It’s becoming clear that Thanos the Mad Titan is the bullet in the chamber of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, ready to fire at any moment. He’s been lurking in the background since The Avengers , doing his best to acquire the Infinity Stones, and we can only assume that sooner or later he’ll succeed.

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Cate Blanchett

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Angelina Jolie

If our hunch is correct, it will be up to the combined might of The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and whoever else is in the picture at that point to save the day.But what’s Thanos’ motivation for all of this? Sure, he wants power. But in the comics, there’s another reason… he’s trying to impress a woman (aren’t we all?). Death is the physical representation of the end of life within the Marvel Universe, and is typically depicted as one of two things: a cloaked bag of bones, or an attractive humanoid female.With Thanos’ big plan in the movies mirroring that in the comics, we think it’s possible that Mistress Death could be making her way into the MCU.But who could be inspiration behind Thanos’ power quest? We’ve got some ideas.No stranger to the fantastical, Blanchett would bring yet more Oscar credibility to the MCU, along with experience in genre movies such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit. While she’s played a lot of memorable roles throughout her impressive career, it’s Galadriel that really stands out in terms of being right for Death.Remember that moment in Fellowship of the Ring when she confronts Frodo about the ring and she gets terrifying for a hot second? That is Death. Plus, she’s got a glow about her that’s otherworldly and exotic; perfect for a Mistress of the Deceased.

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Charlize Theron

After her devilishly fun turn as misunderstood villainess Maleficent, Jolie is an easy contender for Death. She’s notably absent from the recent onslaught of superhero movie fervor, despite being an established action star thanks to such hits as the Tomb Raider flicks, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Wanted. She’s got the acting chops, the exotic look, and the ability to turn from whimsical and charming to utterly terrifying on a dime.Ten years ago or so, she might’ve been a better contender for a leading role, but with her clout she might be better utilized in this sort of supporting role, adding veteran texture to a budding universe that’s being increasingly filled with up-and-comers like Chris Pratt rather than mega movie stars.

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Kate Winslet

In some ways, Theron has already embodied death on the big screen. Back in 2003, she starred as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, an emotional and physical transformation that resulted in a slew of acting awards including the coveted Oscar. Though a bulk of her career has kept her on terra firma, she’s no stranger to sci-fi either. In 2005 she starred in the flop sci-fi thriller Aeon Flux, in 2012 she was the star of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, and next year she’ll be the star of the Mad Max sequel, Fury Road – complete with a cyborg arm.Like most actors on this list, Theron has an exotic look and the ability to be as warm as Rita, her character on Arrested Development, or as cold-hearted as a serial killer.

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Emilia Clarke

We’re not sure anyone could argue with the fact that Kate Winslet is one of the world’s greatest living actors, and that alone is reason enough to cast her as Marvel’s Death. She’s done everything from dramatic period pieces to neurotic love stories, but only recently has she begun to explore the world of straight sci-fi with her role in the Divergent films and Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion. Diving into the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be a bold way to open a new chapter of her career as yet another classically trained actor to embrace the superhero renaissance.Plus, she’s got experience acting against Josh Brolin (Thanos) in an oddly romantic way; Jason Reitman’s Labor Day brought Winslet’s single mom and Brolin’s escaped convict together on screen in 2013.

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Jessica Chastain

Going from a SyFy original film (Triassic Attack) to a massively popular HBO show is a rare feat. And, let’s be honest, the opposite of how things usually work when it comes to SyFy flicks. With her role as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones launching her into stardom, Clarke has been a rumored contender for everything and anything in the genre world, most recently being cast as Sarah Connor in Terminator: Genisys.While her repertoire isn’t as vast as other actors on this list, she’s got the sort of resume that Marvel Studios seems to be seeking out as of late. She’s got enough cred to show that she can do the job, but she’s only just on the cusp of superstardom. It’s more likely that she’d land a leading role (Carol Danvers, anyone?), but sneaking in as Mistress Death would certainly be appealing.

Despite being a multiple-time Oscar nominee (among a variety of other awards and nominations) for The Help and Zero Dark Thirty, Jessica Chastain isn’t your typical movie star. There’s not a whole lot of Hollywood aggrandizing; she’s not in the constant spotlight in the way that, say, Angelina Jolie or Kate Winslet are. But one thing is for sure: Chastain has the ability needed to bring truth to a character like Death.She’s circled Marvel before for Maya Hansen in Iron Man 3, a role that eventually went to Rebecca Hall when Chastain was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts. However, at the time the news broke, she posted on her Facebook: “Hopefully there’ll be anther Marvel film in my future.”