I'm a fan of both DC and Marvel, though lean slightly more to DC given my preference for the World's Finest. Regardless, whilst I'm pretty happy with the output we're getting in terms of both companies' films, I'll admit every now and then they've cast a role that just hasn't sat well with me.
Long story short, for this cast I've decided to cast (most of) the primary heroes and villains of the DC universe, and essentially, who I'd like to appear in the cinematic universe, but for the sake of originality I've gone with completely different choices than the actors/actresses that have been cast already despite however much I like/dislike them.
Anyway, enjoy and leave a comment/thumbs up below!
The Good:
Benjamin Walker | Clark Kent aka Superman
Notable Credits: Kingsley, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Walker admittedly hasn't had too much attention in the limelight, but he's a very well credited stage actor and pretty capable dramatically, as seen even in the lacklustre
Abraham Lincoln. Anyway, in spite of his credentials, he undoubtedly has the 'strapping farmboy', and personally, he reminds me a great deal of Leinil Yu's incarnation of 'Big Blue' from
Superman: Birthright.
Anson Mount | Bruce Wayne aka Batman
Notable Credits: Hell on Wheels,
Safe,
Non-Stop
Mount has nailed it in pretty much everything I've seen him in. Admittedly, I haven't seen him in much, but what little I have showed how capable an actor he is, and also proved how good he is at playing intense, intelligent and badass characters.
Personally, he's one of the few actors that I can genuinely see playing a definitive Batman, and no not 'Bat-God', I mean the tactical genius from comics like
Superman: Red Son,
Justice League: Tower of Babel, and
Batman: Hush.
Eva Green | Dianna of Themyscira aka Wonder Woman
Notable Credits: Kingdom of Heaven,
Casino Royale,
300: Rise of An Army,
Penny Dreadful
Green has more than proven her talents; she's very versatile and very easy on the eyes and can play mysterious and badass pretty well. The fact that she even has an exotic look going for her personally qualifies her that much more in my book.
Philip Winchester | Arthur Curry aka Aquaman
Notable Credits: Crusoe,
Camelot,
Strike Back
Winchester is far from an original choice admittedly, but he is essentially an ideal candidate for the role, being both a very skilled actor and believable badass. The fact that I personally, can't help but draw similarities between Winchester and Ivan Reis's incarnation of the character also does nothing but reinforce my likening for him in the role, as he pretty much is a carbon copy of the character.
Taylor Kitsch | Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern
Notable Credits: Battleship,
John Carter,
Savages,
Lone Survivor
Kitsch hasn't had much luck when it’s come to headlining a film, but he is admittedly my only choice for the role. Despite his lack of success in starring roles, Kitsch has proven he's a talented actor and has a very rogue, Hal Jordan-esque charm to him, and personally, I think this is the role that could help both him and Green Lantern, bounce back into the limelight.
Dan Stevens | Barry Allen aka the Flash
Notable Credits: Downtown Abbey,
The Guest
I've not seen Stevens in much, but his role in
The Guest, is something which stuck with me. He's clearly a talented up and comer and can do badass pretty well too; personally, I think he'd do well as a more classic incarnation of the Flash, albeit with a bit of an edge, and frankly, that's something I really would want to see.
Peter Mensah | J'onn J'onzz aka the Martian Manhunter
Notable Credits: Spartacus,
True Blood
Mensah is another actor I've not seen too much off, but what little I have has been very memorable and formative. He's a talented actor and physically, very gift, but in addition to all this, he also has a very gruff and tough and wise presence, which personally, I think would do nothing but benefit him in the role by allowing him somewhat of a veteran position.
Sinqua Walls | Victor Stone aka Cyborg
Notable Credits: Teen Wolf
Again I've had a limited viewing experience of Walls, but he fits the role superficially and can throw out a solid performance. Whilst that's not much to go on, it is still something, and personally, did entitle him in my opinion to a shot at the role.
Travis Fimmel | Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow
Notable Credits: The Beast,
Vikings
Fimmel is a solid actor and also comes off as believably badass, but also has quite the charm, and this just makes me think he'd be able to balance grit with light heartedness well and just deliver a more rounded incarnation of the character.
Katheryn Winnick | Dinah Lance aka Black Canary
Notable Credits: Killers,
Vikings
Admittedly, I partially cast Winnick due to her chemistry with Fimmel, but ignoring that she is a very capable actress on her own, and also quite versatile and believably badass too. Personally, a reunion between these two actors would be nothing but beneficial for these roles, and I would genuinely be very pleased if Warner Bros. were to take them into consideration if the characters are to ever be added to their cinematic universe.
Joel Edgerton | Carter Hall aka Hawkman
Notable Credits: Animal Kingdom,
Warrior,
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Edgerton is a very capable actor and someone who deserves more credit than he gets. In a role like this, I can only imagine him excelling giving his penchant for physicality and his dramatic talents- personally, if done right, I can imagine Edgerton doing to this role what Hugh Jackman did for Wolverine.
Omari Hardwick | John Stewart aka Green Lantern (2)
Notable Credits: Dark Blue
From what I can tell Hardwick is a popular choice for the role, and whilst I’m not too familiar with the bulk of his talents, from what little I’ve seen it’s clear he’s a capable of individual, and definitely someone I would feel at ease with in this role.
Devon Sawa | Guy Gardner aka Green Lantern (3)
Notable Credits: Final Destination,
Nikita
Sawa is another capable actor with a penchant for physicality. Once again, my awareness of his talents is somewhat limited, but he has previously played a similar character well, so I think it’d be safe in assuming he could do well again.
Armie Hammer | Billy Batson aka Shazam
Notable Credits: Reaper,
The Social Network,
The Lone Rider
Hammer, like Kitsch has not had too much success when it’s come to the big screen but in a role like this I can’t see him doing anything short of excelling. He’s a very talented actor and has great comedic timing as well being physically imposing but as seen through his filmography, he has a penchant for playing similar characters to Shazam, so it’d be interesting if nothing else to see what he’d be capable of in the role.
Nate Parker | Michael Holt aka Mr Terrific
Notable Credits: The Great Debaters,
Pride,
Arbitrage,
Non-Stop
Parker is quite a very overlooked actor; he’s very skilled dramatically and is very charismatic and engaging, and just comes off as being wiser than his years. Personally, to me that is something resonates very well with this characters, and makes me think he is one of the few actors who could highlight this very underrated character.
Jay Baruchel | Ted Kord aka Blue Beetle
Notable Credits: Million Dollar Baby,
She’s Out of My League,
Tropic Thunder,
Goon,
This is the End
To some this will be a strange casting choice, but when it gets down to basic, Blue Beetle is DC’s answer to Spider-Man; frankly, Jay Baruchel is a very appropriate candidate for that/this role given he can play smart and funny, and even loves his Mary Jane. Jokes aside, I think Baruchel would surprise people in a role like this, and as expected bring great humour to the DCCU in general if cast.
Mike Vogel | Michael Jon Carter aka Booster Gold
Notable Credits: Cloverfield,
She’s Out of My League,
Bates Motel,
Under the Dome
Admittedly, I cast Vogel as I thought he had pretty great banter with Baruchel in
She’s Out of My League despite mediocrity of that film. Even so, on his own merits Vogel is a very reliable actor and can also strike a good balance between being tough and being funny, and for a role like this, it’s most definitely a criteria that needs to be met.
Nicole Beharie | Rhonda Pineda aka the Atom
Notable Credits: Shame,
42,
Sleepy Hollow
I realise this will be somewhat of a controversial casting given the character’s position in the comics and the fact that I’ve obviously not gone with Ray Palmer, but personally, a little diversity never hurt and if the character is reworked slightly (maybe with Palmer as a mentor), then personally I do think we’d get a much more interesting take on a superhero as opposed to another generic white genius suiting up.
So, with Beharie, it must be said; she is very, very easy on the eyes, but also a very talented actress. I’ve not seen her in much admittedly, but she delivers with what she’s given and is consistently watchable, so I would definitely be interested in seeing her take on this role.
Zac Efron | Ronnie Raymond aka Firestorm
Notable Credits: The Paperboy,
That Awkward Moment,
Bad Neighbours
Efron’s come a long way since his
High School Musical days, and proven to be a very entertaining individual. He’s got the superhero look/physique down already and has great comic timing and is also gifted dramatically, so I do consider him to be a fine candidate for this role.
Sam Claflin | Wally West aka the Flash (2)
Notable Credits: Snow White and the Huntsman,
The Hunger Games Series,
The Riot Club
Claflin is a very reliable up and comer; he delivers consistent performances despite the quality of his films and has the right kind of ‘spark’ a role like this requires. I think he’d be a great choice for the role, and would be very interested in seeing what he could do.
Shiloh Fernandez | Kyle Rayner aka the White Lantern
Notable Credits: Jericho,
Evil Dead
Admittedly, my viewing of Fernandez is somewhat limited, and I did actually spot a picture of him as Kyle Rayner on Google, but to me, it is one casting choice that fits, superficially at least. Ultimately, Fernandez is a talented young actor who does come off as soulful, so like Claflin, I would be willing to see what he could do in the role.
Charlie Hunnam | John Constantine
Notable Credits: Green Street,
Sons of Anarchy,
Pacific Rim
Hunnam though not necessarily talented with accents, is a another very reliable actor. He’s got the right kind of appeal going for him needed for a role like this and definitely brings a slight edge to his characters and is also pretty badass. Given he’s previously worked with Guiilermo del Toro, I would love to see him play this part, especially if Del Toro’s long anticipated ‘Justice League Dark’ film is ever made.
Odette Annable | Zatanna Zatara
Notable Credits: Cloverfield, House,
Breaking In
Annable is a relatively engaging actress. Like a few others I’ve cast here, she is very easy on the eyes, but also has the necessary exotic look going for, so at the very least, I would like to see what she could potentially do in this type of role.
Matt Smith | Boston Brand aka Deadman
Notable Credits: Dr Who
Smith though not necessarily my favourite Dr, has proven himself to be fairly entertaining and more than capable of balancing light and darkness. Whilst I’m not familiar with his strength with accents, he’s definitely got talent and can pull off charismatic/quirky, so is definitely a candidate I’d consider for this role.
The Bad:
Ron Pearlman | Darkseid
Notable Credits: Blade 2, the Hellboy Series, Conan, Sons of Anarchy
Far from original, but Pearlman is an actor who just works for this character. He’s physically very imposing and has the right kind of look needed, but he’s also got the perfect voice to match and is fortunately so, a very gifted and often overlooked actor who also happens to have a gift at bringing larger than life characters like this to life. Put simply, Warner Bros. make this happen.
Damian Lewis | Lex Luthor
Notable Credits: Band of Brothers, Life, Homeland
Lewis is quite an underrated gem of an actor. He’s often over looked but is very great at what he does. As seen in
Homeland, he’s more than capable of tackling a role like this, but also looks very fitting for the role too, and resultantly, was/is my ideal candidate for this role.
Lars Mikklesen | BrainIAC
Notable Credits: Sherlock
Whilst Lars is the less famous of the Mikklesen brothers, he is a very gifted actor who would do nothing but shine in this role. As seen in
Sherlock, he can be cold, calculating, deceptive and borderline scary/repulsive all very well- personally, that feels more than appropriate for this role, and I would genuinely love to see him cast.
Robert Maillet | Doomsday
Notable Credits: 300,
Sherlock Holmes,
The Strain
Admittedly, a role like this should be done primarily more so with CGI as opposed to practical effects, but in terms of casting, Maillet would be an ideal candidate either way. Physically he’s a powerhouse of a man, and not too bad an actor to boot; his previous filmography has shown memorable he can be in roles like this, so personally I would also love to see him take on the role.
Michael Pitt | The Joker
Notable Credits: Funny Games,
Boardwalk Empire,
Hannibal
Whilst a little younger for my liking, Pitt is very gifted actor and definitely someone who excels in dark roles such as this, so despite his 'youth' if he was cast, make up could always age him up a bit. Anyway, e can play charismatic, engaging, dark, funny and very, very scary very well, so is definitely someone I had in mind for the role- the fact that he greatly resembles the current incarnation of the character is something that just further reinforces the idea of me wanting to see what he could do here.
Mads Mikklesen | Ra’s Al Ghul
Notable Credits: Casino Royale,
Valhalla Rising,
Hannibal
Another casting choice that was a little young to my liking, but more than appropriate. Mads not only is the more famous Mikklesen brother, but arguably the more talented. He’s great at playing villains and generally dark characters, as seen through the bulk of his filmography, so in a role like this, I think it’s safe to say he’d do nothing but ‘add another notch on his belt’.
Ruth Wilson | Circe
Notable Credits: Luther,
The Lone Ranger
I mainly know of Wilson due to her work in
Luther, but that alone was highly memorable and more than fitting in determining her appropriateness for this role. She’s got the talent and also looks the part; I think it’s safe to say she’d be a fine candidate for the role.
Noomi Rapace | Barbara Minerva aka Cheetah
Notable Credits: The Millennium Trilogy,
Prometheus,
The Drop
Casting this role proved to be a bit tricky, but Rapace is a very gifted actress, and personally speaking, edgy and dark enough for a role like this. Whilst the character itself can be faulted as being ‘too comicbooky’ for her, I think she’d be able to elevate the role and just make for a very cool villain.
Luke Evans | Orm Marius aka Ocean Master
Notable Credits: Immortals,
Fast & Furious 6,
The Hobbit Series, Dracula
Untold
Evans has proven himself to be a pretty badass actor; he’s got the talent and the looks and can play tough, calculating, regal and just straight up cool very well. In a role like this, I’d say he’s got everything that’s required.
Chiwetel Ejiofor | David Hyde aka Black Manta
Notable Credits: Children of Men,
Redbelt,
12 Years a Slave
Ejiofer is ridiculously underrated and a very genuine talent who’d be brilliant as a villain. Like with Rapace, I think he’d really elevate the role and shine as a villain people will love to hate.
Giancarlo Esposito | Thaal Sinestro
Notable Credits: Breaking Bad,
Revolution
Whilst my viewing experience of Esposito is fairly limited, what little I’ve seen him in has been brilliant in terms of determining his appropriateness for this role. The fact that he strongly resembles Dough Mahnke’s incarnation of the character also just benefits the idea of him of in the role, and further just makes me want to see it that much more.
Tom Hardy | Lobo
Notable Credits: Bronson,
RocknRolla,
Inception,
Warrior,
The Dark Knight Rises,
Mad Max: Fury Road (upcoming)
Hardy is a very versatile talent who would undoubtedly shine in this role. Whilst there has been some controversy regarding this character somewhat lately, I still think Hardy would absolutely shine and just deliver a very badass, very cool and very memorable DC villain again.
Stephen Lang | Mongul
Notable Credits: Avatar,
Conan,
Terra Nova
Lang is a very great character actor who excels in authoritative roles like this. This is admittedly straight forward type casting, but it works, very well, and is definitely a casting choice I’d like to see amount.
Toby Kebbell | Eobard Thawne aka the Reverse-Flash
Notable Credits: RocknRolla,
The Veteran,
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
I realise I’ve mixed Reverse-Flashes here, but despite the appeal of the original Reverse-Flash, his costume was always a tad too far on the silly side; an amalgamation of the original and the new incarnation just makes sense as the way to go.
So, with Kebbell he’s another very gifted actor. Consistently entertaining and pretty badass and creepy too, with his roles in
RocknRolla and
Planet of the Apes, he cemented his position in this role in my mind, and would frankly, be the perfect candidate in my eyes.
Nathan Jones | AMAZO
Notable Credits: Troy
Once again, this is a role that should be done more so with CGI as opposed to just practical effects, but if an actor is to take on the role, I can think of none more fitting than Jones. Whilst he’s not exactly an Raspberry candidate let alone an Oscar candidate, he’s good at what he does and what he does is act tough and imposing; something he’d be fine at doing in this role.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers | Werner Zytle aka Count Vertigo
Notable Credits: The Tudors,
Mission Impossible 3,
From Paris with Love,
Dracula
Meyers is quite an underrated talent, who definitely has a knack at playing intense and regal characters. Whilst it could be said such a role may be out of his comfort zone, from his work in
The Tudors and
Dracula in particular, I'd say he'd make an ideal choice for the role.
Brad Pitt | Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke
Notable Credits: Snatch,
Fight Club,
Troy,
Inglorious Basterds,
Fury
Since David Ayer was announced as the director for
The Suicide Squad I’ve greatly wanted Pitt for this role. He’s charismatic, tough, badass and just oozes swagger; to me that pretty much sums up what Deathstroke is, and personally, Pitt as a villain is just something so enticing it needs to happen again.
Ed Skrein | Charles Graham aka Prometheus
Notable Credits: Ill Manors,
Game of Thrones,
The Transporter Legacy (upcoming)
Skrein is a relatively unknown but he’s proven himself to be a solid young performer and like Pitt has a very confident swagger to him that just feels highly appropriate for this role. Whilst it might be a bit early to say, he also does appear to fit the role physically also, so by all rights, is definitely someone I’d consider for this character.
Marton Csokas | Teth-Adam aka Black Adam
Notable Credits: xXx,
The Debt,
The Equaliser
Csokas is a veteran character actor. He always delivers when playing villains and fits the bills very appropriately both physically and superficially, and was/is actually my initial choice for the role.
Jon Hamm | Maxwell Lord
Notable Credits: Mad Men,
The Town,
Bridesmaids
Admittedly, I did find this image on Google, so unfortunately this choice isn’t too original, but what it lacks in originality, it more than makes in appropriateness. Hamm is literally a perfect candidate for this role; he’s a gifted and versatile actor and has the right kind of tough yet classly vibe needed for this role, and would most definitely be a delight to watch if cast.
Jonathan Hyde | The Outsider
Notable Credits: Richie Rich,
Jumanji,
The Mummy,
The Strain
Hyde is a really great actor. He always adds the perfect touch of class to his roles and is consistent in his performances, whilst with this character at least, his role in the DCCU would be somewhat minimal, I still think he’d be very fitting and memorable, as he’s more than capable of doing a lot with a little.
Javier Bardem | Vandal Savage
Notable Credits: Collateral,
No Country for Old Men,
Skyfall
Bardem is another great villainous actor. Whilst his on-screen persona’s seem to be complete contradictions of what he’s actually like, it’s clear he has a gift when it comes to roles like this, and as seen per his two most notable villainous roles, he’d be more than able to deliver on the savageness and eccentricity needed for a role like this.
Dylan McDermot | David Graves
Notable Credits: Dark Blue,
American Horror Story,
Olympus Has Fallen
McDermot is somewhat overlooked but pretty damn appropriate for a role like this. He’s capable of handling dark material and delivers great dramatic performances very well- frankly, whilst this character didn’t leave too much of a lasting impression on me in the comics, with McDermot at the helm, I think he’d make for a very interesting and very person villain to witness.
Keith David | Despero
Notable Credits: Platoon,
There’s Something About Mary,
Pitch Black
David is great veteran actor and actually has a history with this character having previously voiced him in
The Justice League animated series. Whilst this initially, didn’t come to mind when I first cast him, it just reinforces how appropriate he is for the role and further makes me want to see him take it on in live action.
Michael C Hall | Jim Corrigan aka the Spectre
Notable Credits: Dexter,
Gamer
Hall is a brilliant and versatile actor who is well known for his capabilities with dark characters; frankly, given his past experience at playing another 'spirit of vengeance', I think it's a safe bet in saying he'd be an ideal candidate for this role.
Bill Nighy | Nekron
Notable Credits: The Underworld Series,
The Pirates of the Caribbean Series
With his role in the
Underworld series, Nighy really stressed how great he is at playing dark and regal villains. Frankly, his work there was nothing short of an audition for a role like this, and given his talents, I think he would be nothing but a benefit to the DCCU, so I also would love to see him take on this role if not another.
So, with that done, please leave a comment/thumbs up below!