Coughlan’s career trajectory is on the up and it looks like she could soon be snapped up by Disney

Nicola Couglan is “likely” to land a role in a massive Disney franchise. The actor’s career has skyrocketed since landing her big break as Clare Devlin in TV sitcom Derry Girls in 2018.

The 37-year-old became a household name when she bagged the part of Penelope Featherington in Netflix megahit Bridgerton, though, fronting Season 3 alongside co-star and on-screen love interest Luke Newton.

The Galway native is no stranger to the big screen, either. She featured alongside a cohort of famous faces in Barbie last year, and is set to expand her big screen CV with indie film studio A24, who she is keen to work with.

The studio, responsible for Lady Bird, starring fellow Irish actor Saoirse Ronan, Uncut Gems, and Everything Everywhere All At Once, could be a perfect fit for Coughlan. Further huge opportunities may await her, according to Casinos, namely from the so-called “Big Five” film studios Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros.

There is much chatter about Coughlan’s next big movie. For years, rumors have circulated about an all-female Pirates Of The Caribbean reboot, with Coughlan’s Barbie co-star Margot Robbie poised as a possible leading lady.

Nicole Coughlan could star in all new line-up of Disney favorite Pirates of the Caribbean (Image: 2024 Karwai Tang)
Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently confirmed Disney are planning to “reboot” the movie, with a whole new cast. This could be fantastic news for Coughlan, who is 6/4 favourite to appear in one as her next big movie role.

Film franchises don’t get much bigger than James Bond, though, and she is just 7/4 to appear alongside 007 as the next movie’s leading lady, or “Bond Girl,” as the fading term is still just about known.

The recent rise of Coughlan’s stock surely means she would be in contention, and her only issue might be the sheer talent in competition with her, from the likes of Sydney Sweeney and Jodie Comer.

Coughlan is 3/1 to join the project, and 5/1 to appear in a Lord Of The Rings reboot next, ahead of the famous fantasy series’ new trilogy of films.

Meanwhile, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be taking over the movie industry at times, and it would be no surprise if they recruited woman-of-the-moment Coughlan to portray a superhero. She is 4/1 for a Marvel role next.

Chiaki Kuriyama, Kaya Scodelario, Johnny Depp, Brenton Thwaites and Taishi Nakagawa attend the Japan Premiere of “Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel on June 20, 2017 (Image: 2017 Jun Sato)
Keeping on the romance theme of Bridgerton, Coughlan is 9/2 to take part in one as her next big screen role. It’s 5/1 she reverts back to her Derry Girls roots and appears in a big comedy film next, but it’s just 6/1 the actress goes down the animated route.

On that theme, Coughlan is 8/1 to appear in Shrek 5, which is expected to see Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz reprise their vocal roles as Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona respectively.

It’s been 14 years since Shrek Forever After hit movie theatres in 2014, but Shrek 5 was recently confirmed and they are no doubt looking for talented vocal stars.