Rumors have been circulating over the past few days about Josh Brolin potentially playing Darkseid, the biggest bad of all of DC’s big bads. The reasoning for this includes logic like he’s a fantastic actor, and he has the voice for Darkseid, but it seems like the reason most people want him in the role is this: it would be meta and funny. While I agree, yes, it would be pretty funny and Brolin likely would do a great job, I don’t think “being meta” is a very good reason for an actor to be cast in a role.
If you don’t know why it would be “meta” to cast Brolin as Darkseid, I’ll very quickly break it down. Stated very simply, Thanos and Darkseid are often considered the archnemeses to the Avengers and the Justice League, Marvel and DC’s main super teams. There’s a little more to it than that. Still stated simply, when Jack Kirby made the New Gods, including Darkseid, Jim Starlin created Thanos as a direct response. Some say Starlin copied Kirby, but I won’t go that deep into it. For these reasons, it could be considered meta.
While Josh Brolin certainly isn’t a bad choice, even if I don’t love the common reason for the choice, there are actors I think could be better in the role.
Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem is an incredible actor. He stars in one of my personal favorite movies No Country For Old Men and has played other roles impeccably in titles like Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and Mother. His voice has the deepness of Darkseid, and he’s proven that he can drop his accent, however, this might not be entirely necessary as Darkseid, a multidimensional being, doesn’t necessarily have to have an American accent. The only drawback to Bardem playing Darkseid is that his voice is extremely recognizable and that may pull some viewers out of the story.
Clancy Brown
Clearly, Gunn is perfectly fine casting actors in multiple roles, so the fact that Clancy Brown played Salvatore Maroni in The Penguin shouldn’t be a problem especially as, SPOILERS for The Penguin, his character is now deceased. Even before playing Salvatore Maroni, Brown was no stranger to DC as he has played Lex Luthor many times in plenty of widely loved animated projects. The only potential drawback to casting Brown as Darkseid is his age. He’s sixty six, which, of course, doesn’t mean he’ll die tomorrow, but he may not want to be wrapped up in a multi movie arc.
Vincent D’Onofrio
He may be busy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe running for mayor of New York City as Kingpin, but he could certainly make for a great Darkseid. He’s an amazing actor who stole every single scene he was in during Daredevil. He has the physical presence to play Darkseid, although that isn’t entirely necessary as the character will probably be almost entirely CGI. While his voice isn’t monstrously deep, I think he has the right sound for the character too.
Ray Porter
Give him another shot. Ray Porter already Portrayed Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s Justice League and, regardless of how you feel about the Snyderverse or the movie as a whole, I think most people agree that Ray Porter nailed the few lines he had. When he turns, walks away, and says, “Fine. We’ll use the old ways,” it gave me chills. I know it’s a singular line, but he truly exemplified the sound of Darkseid. For the role, which was indeed minimal, he also wore a mocap suit to portray Darkseid meaning he has experience and could certainly do it again.
Christopher Judge
By far, Christopher Judge is my top pick for Darkseid. He is best known for his role as Kratos in the God of War games. His voice acting in God of War is incredible, and one of the best video game performances ever, in my opinion. Every time I read a DC comic that features Darkseid, I imagine him having a very deep, grumbly voice similar to that of Kratos. Christopher Judge is no stranger to motion capture either as that was part of the reason he was hired to play the character. If one were to put Christopher Judge and Darkseid in a side by side image, you wouldn’t think he resembles the character all that much, but he also doesn’t really resemble Kratos, and he nailed that role.
Who do you think should play Darkseid? Should Gunn take the meta option and cast Brolin, or should he go with someone else? Let me know!