The Alita: Battle Angel Cameo You Didn't Know Was So Important

After multiple viewings of the Robert Rodriguez sci-fi flick Alita: Battle Angel, it becomes apparent that the captivating film was simply a victim of pop-culture circumstances. It arrived two months before Marvel's climactic conclusion to the Infinity Gauntlet saga, and unfortunately it was fighting a losing battle when it asked audiences to dive into an entirely new world. Despite being panned by critics (it rocks a 61 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes) and underperforming in the American box office, Alita has developed a loyal fanbase. Fans of the film and the original manga, who call themselves "The Alita Army," have dedicated themselves to praising the film and assuring the creation of a sequel.

Now that superhero fanaticism has calmed from less of a roaring forest fire to more of a sizzle, people are discovering the visually stunning world that Robert Rodriguez created alongside legendary creator James Cameron. The film laid some solid foundations that were obviously meant to lead to sequels, but the studio has not made any official announcements about plans to develop one. Fans, however, continue to express a desire for more, offering up additional fuel for the fire anywhere they can find it. Lucky for them, the director included a brief cameo of a fan favorite; pulled straight from the source material, which has drummed up conversation and led to fantasy casting featuring a major player from Marvel's Black Panther.

In the world of Alita, a major component is the megasport known as Motorball, which features mechanized athletes zipping around a racetrack while harnessing devastating weapons to obliterate everyone skating alongside them. In a tweet from a regiment in The Alita Army, you can watch a clip in which Alita is witnessing the ruthless sport for the first time, and we get a brief glimpse at a player known to the sports' fans as Crimson Tide, who is the only other female player in the sport.

Crimson Tide is not a major character in the comic books, only competing in a few races before being sliced in half by a rival. Still, she's a favorite among readers. Most posit that she survived the encounter because this death blow would have left her brain intact, allowing for transfer to a new mechanical body. This could merely be audience's desire to breath life back into a favorite, but that hasn't stopped The Alita Army from pitching ideas. Character descriptions help paint a picture as to who could play her on the big screen, and recent fan casting has us dreaming of the possibilities.

The Crimson Tide's real name is Zafal Takié, and she is considered one of the fastest players in Motorball history. The comic book source material portrays her as a thin, dark-skinned woman with a buzz cut. Takié uses a bipedal body that has no weapons attached. Instead of offensive tactics, she relies on her speed and defensive techniques to dodge and execute counterattacks. The character calls for an adept actor to properly interpret her. With this in mind, it makes sense that a fan favorite to play the part would be none other than Danai Gurira.

After watching her massacre zombies for eight years in The Walking Dead and fight against the forces of Thanos in the Marvel universe, it isn't hard to imagine a technologically enhanced Gurira blading through the Motorball stadium while shredding her cyborg opponents. This is all hypothesis of course, but the studio hasn't been moving on a sequel, so this new buzz around Gurira might be just what we need to change their minds.

Considering the studio has not announced any plans to produce a sequel, every bit of ammo is important to the cause. Who knew that such a small cameo could play a crucial role? With Danai Gurira continuing to gain more star power, as well as considering her ties to the Marvel universe, it could be the perfect element needed to entice the studio executives.

The world-building that took place in Alita: Battle Angel is efficient and entertaining to watch. The whole experience left us with a cliffhanger in the form of a sneering Edward Norton wearing dorky, albeit sinister, glasses while observing events from the sky city known as Zalem. The foundations have been laid; we just need to let the powers-that-be hear our cries. If you want to add your voice to the chorus, you can always help by signing a petition that was started up by a fan who recognized that the the box office numbers might keep a sequel from happening. It is up to over 161,000 signatures as of the writing of this article.