Sapphics are thirsting over this pic of Sophie Turner as it’s announced she’s set to play Lara Croft
Sophie Turner is playing Lara Croft in a new adaptation. (Getty/Square Enix)
Sophie Turner is playing Lara Croft in a new adaptation. (Getty/Square Enix)
Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner is set to play Lara Croft in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s new live-action series Tomb Raider, and sapphics are struggling to control themselves.
Based on the 1996 video game series, the new much-anticipated new TV show will see Sophie Turner step into the role of British adventurer and archeologist Lara Croft, a role previously held by Angelina Jolie, Minnie Driver, and The Danish Girl’s Alicia Vikander.
It’s first the series to come from Fleabag creator Waller-Bridge’s deal with Prime Video, and is set to begin filming in January 2026, three years after it was first rumoured to be in the works.
Waller-Bridge will be the show’s creator, writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner, while Top Boy director Jonathan Van Tulleken will sit in the director’s chair.
Turner said in a statement that she is “thrilled beyond measure” to step into the shoes of such an “iconic character”.
“She’s such an iconic character, who means so much to so many – and I am giving everything I’ve got,” she said.
“They’re massive shoes to fill, following in the steps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerhouse performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are all in very safe hands. I can’t wait for you all to see what we have cooking.”
Waller-Bridge gushed over “formidable” Turner as the perfect actress to play Lara Croft in the new series.
“It’s not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving. Everyone on board is wildly passionate about Lara and are all as outrageous, brave, and hilarious as she is,” she said.
Turner has been rumoured to be the actress playing Lara Croft in the new series for some time, with Deadline reporting in November last year that she was close to signing on the dotted line.
After news of her casting was confirmed yesterday, both fans of Turner and lovers of the video game icon began celebrating, with some sapphic fans sharing some photos of Turner looking particularly hench and ready for the role.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Lara Croft,” one X user posted, alongside a photo of Turner standing in a swimming pool in a bikini, flexing her abs and biceps.
At the time of writing, the photo has more than 1.6 million views.
“Lord have mercy,” wrote one thirsty fan, as another declared: “I love women.”
While Lara Croft is one of the most recognisable British characters in entertainment, on a par with the likes of James Bond and the Doctor, she holds particular significance for queer women.
In the almost 30 years since the very first Lara Croft game was released, the character has become something of a gaming icon for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
While an abundance of sapphics have name-checked the famous adventurer as a queer awakening, there has also been speculation about her sexuality over the years.
Most recently, in 2024, Netflix released the animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft with Heartstopper’s Hayley Atwell in the titular role.
The series didn’t confirm the character to be queer, but some fans believed that it was hinted that she’s not quite straight, either.
In 2020, Jackson Lanzing, who co-wrote the comic Tomb Raider: Inferno, revealed that there was originally a queer kiss for Lara Croft in his adaptation, but it was ultimately cut out and replaced with, erm, a hug.
Sophie Turner, who was previously married to Jonas Brothers star Joe Jonas, hinted back in 2021 that she is bisexual.
“It’s mothaf*****g #pride month babaaaayyyyyy,” she wrote on Instagram Stories in June that year, along with numerous Pride-themed stickers, including “Bi Pride,” “Gay Pride,” “Move, I’m gay,” “Time isn’t straight and neither am I,” and a rainbow.
She previously said that she “loves a soul” rather than a “gender”.
It remains to be seen whether Turner’s iteration of Lara Croft will be queer, but the sapphics will be seated and ready to watch regardless.
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