Book to Screen
Game, Set, Match! Our ‘Carrie Soto Is Back’ Dream Cast: Christian Serratos, Glen Powell & More
Almost three years after Taylor Jenkins Reid convinced readers everywhere that they could probably play tennis, Carrie Soto Is Back has been picked up as a TV series by Netflix, with Serena Williams as an executive producer. Yes, you read that right: Tennis legend Serena Williams is attached to the project.
From Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones, Taylor Jenkins Reid is known for penning unforgettable heroines with epic love stories. One such heroine is Carrie Soto, a 37-year-old tennis record holder who steps out of retirement to face off against the rising star threatening to overtake her record. Spanning Carrie’s rise to fame to her unexpected comeback, Carrie Soto Is Back digs deep into the sacrifices one has to make on the journey towards greatness.
But don’t worry—it wouldn’t be a Swooon favorite without a little romance, and TJR gives us just that. Turns out, Carrie’s best shot at breaking her own record involves training with her ex-situationship, Bowe.
We’ve been in a bit of a Taylor Jenkins Reid drought, waiting for Atmosphere to come out in June, so naturally, we took matters into our own hands. The second we learned about the Serena Williams-helmed adaptation of Carrie Soto Is Back, we couldn’t help but dream about the cast we might see in it. Read on to see the actresses and actors we hope to see hit the court on Netflix.
What do you think of our dream cast? Comment below with who you would cast for these characters and more in Carrie Soto Is Back!
Christian Serratos as Carrie Soto
With the single-focused determination of Challengers‘ Tashi Duncan and the success-fueled unlikability of The Devil Wears Prada‘s Miranda Priestly, it’s safe to say Carrie “the Battle Axe” Soto didn’t come to the court to make friends. While the media can’t stand her and she may be past her prime, Carrie exits retirement, vowing to protect her legacy and regain her world record. For us, the perfect actress to embody Carrie Soto is Christian Serratos, whose career began with the roles of Suzie in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide and Angela in the Twilight saga. More recently, Serratos proved her action chops fighting zombies on The Walking Dead. Mixing nostalgic romance and thrilling adrenaline, Serratos’ resume has all the ingredients needed to bring Carrie Soto to life.
Xochitl Gomez as Young Carrie Soto
It wouldn’t be a Taylor Jenkins Reid story if it didn’t span decades. In Carrie Soto Is Back, readers get a window into Carrie’s upbringing, first love, and when she first picked up the racket. For that reason, we are certain the adaptation will cast a second actress to play young Carrie. Enter Xochitl Gomez, the Marvel actress turned Dancing With the Stars champion, who we would love to see play teenage Carrie. So much of Carrie’s character is rooted in the early training she received from her father, Javier, starting at age two. We know that the road to becoming the greatest isn’t easy for Carrie, and the actress who plays her younger self will need to have the grit to make us believe both her struggle and her success. At age 18, Gomez knows a thing or two about being a rapidly rising star. Mix her rise to fame with the absolute boot camp that is Marvel stunt training, and we have our young Carrie.
Antonio Banderas as Javier Soto
We’re sure we’re not the first to say that Antonio Banderas needs to be on our screens more, but we sure won’t be the last. We’ve tapped Banderas for the role of Javier Soto, Carrie’s father. A tennis great himself, Javier is determined to make his daughter the greatest of all time. While their relationship hasn’t been smooth sailing, Javier returns to tennis with Carrie, serving as the coach who will lead her to redemption. While Carrie Soto Is Back is a definite jump from Babygirl, we adore Banderas and know he would bring us to tears portraying the father-daughter relationship at the heart of this story.
Midori Francis as Nicki Chan
For every tennis great, another player is waiting in the wings for their turn at greatness. For Carrie Soto, this is Nicki Chan, the stunning young player challenging her hard-earned title. While Nicki is a tough pill for Carrie to swallow, she is one of our favorite characters, and we cannot think of a better actress to bring her to life than Midori Francis. While Francis brought an innocence and whimsical quality we loved in Dash & Lily, it was actually her portrayal of Alicia on The Sex Lives of College Girls that had us sold on her playing Nicki. Contrasting Carrie’s brutal exterior and hidden inner vulnerability, Nicki finds a way to present both, hitting Carrie with a much-needed wake-up call.
Glen Powell as Bowe Huntley
Finally, we have Bowe Huntley, one of Carrie’s peers who, unlike her, never gave up playing the game. Past his prime and struggling to stay in the limelight, Bowe begins training under Javier with a much begrudging Carrie. Known for his charm and likability, we couldn’t help but picture Bowe as modern rom-com legend Glen Powell. We’ve seen him chasing storms in Twisters, flying a fighter aircraft in Top Gun: Maverick, and dangling from helicopters in Anyone But You, and now that it’s time for a new dream, we’re hoping learning to play tennis is his next great adventure.
