Ever since MMA artist Ronda Rousey overcame her opponent Bethe Correia in just 30 seconds at the UFC 190, she has caught Marvel's attention as a probable candidate to portray the lead character in the upcoming 'Captain Marvel' superhero movie. Even filmmaker Kevin Smith has actively championed her cause.

IB Times quotes Smith as saying, "See her in that picture? Come on! You don't even need to think at this point. There's an image; we can see it. She looks amazing. Lord knows she's one of the only people who would play a superhero that could actually beat anybody."

The filmmaker told TMZ, "I would like to see it happen. She seems like she's got a good head on her shoulders. She followed her dream and, holy s***, she's an ass-kicker. If that doesn't sound like a superhero, I don't know what is."

The "images" that Smith was talking about are ones that Rousey posted on her Instagram account after the UFC champion was flooded with fan-made art depicting her as the female superhero. In fact, during a Reddit Q&A session, she had already expressed her eagerness to portray the character.

It is interesting to note that 'Captain Marvel' will be the first female-lead project of Marvel Studios, so casting its lead will certainly be a long and carefully planned process. On the other hand, Rousey has proved that she can hold her own in movies like 'The Expendables 3', 'Fast & Furious 7' and 'Entourage,' but she has not yet starred in a lead character.

Meanwhile, speculations are rife that Emily Blunt is also being considered for the role. In case both are actually being considered for 'Captain Marvel,' Rousey might have some stiff competition on her hands, for Golden Globe winner Blunt has proven her acting talents in a wide number of films including 'The Adjustment Bureau,' 'Looper,' 'Edge Of Tomorrow,' 'Into The Woods' and very recently 'Sicario.' While comic-book movies are not necessarily the right place for Oscar-winning performances, the inclusion of actors like Ben Kingsley, Ryan Reynolds, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in the Marvel Cinematic Universe suggest that they are eager to pursue actors who can deliver an appealing performance.

As of now, everything about 'Captain Marvel' is being kept a closely guarded secret. 'Captain Marvel' is slated for release in October 2018, and fans of both Marvel and Rousey will just have to wait and see who get to play the female superhero.