Disney Reportedly Wants Emily Blunt for New ‘Mary Poppins’ Movie

Emily Blunt has become a highly desirable star, particularly after her role in Edge of Tomorrow, making the latest rumor about the actor hardly surprising. Disney reportedly wants Blunt to star in their new Mary Poppins movie from director Rob Marshall, who also worked with Blunt on Into the Woods. Of course they want Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins. Everyone wants Emily Blunt in everything — duh.

The rumor comes from Den of Geek, who claim that Disney wants Blunt for the lead role in Mary Poppins, though the site cautions that no one has reached out to the star just yet and nothing is anywhere near official. It makes sense that the studio would want Blunt for the role originated by Julie Andrews — not only is she a proven, bankable talent, but she’s worked with Marshall before, she knows how to sing, and she’s British. Yahtzee.

The new Mary Poppins film was just announced this week, and is reportedly neither a reboot nor a sequel, though it does take place 20 years after the events of the 1964 film, which was in turn based on P.L. Travers’ first Poppins novel. Disney’s new film will take its plot from a subsequent book, but if it takes place 20 years after the first film / story, wouldn’t Poppins be a bit…older? The eponymous magical nanny could be immune to the conventional aging process that plagues mere mortals. Maybe.

Blunt herself recently shared her thoughts on why she and a few other actresses, like Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation star Rebecca Ferguson, always seem to be rumored for the same kinds of roles, though Blunt is seemingly rumored for just about every leading role in a major upcoming film at this point.