Samara Weaving Reveals Her Favorite Video Game Franchises Ahead of X-Men Debut as Emma Frost

Samara Weaving has built her career on scream-queen charisma, tearing through horror comedies and action thrillers with the kind of fearless energy that made her a breakout star. Off screen, though, the Australian actress has quietly built a reputation for something entirely different: being one of Hollywood’s most dedicated gamers.

That reputation resurfaced in a big way this week as fans continue processing her casting as Emma Frost in Marvel’s upcoming ‘X-Men’ reboot. Old interviews detailing her gaming habits have been recirculating widely, giving fans a fun new lens through which to picture the actress stepping into the mutant world.

According to those interviews, Weaving’s list of favorite franchises includes ‘Red Dead Redemption,’ ‘Assassin’s Creed,’ ‘Hogwarts Legacy,’ and ‘Mortal Kombat,’ a mix that leans heavily toward sprawling open-world adventures with the occasional fighting game thrown in for good measure.

Weaving discussed her gaming habits earlier this year alongside ‘Ready or Not 2’ co-star Kathryn Newton, revealing just how central video games are to her life on set. She’s admitted to prioritizing gaming time over typical cast bonding activities, joking that she’d rather stay in playing than go out to dinner with castmates during a shoot.

Part of what’s made Weaving’s gaming devotion so widely discussed is the lengths she goes to keep playing while working. She’s said she brings her PlayStation 5 to every job, packing it into her luggage no matter how much space it takes up, just so she can keep gaming in hotel rooms and rental homes between shoots.

Her favorite game overall is reportedly ‘Red Dead Redemption,’ a title she got hooked on during the pandemic and has praised for its storytelling, exploration, and open-world freedom. That preference for expansive, unstructured gameplay extends to ‘Assassin’s Creed’ as well, with Weaving explaining she loves games that let her explore and stumble onto unexpected discoveries, while admitting she has far less patience for puzzle-heavy titles that feel more like homework.

Fighting games, meanwhile, bring out a competitive streak fans might not expect from the actress. Weaving says she’s surprisingly skilled at both ‘Mortal Kombat’ and ‘Street Fighter,’ a claim backed up by her enthusiasm for the characters themselves.

“[Mortal Kombat] and Street Fighter, surprisingly, [I] was really good, really quick. I can beat a lot of people at Mortal Kombat. I don’t know why,” Weaving told IGN, adding that Kitana in particular has become her go-to character of choice.

The timing of these resurfaced interviews couldn’t be better for X-Men fans already excited about Weaving’s casting. Between her uncanny resemblance to Emma Frost and her newly rediscovered gamer credentials, the internet has embraced her casting with a level of enthusiasm that goes beyond typical superhero excitement.

Adding another layer of connection, Weaving’s friend Jessica McNamee has played Sonya Blade in recent ‘Mortal Kombat’ films, giving her real-world ties to the franchise beyond just being a fan. It’s the kind of detail that’s helped fuel even more goodwill from fans eager to see how she handles the transition into Marvel’s rebooted mutant universe.

With Jake Schreier’s ‘X-Men’ still in the casting and development phase, fans have plenty of time to speculate about how much of Weaving’s own personality might bleed into her take on Emma Frost. For now, her gaming résumé is giving fans one more reason to be excited about her joining the franchise.

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