Superman (Kal-El/Clark Kent) - Matt Damon
Casting Superman is harder than it would seem on the surface. I wanted to do something original here (as far as I know), so I scraped my brain for whoever I thought would work best. Damon might not be the best choice, but I think he would work in the role. Looking at his role in The Informant, that right there is the kind of fumbling personality Clark should have. At the same time, Damon has the physicality and serious acting ability to pull off the Superman character. The biggest concern here is the look of Damon as the character. His face doesn’t seem to go well with the costume in my mind and that could be problematic, but otherwise I think he’d do just fine.
Batman (Bruce Wayne) - Christian Bale
It’s a long shot, but it’d be nice to bring all of the recent DC movies together. Bale, in my opinion, trumps all other Batmen (save Kevin Conroy).
Wonder Woman (Princess Diana) – Jessica Biel
I simply couldn’t make up my mind on this one. I had Biel to begin with, but then thought that she might work for Black Canary. So, I cast Ali Larter in the role. However, then I saw how big Biel’s arms are in this picture and went back on that decision. Comparing appearances, Biel has a good look and she has had experience in action roles before.
Flash (Barry Allen) - Chris Pine
Another difficult casting here. Honestly, I think Flash only works in the Justice League scenario, because he really doesn’t have a strong rogue’s gallery and he has a simple power. For that reason, it’s hard for any one actor to immediately spring to mind. However, I got myself fixed on Pine and I think he’d fit well in the role. Pine has a good sense of humor, which every Flash has seemed to have throughout history, but he also is a mature actor that would take the role seriously.
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) - Ryan Reynolds
This, I should say, can only be considered a temporary casting. I won’t count Reynolds out yet, but, from what I saw in the trailer, I don’t know if the guy is going to be able to pull it off or not.
Aquaman (Arthur Curry/Orin) - Thomas Jane
This, too, was hard. Jane is a natural blonde and, though he seems to be slacking lately, he is usually in great shape. Jane is a seasoned actor and has had some good performances over the years. This casting would make him older than most of the people he would be working with, but I don’t see where that’s really a problem.
Martian Manhunter (J’onn J’onzz/John Jones) - Luke Goss + GCI
Goss has that cold stare and his personality comes off as so much colder in most of his performances. J’onn J’onzz isn’t much of an emotional character (at least not on the surface). Goss has shown that he can play with little emotion, but radiate his emotions through body language.
Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) - Brad Pitt
The look’s there, the skill’s there, and the experience’s there. Nuff said!
Atom (Ray Palmer) - James Franco
Franco made a name for himself in the Spider-Man franchise, but now he’s really starting to grow as an actor that can take on better roles. This is a not-so-well-known character outside of the population of comic book readers, but Franco could bring something special to the character that would make it important. The role probably wouldn’t be too big, but Franco seems to work well in small roles that carry a lot of weight.
Hawkman (Katar Hol/Carter Hall) - Liev Schreiber
Other than having the needed physicality to play the character, Schreiber has the acting chops to go along with that. Now, I’m gonna be honest: I didn’t put a whole lot of thought into this (I usually don’t). However, if something strikes me and it doesn’t sound like a half-bad idea, then I just say, “What the hell. That’ll work.”
Black Canary (Dinah Lance) – Ali Larter
This is the result of my hesitance and confusion on the Wonder Woman role. “Well, I’ve got Biel up there again, so I’ll just drop Larter down into the Black Canary role.” Larter would work well in the role, but I’m having trouble seeing her as a love interest next to Brad Pitt. Only time would tell on this one.
Phantom Stranger- Johnny Depp
I don’t really need to explain this one, because with me it’s always going to come back to Johnny Depp in one way, shape, or form.
Elongated Man (Ralph Dibny) - Jude Law
For someone whose name I couldn’t remember, Law came to mind for this part fairly quickly. Mostly, I looked at Identity Crisis (I did this for Atom also) and asked myself, “What talented actor most looks like that?” It’s hard comparing appearances when you’re dealing with a real person and a drawing, but Law would be a good translation for Dibny.
Red Tornado (Ulthoon/John Smith) - Doug Jones + CGI
If it’s an alien, a monster, robot, or whatever, you can never go wrong with Doug Jones.
Hawkgirl (Shayera Hol/Shiera Hall) - Famke Janssen
If I haven’t made it clear enough, this is my casting method: 1) look at DVDs on shelf; 2) think of an appropriate actor for the role I’m working on that’s in one of those movies on the shelf; and 3) type the name. It doesn’t always work out that way, but it seems to be working for me. I looked over at the X-Men movies on my shelf (those which I no longer know why I own) and Janssen came to mind. I’m not too familiar with the character (I’m mostly a Batman guy), but if it comes down to just “who looks good next to Schreiber,” then Janssen works.
Zatanna Zatara- Zooey Deschanel
Deschanel’s got a good look for this character, as well as having talent. Whether she’d really fit well in this character and with this cast is the problem to keep in mind. I think it’d blow over well, but someone with a more fiery personality might work better for the role.
I’m always open to constructive criticism (if I dish it out, then I’d better be able to take it). I don’t mess around with casts too often, but I do try my best when I get around to them. I know you’ve all got your own picks for these characters, so feel free to express your opinions below. It should also be noted that this cast was done for the first members that joined the Justice League through the ‘60s and ‘70s; casting the entire Justice League would be too much for me.