke, 26, plays Robin Buckley, and has so far has appeared in two seasons of the hit show. Like many of the other characters, Robin is larger than life, but she’s easily the most quirky, nervous, funny, and bemused, qualities that make her perfect for the role of Marty McFly.
In fact, of all the actors we’ve looked at so far, Hawke, who seems to automatically ooze ’80s vibes, is the one we can easily imagine stepping in or out of the DeLorean alongside Doc Emmett Brown, whether that’s Christopher Lloyd or a new actor entirely.
Related: ‘Wednesday’ Actress Could Play New Vampire Slayer in ‘Buffy’ Reboot
4. McKenna Grace Has Already Starred in a Popular ’80s Franchise
Despite the fact that Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) stars the beloved Paul Rudd as summer school teacher Gary Grooberson, and also brought back three of the original Ghostbusters, somehow, McKenna Grace, 18, ends up stealing the show as Phoebe Spengler.
Sure, McKenna Grace is the main protagonist, but not only is she able to carry that heavy proton pack, she also shoulders the film in parts, too, leading with a character who’s older than her years, but yet at the same time is a lot funnier than anyone else around her.
In fact, she has that leading star quality in most of the movies and television shows she appears in, so we can’t imagine her not nailing such a role in a Back to the Future reboot.
Related: The 2016 Reboot Wasn’t the First Female-Led ‘Ghostbusters’
5. Jessica Rothe Is No Stranger to Time Travel
Though we haven’t ranked our selections in any particular order, the fact that Jessica Rothe is at the top of this list is no coincidence. Rothe, 37, is best known for playing Tree Gelbman in the sci-fi slasher comedy Happy Death Day (2017) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019).
Rothe might just be one of the most charismatic actors working today, and she brings a ton of flair and energy to the Happy Death Day final girl. Though the films are more family-friendly than horror, Rothe’s comical nature helps ground them in the realm of comedy.
Another qualifying aspect of Rothe’s involvement with these slashers is that, just like the Back to the Future trilogy, the Happy Death Day movies involve time travel, as Tree becomes caught in a loop a ‘la Groundhog Day (1993).
There’s no official word on a Back to the Future reboot, and we hope it stays that way. But if it does happen, we think one of these five actors would make a perfect Marty McFly.
Who do you think would make a great female Marty McFly? Let us know in the comments down below!
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