With the announcement that not only is National Treasure 3 in development, but that there’ll also be a Disney+ National Treasure series too, it’s cause for excitement, especially considering the few details surrounding the show.

Not much has been revealed about the upcoming Disney+ series, but the lead character will be Jess Morales, a Latin female treasure hunter. That’s reason in itself to be excited, but given the immense amount of talent in Hollywood, it gets more exciting when considering who could play the character.

Penelope Cruz

Though Penelope Cruz was the most famous star in the world in the late 1990s and early 2000s, her work has been slept on in recent years. However, she’s still putting out some of her best work, such as 2019’s Pain & Glory, where she shows off how great of a dramatic actor she is.

Though Cruz is such a huge name, it wouldn’t be hard to see her in a Disney+ series, as she featured in season 2 of the anthology series American Crime Story. And given how she isn’t a stranger to adventure movies in the vein of National Treasure, as she has starred in Sahara, she’d be a perfect answer to Cage’s Gates.

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba is another actress who isn’t quite as famous as she once was, as she rarely appears on the big screen anymore, but when she does, she’s just as badass as ever.

From Mechanic: Resurrection to Machete Kills, Alba is the key to giving sequels the kick that was missing in the original movies. And on top of that, she was also the lead actor in the show L.A.’s Finest, where she showed how she could carry a show by herself.

Eva Mendes

Though she hasn’t outright said that she has retired from acting, it’s been one long hiatus, as Eva Mendes’ last role in a movie was 2014’s Lost River, and her last role in TV was in 2013’s comedy Clear History. But Mendes would be a sight for sore eyes, and a leading role in a Disney+ show would be the perfect role for her return.

She hasn’t featured in any adventure movies, and her roles in action movies are scarce, but between her various roles as cops and her comedy chops as seen in The Other Guys and Knocked Up, it’s enough to carry the show. And given how Mendes has a history with Cage, as she starred alongside him in both Ghost Rider and The Bad Lieutenant, there’s already some chemistry there if Gates were to appear in the show.

Rosario Dawson

For the longest time, Rosario Dawson wasn’t getting the attention she deserved, yet she was a part of so many entertaining movies in the 2000s, whether it’s the stoner comedy Clerks II or the Quentin Tarantino-directed B-movie Death Proof.

But she is since getting more attention thanks to her major role in The Mandalorian as Ahsoka Tano, and as she already has ties to Disney+, it could be more likely than people think.

Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara might not be the most obvious choice to lead a series that will undoubtedly be full of action and adventure, as people envision her more in Gucci dresses than jungle fatigues, but she isn’t the highest-paid actress on TV for nothing.

The actress is so entertaining and funny, and given how Nicolas Cage is the face of National Treasure, it isn’t exactly going to be the most serious show in the world.

Zoe Saldana

Though many people might not know it, Zoe Saldana has a prominent role in three of the biggest properties in Hollywood: Star Trek, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Avatar. Though her schedule is surely filled up with the seemingly infinite amount of Avatar sequels that are being shot concurrently, and whatever Marvel projects she’s a part of, what’s one more property?

It’d also be nice to see her face in a starring role, as she’s covered up in her two most famous roles, Neytiri in Avatar, and Gamora in the MCU.

Natalie Martinez

Natalie Martinez isn’t exactly an A-list star, and she isn’t incredibly well known, but she is instantly recognizable due to having appeared all over TV over the past decade, and her breakout role is long overdue.

The actress is more of a character actor and she generally appears on various TV shows whenever a Latin female is needed. But she has shown time and time again how she has the acting chops for a much meatier role, it just hasn’t happened yet.

Michelle Rodriguez

One of the most fun things about the National Treasure series is how ridiculous some of the statements are that come out of Benjamin Gates’ mouth. Some of the lines in the series range from “I’m going to steal the Declaration of Independence” in the first movie, to “I’m going to kidnap the President of the United States” in The Book of Secrets.

No other actress would have more fun saying these kinds of lines than Michaelle Rodriguez. In the Fast & Furious series, Rodriguez soaks up every cringy line of dialogue and spits them out effortlessly, and this attitude would translate so well to the Disney+ series.

Ana De Armas

As there has been so little information given about the National Treasure adaptation (or spin-off), it’s unclear exactly what direction Disney wants to go in in terms of the lead actress. Nicolas Cage was 44 when he last portrayed Benjamin Gates, and even at 57, he’ll be returning in the third movie.

However, if Disney plans on completely changing the formula, it could just as easily go with a younger actress, and after her incredible performance in Knives Out, all eyes are on Ana De Armas. Though she should definitely return for the sequel to Knives Out, Armas could easily carry a National Treasure Disney+ series on her shoulders. She has so much energy and she’s no stranger to action, as she’ll be starring in the upcoming James Bond movie, No Time To Die.

Rachel Zegler

Ana de Arms might be young, but Rachel Zegler is not even 20 yet. However, she has so much talent, and considering how it was children who led Disney movies and shows years ago, the company could return back to this formula.

Though audiences haven’t seen much of Zegler yet, she has a leading role in the upcoming Steven Spielberg musical, West Side Story, a movie where the success or failure of it is based almost entirely on the actors. And based on what studios have seen of her in the movie, she has already been cast in the upcoming Shazam sequel.