Naya Rivera could’ve been Katniss Everdeen if a Marvel director had his way

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

In the wake of the untimely and tragic passing of Glee's Naya Rivera, countless tributes and celebratory mentions of her life and work have flooded social media. It's clear that Rivera was a killer talent and at only 33 at her time of death, had so much more to give to the industry if given the opportunity. Another interesting story that has emerged since Rivera passed away is a big film project that one Marvel director really wanted her to be a part of.

Scott Derrickson, who helmed Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE, was once having discussions with producers about directing THE HUNGER GAMES and he revealed that if he had his way, Naya Rivera would've been his choice to play Katniss Everdeen. You can check out his tweet below as to why he would've chosen Rivera to take the role:

As we now know, Gary Ross went on to direct THE HUNGER GAMES and Jennifer Lawrence went on to win the role of Katniss Everdeen and the rest is history. I think Lawerence did a fine job in the role but it is interesting that Derrickson paid close attention to author Suzanne Collin's original description of Katniss which would've been right on target with the casting of Rivera. The actress also could've displayed the character's fierce determination on-screen and likely would've been a wonder to behold in the role as well. For those unfamiliar with Glee, Rivera was only in a handful of scenes in the pilot with minimal lines as sassy cheerleader Santana Lopez but she quickly made her presence known and ultimately was bumped up to a series regular. This was an actress that was clearly up to any task that was thrown her way.

Do YOU think Naya Rivera would've been a good Katniss Everdeen?