20 people who will be stars in the 2020s

The 24-year-old Pugh is already on the rise. She starred in “Midsommar” and then ended the year in “Little Women.” It’s hard to outshine Saoirse Ronan, but Pugh still draws eyes when she’s on the screen. She’s going to be in “Black Widow” in 2020, and that could be the next step for Pugh en route to stardom.

Speaking of “Little Women,” we’re getting close to Chalamet already being too famous for this list. However, he debuted late, and he hasn’t carried a blockbuster yet. Just a few years ago he was still getting secondary roles in films like “Lady Bird,” after all. The internet is already in love with Chalamet, and that’s probably not changing anytime soon.

“Knives Out” has a star-studded cast, and yet it’s the unknown de Armas who is the heart of the film. She’s great in it, and now she’s reuniting with Daniel Craig in his final James Bond film. Not every “Bond Girl” has gone on to big things, but we already know how incredibly talented de Armas is.

Marvel has already made many a star and made people care about characters they never knew before. After the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” it seems like it is going to try and do it again. If you aren’t familiar with the superhero Shang-Chi, you probably will be when he headlines his own movie in 2021. The man playing him? That would be the 30-year-old Liu.

After “The VVitch,” eyes were already on Taylor-Joy. Then things took a bit of a dip. Part of that is because her Marvel movie, “The New Mutants,” got delayed. Well it’s finally coming out in 2020. The delay may mean it isn’t terribly good, but Taylor-Joy doesn’t have to worry. She’s also starring in “Emma” and Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho” in 2020. Yes, that’s three movies in one year. That’s how you start a decade.

At 41, Mackie is a little older than a lot of people on this list. Don’t worry about that. His star is on the rise. As Falcon, he had a supporting role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so you likely recognize him. You may also remember that Steve Rogers passed the Captain America torch on to him at the end of “Endgame.” The dude is Captain America now, and we know he at least has a Disney+ show coming soon. That’s stardom right there.

The niece of Hugo Weaving, you may know Samara if you watch Australian soap opera. However she just got a chance to star in a film, admittedly a smaller one, in “Ready or Not.” That movie was a pretty big hit on its budget, though, and she got good reviews for that. We know already she has a role in the third Bill and Ted movie and will also be in the new G.I. Joe film, “Snake Eyes.”

When your dad is Denzel Washington, it’s hard to get out of his shadow. Maybe that’s why John David Washington tried to be a professional football player before getting into acting. He was really good in Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” and now he’s going to be starring in a Christopher Nolan blockbuster “Tenet.” Sure, no stars were broken by “Dunkirk.” That movie was different though. This one seems primed to showcase Washington.

Hot take: Her work as Shuri in the MCU is a little overrated. However, that’s as much about the writing as anything, and Wright got cast in that role because people see promise in her. Being in a big comic book movie in a tertiary role is one thing, but she will be part of the cast of the upcoming adaptation of the Agatha Christie character Hercule Poirot story “Death on the Nile.” If she stands out in that, we know stardom is coming.

One of Abdul Mateen’s first movies was the exorable “Baywatch” film, but he seems to be bouncing back from that. You may recall seeing him as Dr. Manhattan in the recent “Watchman” on HBO. He got good reviews there, with good reason, and he already has a couple of starring roles lined up for 2020, including in “Candyman.”

Chan has had some notable roles here and there, including in “Crazy Rich Asians.” She has a little way to go in becoming a star, but it's likely going to happen in 2020. Chan has a role in Marvel’s “The Eternals” along with the likes of Angelina Jolie. This could be the new “Guardians of the Galaxy.” If it is, Chan will become a superstar.

It took Henry a little while to get his career going, which is totally normal, but then he struck gold with “Atlanta," although that's not a show for everybody. It does showcase his talent, however, and the superstardom is coming; you can trust us on that. In addition to a role in “The Woman in the Window,” Henry is going to be in both “Godzilla vs. Kong” and also “The Eternals.” Oh, and there will be more “Atlanta” eventually.

Blink and you missed her in “The Rise of Skywalker,” and Comer hasn’t really gotten her shot in movies yet. We still think the 2020s are going to be big for her. Have you seen her in “Killing Eve"? If you have, you probably agree wholeheartedly with this prediction. She’s costarring in the upcoming action comedy “Free Guy” with Ryan Reynolds. Maybe this will be her chance to get things percolating.

We heard that Centineo is “the internet’s boyfriend,” which is probably a sign of things to come. So far, you know him only if you’ve seen “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” on Netflix. Well many people have. There are two more movies in that series in the works, and also it’s been reported that the 23-year-old will be playing He-Man in an upcoming “Masters of the Universe” movie.

Well when your parents are Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, you have a lot to live up to. Zoe Kravitz is already on her way to doing just that. She’s been co-starring in “Big Little Lies,” where admittedly she is overshadowed by the cast. Nobody will be overshadowing her when she stars in the TV reboot of “High Fidelity,” tough, a movie her mom appeared in. Oh, and she’s playing Catwoman in “The Batman.”

If you grew up on Disney and Nickelodeon shows in the 2000s, you have likely seen Butler. If not, though, get ready for him to be a star as an adult. Butler played Tex in “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood” where his talent was evident even in playing a small part. He’s got a much bigger role coming up though. Butler has been cast as Elvis Presley in an upcoming biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Erskine has been doing good work in TV for a few years, making appearances in shows like “Man Seeking Woman,” “Insecure” and “Casual.” Then she and her friend Anna Konkle co-created “Pen15,” which they also co-star in. They could both be stars in the 2020s, and we don’t want to play favorites, but we decided to go with Erskine.

Sure, Ramy already has a Golden Globe. However, did you know that? Do you know the name of his show, or where it airs? Well it’s called “Ramy” and it’s on Hulu. He’s only 28 and he’s already starring in a show and getting award recognition. Youssef should be a huge star going forward in one way or another.

Bill Hader and Henry Winkler win the Emmys for “Barry,” but Goldberg is on their level as a performer. She does a great job in a less showy role, and her tremendous talent is readily apparent. Goldberg has gotten an Emmy nomination for “Barry,” and a win, for that show or another, could be in her future in the 2020s.

Jacinto was basically an unknown when he was cast as Jason Mendoza in “The Good Place.” (Two years earlier he was acting in “The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story!”) He’s been tremendous in the ensemble of that excellent sitcom, which is ending its run in 2020.That’s just the beginning for Jacinto. Maybe next time he’ll step into the starring role in his own show. We’re betting on him.