Marvel Phase Three is just getting under way, with production recently wrapped on Captain America: Civil War, and shooting about to begin on Doctor Strange. The studio's 2017 movies, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok will likely have most or all of their stars returning, but the hot-button casting question at the moment is who will play Captain Marvel? There have been several actresses who have either been rumored to be in contention, or expressed their interest in the title role, such as Emily Blunt, Charlize Theron, and, most recently, UFC women's champion Ronda Rousey. Today we have a new report from Heroic Hollywood, which claims that the studio's top choice for Captain Marvel is Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation star Rebecca Ferguson.

The site says that this rumor has not been confirmed yet, but they claim the actress recently turned down the female lead role in another superhero movie, 20th Century Fox's Gambit. They speculate that she may have turned the Gambit role down to stay in contention for the Captain Marvel role. Ironically, Rebecca Ferguson recently signed on to star alongside another potential Captain Marvel contender, Emily Blunt, in The Girl on the Train.

One thing is for certain, though, Rebecca Ferguson's performance in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation has made her a hot commodity around town. The site claims that Marvel is known for chasing "heat," meaning they go after actors and actresses who are turning into rising stars on the strength of their performances. Even if Rebecca Ferguson doesn't end up playing Carol Danvers, she most certainly has a bright future ahead of her.

Captain Marvel most likely won't start shooting until either late 2016 or early 2017, with the studio already setting a November 2, 2018 release date. Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) have already been tasked with writing the screenplay, but the studio doesn't have a director on board yet. There was a rumor that Marvel was eyeing Angelina Jolie to direct, reportedly offering her a massive $20 million to take the helm, but that rumor was never confirmed.

Rebecca Ferguson's meteoric rise is even more impressive, considering she only has a handful of credits to her name. She landed the lead role in Starz's The White Queen in 2013, which led to roles in Vi, Hercules and this summer's blockbuster hit Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation. Do you think she would be a good fit to play Captain Marvel? Let us know what you think, and stay tuned for more news regarding Captain Marvel, which is set to hit theaters on November 2, 2018.