I got to admit I’m not too big of a Daredevil follower, but I’ve read a few comics and stuff over the years and enjoy the concept behind the character and think he has the potential to be Marvel’s ‘Batman,’ and yes I know the character used to be kind of goofy, but one of the things I really enjoyed about Daredevil was Frank Miller’s take on the character and the overall concept of the Ben Affleck film; it was very dark and grounded, very fitting for the character.
With the ‘Daredevil’ movie, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. There were obviously a few issues which just put me off, such as the casting, the weird red leather costume, the fight in the park and of course the overly camp and hammy Collin Farrell, but that again sort of ties into the casting. My point is though, I liked how that movie made Daredevil dark and put him in a very dangerous world, it felt organic and realistic, they even effectively (to a degree) meshed fantasy with fiction so would love to see that kind of tone stick with the new film series (not sure if Marvel have the rights back or what, so please do tell). Well, with that being said, I don’t want to sound like a Nolanite (his films are good, but he’s got flaws there too) but whoever ends up making the new ‘Daredevil’ needs to take some inspiration from his ‘Batman’ films, end of the day the set the standard for modern superhero films and as stated above following such a route would suit a character like Daredevil very well.
Anyway, just got to mention; some of the actors I’ve cast for some of the roles are fan favourites, and I even used some choices that other users have used on their own fan casts, so I can’t actually remember your names, but great choices there and thank you for the inspiration.
Matt Murdock aka Daredevil – Michael C. Hall
I haven’t seen Michael in much, but I’m a huge ‘Dexter’ fan and it’s clear he’s the fan favourite for the role. He looks the part and is a very versatile and dramatic actor and could definitely bring the right intensity needed to the role and if he does it as well as he plays Dexter then we will be in for a treat.
As for the costume, as stated before I don’t think red leather is the right way to go; it just looks uncomfortable and impractical. Now I’m not saying it should be Kevlar, but it should definitely be padded for protection but made with lighter materials to make it seem realistic that a guy can move around with agility in it (I’ve always imagined Daredevil’s fighting/movement style to be a mix of parkour, boxing, taekwando and judo; so just fast and rough). As for the colour scheme I just thought a full on red suit and mask would seem a bit too bright for an urban vigilante like him, so would expect to be a very dark two-toned red maybe with black thrown into it every now and then. Now with the inception behind the suit, obviously Matt couldn’t have made it so I’d imagine Stick made it for him. Marko Djurdjevic’s take on the costume (despite looking leathery) seems like a good place to start.
Jack ‘the Devil’ Murdock – Josh Brolin
Josh is another great actor so firstly he would be a treasure to have (I actually thought he was decent as Jonah Hex), secondly to me he slightly resembles Michael so it wouldn’t be too hard to believe they’re related. Anyway, despite all that, the main thing about Josh that convinced me he’d be perfect here is that he has this rugged look to him, of course I’d expect him to get bigger but even as he is now he’d be pretty well suited here.
Stick – Scott Glenn
This was one of the casting choices I saw on this site, so whoever you are if you’re reading this; great choice and thanks for the inspiration. Well, admittedly I haven’t seen Scott in much, but I liked him in ‘Freedom Writers’ and ‘Sucker Punch’ he definitely has that wise old master vibe going for him and actually resembles the character quite a bit.
Now I’m not really sure what Stick’s story is, but I always thought he was an Irish American soldier who travelled and fell in love with Japan; staying there, getting married to a woman with Yakuza/Hand ties, etc, eventually being forced to return to America as a way of escaping such a turbulent life, where he eventually takes Matt in and trains him to uphold justice, etc.
Franklin ‘Foggy’ Nelson – Sean Astin
I haven’t seen him in much, but he was good in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ films and I’ve seen his name crop up for the role quite a bit so would like to see him give it a go. Unlike Jon Favreau’s version of the character I’d expect him to be less comedic and more like a brother to Matt; so he should be aware of his identity.
Ben Urich – William Fichtner
Will’s another great actor and also would be a great addition to a ‘Daredevil’ movie. Rather than the typical timid comic book version of the character, I’m taking some inspiration from ‘Spider-Man: Noir,’ so I’d like to Ben as a bit more hard-boiled and even slightly corrupt; seeing Daredevil as a chance at redemption, etc.
Karen Page – Julia Stiles
This may seem like odd casting, but I really enjoyed how well Julia worked with Michael in ‘Dexter’ season five; they just had great chemistry with one another and I think that could apply well to the relationship of Matt and Karen, as both sets of character are troubled but hopeful… Not too sure how to explain it, but I just have a gut feeling this would work.
Elektra Natchios – Stana Katic
Not too sure if she’s Greek or not (I think she is), but despite that she looks the part a lot more than Jennifer Garner did and I enjoy her work on ‘Castle.’ I think she’s a pretty good actress and could definitely bring a more grounded and dramatic presence to the role, cementing the tragic relationship between Matt and Elektra.
Danny Rand – Logan Marshall Green
Firstly, I just have to say I don’t think an ‘Iron Fist’ or ‘Power Man’ film would work well alone or even as a typical superhero film, but rather as a ‘Heroes for Hire’ film about a pair of super powered bodyguards; think ‘Burn Notice’ meets ‘Heroes’ and ‘The Wire.’ Also, I think the best way to introduce such lesser known characters is by having them cameo/appear in a more known character’s film and then expanding from there.
Now, I’m taking a bit more of an ‘Ultimates’ approach to the character mainly due to the reasons stated above, but with my casting I really enjoy Logan’s work on ‘Dark Blue,’ I think he’s a very underrated actor and think he could bring a lot of grit to the role and bring a very unique quality to it.
Luke Cage – Morris Chestnut
Morris is another very talented and underrated actor, the guy has the right look needed, at 6 foot 2 is pretty tall and is built like a powerhouse. His name might not get tossed around for the role and some may claim “he’s too good looking for the role,” but I’ve always imagined Luke Cage to be charismatic and have a powerful presence to him rather than being flat out intimidating and I think Morris could do well with that in mind.
Jessica Jones – Jennifer Carpenter
She’s another very talented actress, and I just have to say I mainly cast her from her work on ‘Dexter.’ I just see her character Deb and Jessica as parallels to one another and have always seen the relationship between Matt and Jessica as a brother/sister one, so think she would do wonders in the role. As for her place in the superhero world, like with Danny Rand and Luke Cage I’d prefer her to be grounded slightly so she should be a super powered private investigator.
Maya Lopez aka Echo – Daniella Alonso
I haven’t seen her in much, but Daniella’s thrown out a few good performances here and there and I think she could do well here.
Now again, I’m not too sure what Echo’s story is, but from what I can remember she was manipulated into becoming an assassin for the Kingpin and later became Daredevil’s associate and did some work for him in Japan; this would give Daredevil an international scope and would allow for more expansion on the Hand and in my opinion deliver a better cinematic experience.
Frank Castle aka the Punisher – Clive Owen
Now this may seem like odd casting, but I was watching ‘Inside Man’ the other day and I just thought he’d be perfect; he’s a great actor, he’s imposing and stands at 6 foot 2, he has a powerful presence to him, he can easily play cold and calculating and he has this rough and rugged look going for him that would suit the character well. Despite that though he’s been great in numerous other films like ‘The International’ and ‘Sin City,’ and he’s even been rumoured for Spike Lee’s ‘Old Boy’ so I would really love to see him do it.
Anyway, seeing as how the Punisher hasn’t had the best cinematic luck, I’d expect him to be reintroduced through a bigger character and this time to be presented maybe a bit more villainous; think of it as a fresh take on the character. Personally, I like what the ‘Ultimates’ did with him; he was a former soldier turned cop, his family was gunned down by corrupt cops, and he operates as the Punisher following some strict religious morality he adopts through visions of his wife’s ghost (this is my own addition to the character, but I imagine it to be like how Dexter sees Harry).
Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin – Vincent D’onoforio
I haven’t seen Vincent in much, but what little I have seen him in has proven he’s a very talented actor; he has this raw underplayed presence to him that gives him this very cool “you don’t want to mess with me vibe” and at 6 foot 3 he’s also pretty tall and imposing. Now admittedly, he’s not as big as the comic book counterpart, but I’d expect him to wear a muscular fat suit (like Ray Stevenson in ‘Thor’) and lifts to make him appear more imposing and taller. Right now to me he is the best candidate there is for the role and I’d really love to see him give it a go.
Martin Li aka Mr Negative – Chow Yun Fat
The role should be done with prosthetics and CGI. Now, I know Mr Negative is more of a Spider-Man villain, but I just thought due to him being a crime boss and his supernatural nature it’d be cool to tie him into the Hand and therefore Daredevil as well. With Chow, the dude is a great martial artist and a pretty good actor too, he’s thrown out quite a few good dramatic performances and he even looks the part so I’d really like to see him give it a go.
Silvio Manfredi aka Silvermane – Eric Robberts
This also happens to be one of the casting choices I saw on this site, so thank you to the user who originally came up with this. Now not sure if Eric Robberts is still in rehab or what, but he’s a pretty good actor and I thought did pretty well with his short screen time in ‘The Dark Knight’ so that admittedly did factor into my casting decision; I kind of see him as one of the last old school gangsters, not really hoping to see him in that weird robot suit.
Joseph Antonia aka Hammerhead – Christopher Meloni
The role should be done with prosthetics and CGI. Anyway, ‘Oz,’ ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ are just a few of the shows Chris has given great performances in. The guy is undoubtedly a great actor, really enjoy his work, he can definitely play intimidating well and deliver on the presence needed for the role so would love to see him give it a go.
Zebediah Killgrave aka the Purple Man – Robert Knepper
The role should be done with prosthetics and CGI. Anyway, I really enjoyed his on ‘Prison Break’ admittedly it’s the only thing I’ve seen him in, but this alongside the fact he has this very creepy appeal to him makes me think he’d do wonders in the role. Now as for his origin, I like the idea of Zebediah being a conman with ties to the Russian Mafia who was caught up in an accident which burnt/bleached his skin a dark maroon toned purple and gave him low level telepathic abilities, leading to him becoming a crime boss of sorts.
William Russo aka Jigsaw – Tom Hardy
The role should be done with prosthetics. Now, I’m hearing his name crop up a lot for Wolverine, and I’m not against that (it’s actually the best superhero role to fit him), but I’m going for an older cast with my take on the Marvel Universe, and Tom still seems a bit too fresh faced for Logan. Anyway, I really liked him in ‘Bronson’ and he played a similar role in ‘The Take’ so I’d be more than willing to see what he could do here.
Lonnie Thompson Lincoln aka Tombstone – Michael Jai White
The role should be done with prosthetics and CGI. Anyway, Michael’s admittedly not a great actor but he’s not completely bad either so in a role like this I think he could do pretty well; he’s played intimidating gangsters before and he’s a great martial artist (not really expecting martial arts to be utilised with the character, always imagined him to be a rough and tough powerhouse rather than graceful or anything) so could undoubtedly deliver on the action needed.
Lester Pointdexter aka Bullseye – Jude Law
Now this may seem like odd casting, but with the great job did he with roles in films like ‘Road to Perdition’ and ‘Repo Men’ I think Jude can effectively ditch his charismatic good guy appeal in favour of a psychotic, sadistic hitman.
Now, again not too sure on Bullseye’s origins, but I always figured it’d be cool if he was a former (overly aggressive/deranged) SHIELD agent who received upgrades similar to Hawkeye and eventually went rogue becoming a gun for hire.
Maki Mutsomuto aka Lady Bullseye – Maggie Q
I haven’t seen Maggie in much, but if ‘Nikita’ is any indication, it’s clear she’s a pretty good actress, and of course her martial arts skills are incredible. If anyone can do this role justice it’s got to be her.
Larry Cranston aka Mr Fear – Christian Camargo
As you can tell by now I’m a big ‘Dexter’ fan and Christian was a great starting villain for Dexter in season 1. He worked well alongside Michael and effectively acted as a dark (well darker) counterpart to him, in this light I’m slightly reimaging Mr Fear to be a dark counterpart to Daredevil. If Chris plays the role as well as the Ice Truck Killer then we may get one of the best villains ever.
Mary Walker aka Typhoid Mary – Katee Sackhoff
I’ve heard her name affiliated with the role for a while now, and I got to admit this is pretty sweet casting. I haven’t seen her in much but she’s play dark and disturbed well before so I’d like to see what she could do.
Melvin Potter aka Gladiator – Dominic Purcell
He’s a pretty good actor and has knack for playing big and imposing thugs, so this would hardly be a stretch. As for his origin and costume, I’m not too fond of the kinky S & M suit, so would expect something different for his suit, as for his origins, I like the idea of him being a former mixed martial artist who was exposed for steroid abuse and subsequently became an underground fighter/muscle for hire.
So, hope you liked my take on ‘Daredevil.’ Please check out my ‘Street Fighter’ fan cast too, thanks.