As previously said, 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 a potential director as well as (most of) the primary heroes and villains of the Spider-Man mythos, 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. Notably, for this cast I initally did plan on releasing prior to the announcement of the new Spider-Man, but obvioulsy I wasn't too punctual, so please do consider it in that light.
Anyway, enjoy and leave a comment/thumbs up below!
Phil Lord and Chris Miller | The Directors
Notable Credits: The Jump Street Series, The Lego Movie
Lord and Miller are one of the great directorial teams that have been getting the right attention in recent years, and whilst they are said to be working on an animated film for the Web Slinger, I can’t help but feel they’d be better suited to a live action incarnation. Put simply, they’re really great at what they do, and what they do is perfectly balance comedy, action and heart all very well. Whilst it can be said/somewhat criticised that they may not be too appropriate for the dramatic aspects of the character, frankly speaking after the revelation that was the Russo brothers, another comedic duo taking on directing duties for a Marvel isn’t something that worries me in the slightest, as personally, this duo to me, are perfect for this position.
The Good:
Dylan O’Brien | Peter Parker aka Spider-Man
Notable Credits: Teen Wolf, The Internship, The Maze Runner
Whilst this casting decision did not unfortunately happen, O’Brien to me, represents the ideal representation of this character despite how unoriginal a choice he is. To the uninitiated who may be unaware as to why, it’s simple; he’s capable of both drama and comedy (the latter more so) and very much so has an underdog appeal to him and most recently effectively displayed his capability with action in the very underrated
The Maze Runner.
Personally speaking, with O’Brien, I genuinely believe we would’ve finally gotten a comic accurate Spider-Man, essentially someone who could perfectly capture the ‘sympathetic nerd’ aspect of the character as well as the wisecracking adrenalin junkie side.
Melissa McBride | May Parker
Notable Credits: The Mist, Walking Dead
I’ve obviously gone notably younger for the role, but with McBride at the helm I think we’d be in for a treat by a way of a fresh, unique and just more entertaining incarnation of Spider-Man’s surrogate mother. She’s a great actress and has shown great capability with drama, dark humour and how good she is at being badass, whilst not all these traits are entirely relatable to the character, this just again reinforces in my mind the view that McBride would be a standout in the role and really just be able to reinvent the role.
Holland Roden | Mary Jane Watson
Notable Credits: Teen Wolf
I’ve not seen Roden in much, and from what I understand she’s a popular choice for the role, but when considering her work in
Teen Wolf, opposite O’Brien (in a very Peter Parker-esque role he played well), she’s shown she’s got great chemistry with him and shown great potential. End of the day, the way I see it, she’s an up and comer and in a role like this, granted she’s a visual fit and also a pretty solid young actress, it would make sense casting her.
Alexander Ludwig | Freddy ‘Flash’ Thompson
Notable Credits: The Hunger Games, Lone Survivor, Vikings
I’ve seen Ludwig in a fair bit now, and it’s safe to say he’s a pretty solid young actor. He’s got talent and is pretty competent plus has the right kind of look and presence needed for the role, and generally feels quite appropriate for the part too especially when considering his more recent filmography.
Alec Baldwin | J Jonah Jameson
Notable Credits: Beetlejuice,
The Departed,
30 Rock,
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (upcoming)
To some this is an odd casting choice, but frankly, in my eyes there is no better suited actor to JJJ’s explosive style of aggressive ‘comedy’ than Baldwin. He can do drama and comedy very well and is notorious for his temper, and granted his somewhat recent weight loss, he even pretty much resembles the character too, so would definitely be interesting to see.
David Alan Grier | Joe Robertson
Notable Credits: In Living Colour,
Jumanji,
Bad Teacher
Grier is a pretty solid character actor, notably more so for his comedy work rather than his dramatic but even so, I think he’d be great in this role especially when considering his brief role in
Jumanji, which pretty formed the basis of my reasoning in casting him here.
Jason Bateman | Ben Urich
Notable Credits: Arrested Development,
Paul,
Horrible Bosses,
Disconnect,
Bad Words
This is one casting decision that’s sure to leave a few eyebrows raised, but frankly I feel Bateman is one of the most underrated actors around. He’s capable with both drama and comedy and with the latter is great at both laugh out loud humour and deadpan too. In a role like this, I think he’d be able to bring some great subtle humour and also a certain kind of world weary optimism, which personally just feels highly appropriate for the character.
Jennifer Carpenter | Jean DeWolfe
Notable Credits: White Chicks,
Dexter,
Quarantine
Carpenter is a very solid and reliable actress. She’s proven her skills with comedy and drama (especially the latter) pretty damn well and has most certainly proven herself to be more than capable of playing strong, albeit somewhat damaged characters too. If cast here, I think she’d really do brilliantly and potentially be the equivalent of Spider-Man’s cinematic ‘Jim Gordon’ in the process too.
Meghan Markle | Linda Carter aka the Night Nurse
Notable Credits: Suits
I only know Markle from her role as Rachel Zane in
Suits, but it’s definitely proven her to be a capable actress, and shown that she can play bubbly, easy going and optimistic all very well- whilst that’s not necessarily what this character is known for, I personally feel well as the bright light in the often dark and troubling world of street level superheroes.
Amber Heard | Felicia Hardy aka Black Cat
Notable Credits: Never Back Down, Drive Angry, Machete Kills, 3 Days to Kill
This isn’t necessarily an original casting decision, but it’s certainly one that works well. Heard is a pretty good actress and certainly fits the role from a visual standpoint, but she also feels highly appropriate for the role especially in light of her more recent roles, such as Vivi Delay in the surprisingly entertaining
3 Days to Kill. Long story short? She’s got the looks and the talent and seems capable of nailing the attitude too, so I think it’s safe to say she’d work the role well.
The Bad:
David Morse | Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin
Notable Credits: 12 Monkeys, The Green Mile, 16 Blocks, Disturbia
Whilst a little skinnier than I’d have liked, Morse is undoubtedly a criminally underrated character actor. He’s not necessarily a dead ringer for a character like this but throughout his roles I’ve seen shades of what he could do as the Kingpin and frankly, it had him in my mind for this role for a long time, though the fact that he’s physically a very imposing and intense individual obviously helps matters. Anyway, if ever he were to get the part like this, given his commitment to prior roles, I can imagine him bulking up or doing whatever is needed, but if not, knowing Marvel we could always get a beefier looking Kingpin ala Ray Winston as Volstagg.
Sharlto Copley | Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin
Notable Credits: District 9,
The A-Team,
Elysium,
Oldboy,
Chappie,
Powers
Whilst a little younger for my liking, Copley is very gifted actor and definitely someone who excels in unique roles such as this, so despite his ‘youth’ if he ever is cast, makeup could always age him up a bit. Regardless, going back to the point at hand, Copley is more than capable of balancing his characters well and is definitely capable of handling dark and deranged characters too. Personally speaking, he’s one of the very few actors there are that I think could elevate the role and reinvent the character also for a new generation.
Freddie Highmore | Harry Osborn aka the Green Goblin (2)
Notable Credits: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, August Rush, The Art of Getting By, Bates Motel
To some this will be an odd casting choice, but after Highmore’s great turn as a young Norman Bates I can’t help but feel he’d be perfect for the Green Goblin’s reluctant protégée. Highmore’s proven a clear strength in playing damaged and dark character’s pretty well and clearly is good with drama, but as seen from his earlier films, he also knows how to keep things light; so, if cast, I think he’d be able to bring a lot of depth to the role and just deliver a very deep and unique take on the character too.
Kenneth Branagh | Otto Octavius aka Doctor Octopus
Notable Credits: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein,
Othello,
Valkyrie,
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Another strange casting choice to a lot of people, and definitely understandable given Branagh is now known more for his directorial skills then his acting. Either way, from what I’ve seen of Branagh’s work in front of the camera, it can definitely be said he’s very underrated and just brings a very classical presence to his roles, and as seen primarily through his work as Iago in
Othello,
and most recently as a pretty formidable villain in the unfortunately lacklustre
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. So if cast, I think Branagh would just do brilliantly well in the role and make for a very interesting incarnation of the character.
Zeljko Ivanek | Adrian Toomes aka the Vulture
Notable Credits: Oz,
Damages,
Heroes,
Banshee,
True Blood
Ivanek is a notorious character actor known primarily for his work in television, but when it comes to casting a role like this, no other actor really comes to mind for me. He can definitely play cold, calculating and intimidating characters you love to hate very well, and for someone like the Vulture that’s highly appropriate and most certainly what it takes to do the role justice.
Eric Bana | Sergei Kravinoff aka Kraven the Hunter
Notable Credits: Chopper, Munich, Troy, Star Trek, Hannah, Deadfall
Bana’s a proven talent, more than capable of being badass and equally as talented with drama as he is with comedy. Physically, he looks the part and in terms of filmography, as seen by his work in
Hannah and
Deadfall I think he could be able to bring great depth to the role and definitely showcase the darker side of the character well too.
Oscar Isaac | Quinten Beck aka Mysterio
Notable Credits: Drive,
A Most Violent Year,
Ex Machina,
X-Men: Apocalypse (upcoming),
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (upcoming)
Isaac is an actor who’s finally starting get more attention, and frankly, it couldn’t come quicker. He’s a really talented actor and very charismatic and most definitely has a very suave and entertaining ‘showman’ presence, as seen most recently in
Ex Machina. In my eyes, he’s quite possibly the only actor who could make Mysterio come off as very dangerous and cool and just as a proper legitimate threat, and granted he’s a self-proclaimed fanboy, I don’t think he’d disappoint.
Tom Wlaschiha | Dmitri Smerdyakov aka the Chameleon
Notable Credits: Game of Thrones
I’ve not seen Wlaschiha in anything other than
Game of Thrones, but by all rights he’s proven his suitability for this role with his work there- to the uninitiated, he pretty much plays the Chameleon there, albeit his character there is more honourable/by the book. Either way, he’s proven his talents and the fact that he’s European just helps things that much more.
Theo Rossi | Max Dillon aka Electro
Notable Credits: Sons of Anarchy
Like with Wlaschiha, my viewing experience of Rossi has been very limited but what little I’ve seen makes me think he’d be an ideal candidate for the role. He’s a solid actor, and can play badass and cool pretty well, but despite all that he perfectly captures the brash/impulsive nature of Electro, and personally speaking, if cast I think he’d make the role a lot more entertaining and badass than his predecessor.
Stephen Dorff | Mac Gargan aka Scorpion
Notable Credits: Blade, Felon, Immortals
Dorff is far from a stellar actor, but he is reliable and does what’s expected of him pretty well. As seen by his role as Deacon Frost, he’s ideal for a character like this; he can play sleazy, hateable and relatively badass pretty well- frankly, for a character like this you don’t need much more, and Dorff certainly qualifies in that light.
Matt Schulze | Flint Marko aka Sandman
Notable Credits: The Fast and the Furious, Blade 2, The Transporter
Like with Dorff, Schulze is another
Blade alumni and far from being a brilliant actor, but he can play badass, tough, unlikeable and intimidating all very well and once again, for a character like this not too much more is really all that necessary.
Ray Stevenson | Aleksei Sytsevich aka the Rhino
Notable Credits: Rome, Punisher: War Zone, Thor, Kill the Irishman, Dexter
Stevenson is a severely underrated actor. He’s great with drama and can play cold, calculating, sympathetic and badass all very, very well. The fact that he’s behemoth and just very imposing also helps things but frankly in a role like this, whilst some would argue he’d be limited, I think he’d really shine and bring a lot of depth to the role and just succeed where his predecessor failed to match up.
Jere Burns | Miles Warren aka the Jackal
Notable Credits: Breaking Bad, Burn Notice,
Bates Motel,
Justified
Burns in my mind is the perfect choice for this role, mainly due to his almost uncanny resemblance to the character (or at least the incarnation of the above image), but fortunately he’s also a pretty good actor. Whilst I’ve yet to see him play full blown crazy, he’s proven himself as being capable with adversarial and just generally shady and manipulative characters pretty well, as seen primarily with his work in
Burn Notice, where he played a similarly manipulative character. Long story short; with someone like Burns playing the part, I think the Jackal would make for an especially great villain to see come to life.
Michael Emerson | Phineas Mason aka the Tinkerer
Notable Credits: Lost, Saw, Person of Interest
I’ve obviously gone notably younger for the character, but frankly no one else really fits the role for me like Emerson. He’s a greatly underappreciated actor who knows how to strike the perfect balance between cold, calculating, creepy/awkward and I guess cerebrally intimidating. In a role like this, I think he’d well and truly excel and just make for a great addition to any cast.
Warren Kole | Roderick Kingsley aka the Hobgoblin
Notable Credits: Mother’s Day, The Following
Kole first caught my attention in
Mother’s Day; whilst his role there was nothing too amazing, he soon blew me away with his great turn as Roderick in
The Following. It’s clear to me know he’s a very talented actor and has knack at playing suave, manipulative, creepy, cold and calculating sadists very well. Whilst he is a little younger than I initially wanted, I still think he’d be a great successor to the Goblin throne, and as for age? Makeup could always help in that regards.
Michael Ealy | Aaron Davis aka the Prowler
Notable Credits: Flash Forward,
Takers,
Almost Human,
The Following
To those who are familiar with the character, admittedly Ealy shares little resemblance with this character outside of the right ethnicity, but even so I’ve cast him here mainly due to his talents and as I’ve opted to go for a slightly younger incarnation of the character granted this cast is primarily for the Peter Parker incarnation of Spider-Man. So, why Ealy? Put simply he’s a very versatile and talented actor; he can do cool, suave/smooth, badass, intimidating and cold and manipulative very well; frankly that pretty much sums up what the character is known for and just sells the idea of him in the role to me.
Gerard Butler | Frank Castle aka the Punisher
Notable Credits: 300, Gamer, Law Abiding Citizen, Machine Gun Preacher, Olympus Has Fallen
What can I say? Butler is ridiculously badass, and one of the very few actors I believe would absolutely kill it as the unrelenting and brutal agent of punishment. He’s physically got the right look down, and is also very enigmatic and intense and fortunately is also a very capable actor too. If cast, I think he’d most certainly get the role right, and frankly just prove to be a great villain- something which, personally, I think needs to be done given the Punisher’s grittier take on crime fighting.
Ethan Hawke | Curt Connors aka the Lizard
Notable Credits: Gattaca, Training Day, Assault on Precinct 13, Daybreakers, Boyhood
Hawke’s a very great and versatile performer and can definitely bring the right kind of fatherly presence, intensity and nuanced cynicism to this role. He’s just one of those actors that feels incredibly appropriately cast here and I’d love to see it happen one day.
Boyd Holbrook | Eddie Brock aka Venom
Notable Credits: Hatfields & McCoys, A Walk Among the Tombstones, Run All Night
Holbrook isn’t exactly a behemoth like the comic incarnation, but a work out could always change that. Anyway, why’d I cast him? Whilst admittedly, I’ve not seen anything too amazing from him, he’s shown bursts of talent and intensity in what little I have and personally, I can’t quite explain it but I feel he’d be great in the role- like something among the lines of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character from
Nightcrawler, but more broken and badass.
Ben Foster | Cletus Kasady aka Carnage
Notable Credits: Alpha Dog,
3:10 to Yuma, 30 Days of Night, The Mechanic
Foster has shown a clear penchant at playing badass, broken, creepy, intimidating and intense characters very well and has in the process, proven himself to be a versatile performer and a very reliable character actor. For a character like this, casting someone has always been a bit tough for me, but if there’s anyone who could do it well, I’d say it’s Foster.
So, with that done, please leave a comment/thumbs up below!