Paul Mescal Isn’t Sure He’d Have the ‘Patience’ to Join the MCU

Paul Mescal is envious of a certain type of actor: one with the “patience” to star in a Marvel movie.

The “Aftersun” actor discussed the possibility of starring in the MCU as rumors swirl that Mescal’s “Normal People” co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones may be joining Marvel’s Phase 5.

“This will be something that I regret saying, but at the moment it’s not something…It’s not been asked of me,” Mescal told GQ UK. “So I feel kind of like ridiculous saying no when it hasn’t been asked, but it’s not something that I am pining to do.”

Mescal continued, “I don’t know if I would have the patience required. And I am deeply envious of people who do have that patience.”

However, the “God’s Creatures” star is looking to “do something a little bit shinier” and is open to other franchises, like a third “Top Gun” movie. “There’s definitely ones out there that I’m like, ‘For sure,’ and I would definitely not give it the commentators’ curse and name them in this interview,” Mescal said.

It all comes down to contract flexibility and time, especially as Mescal continues his indie film stardom.

“I’d struggle if that was taken away from me,” Mescal said. “And I think sometimes you have to make a decision to let that go for five, 10, 15 years and that would be really sad.”

Mescal added, “I know that if I make that decision, I’m not going to wake up in five years’ time and be surprised I didn’t get time off to go to Turkey and make an independent film for two months. Knowledge is power.”

Mescal isn’t alone in his ambivalence about the indie film sacrifices a project of Marvel’s scale requires. Former Sundance darling and current Marvel staple Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wanda Maximoff (aka The Scarlet Witch), recently admitted that she “started to feel frustrated” with her MCU obligations. “I had this job security but I was losing these pieces that I felt were more part of my being,” Olsen said earlier this year. “And the further I got away from that, the less I became considered for it.”

Olsen lost out on Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Lobster” due to a Marvel contract that she “could not get out of,” adding, “It took me away from the physical ability to do certain jobs that I thought were more aligned with the things I enjoyed as an audience member. And this is me being the most honest.”