So to start things off, we have Crimson Wings; the story of Jason Todd, famously known as the Robin who becomes the notorious Red Hood. We lead off with an all star cast led by Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus) as Jason Todd, and Andrew Lincoln (Walking Dead) as Bruce Wayne/Batman. We find ourselves caught in a story based upon trust, respect of life after death, and the moral decision between vengeance and forgiveness.
Director:
Ruben Fleischer (Gangster Squad, Zombieland)
SilverFalcon: It's pretty difficult when trying to select a director to take over the reigns of the
Batman franchise, given that Christopher Nolan's trilogy has just recently come to a close, but I decided to go for a bit of a riskier choice with Fleischer. While all of his films haven't been as great as the could've been, the fault primarily has fallen on the screenwriter, and Fleischer has proven himself to be a very visual director, similar to
Man of Steel's Zack Snyder. His visual style would be a great fit for the Batman character, and he gives an interesting tone to his films that keeps a good balance so that the film doesn't come off completely dull nor too upbeat. I think if given the chance, and the the right script, Fleischer could really work wonders for a new
Batman film.
Composer:
Henry Jackman (X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass)
SilverFalcon:Like with choosing the director, the composer for the films also has some pretty big shoes to fill. Almost all previous soundtracks for any form of
Batman media are iconic today, ranging from the theme song from the original Adam West TV series, to Danny Elfman's score for Tim Burton's original film, and most recently Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's exhilarating scores for the
Dark Knight films. So when deciding on someone to compose this film, I need someone with the real credentials and proper style to take on such an iconic character, and Henry Jackman fit the bill. With such successful scores for films like
Kick-Ass,
X-Men: First Class, and
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, as as his score for the upcoming
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, there's no denying he's currently one of the best in the biz. He's blend of exciting face paced and mysterious themes really just fits so perfectly for the character and specifically this film.
Cast:
Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead)-Bruce Wayne/Batman
WakandaKing: Andrew Lincoln was not my initial choice to take on the role of the caped crusader, yet instead of going with the militant more physical Dark Knight, I decided primarily to go with Andrew Lincoln because he can display the intellectual and emotional aspect of this extremely diverse character. I also looked at the potential of having the actor Based on his character Rick from AMC's
The Walking Dead, I believe with a few months of training he could potentially build up the body mass in order to portray both Bruce Wayne and
Batman.
Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus)-Jason Todd/Red Hood
SilverFalcon: While we had originally been considering Wentworth Miller for the part of Red Hood, once Marshall-Green popped up to me he was the clear choice. With a role like Jason Todd you need someone that truly possesses the acting skill needed to show just how deranged and obsessed with revenge he's become since his younger years as Robin, and I felt Green would be the perfect actor to showcase this and would make for an interesting dynamic opposite Lincoln. He's showcased his talents in such films as
Devil and
Prometheus, and he has a young Tom Hardy vibe to him that can really work to his advantage in a role like this.
Nick Robinson (Kings of Summer)-Young Jason Todd/Robin
SilverFalcon: Like with the older version of the character, when casting the younger incarnation of Todd we had originally been looking at Kodi Smit-McPhee (
The Road), but once we had cast Marshall-Green, and new name had come to mind. Nick Robinson was the clear choice for the character, as he's recently proven himself in the leading role of this summer's indie hit
The Kings of Summer, as well as landing himself a part in the upcoming
Jurassic World film. That being said, Robinson has shown his diverse acting range and just how perfect he'd be as the struggling youth who is already showing signs of what he will soon become, and he'd also make for a very believable younger version of Green.
Sharlto Copley (Elysium)-The Joker
WakandaKing: The main aspect that makes Joker the Joker is his insanity and his inability to distinguish the hysterical from the hostile. Being that the movie primarily the result of the actions of the Joker, it is beneficial we have an actor who can do the role justice, yet while not necessarily stealing the show in terms of trying to establish the Joker as a main antagonist (Which is the spot currently occupied by Red Hood). Sharlto Copely is a phenomenal actor and can display the character in a beneficial manner that would be unique from past incarnations of the character, while still serving the role well in the context of the film.
Jeremy Irons (The Burgias)-Alfred Pennyworth
WakandaKing: Jeremy Irons is perfect for the role of Alfred, clearly an important supporting player. This version of the character won't focus so much on the physical Alfred, but rather as the care taker of Bruce Wayne who aids him in his time of need. Jeremy Irons would be cool to have in this role supporting Lincoln's Bruce, helping him cope with then haunting return of Todd. This form of Alfred is more proactive, stepping out of the consistent
"Hey Bruce, don't do this" type figure, and into the more
"Here's how you should approach this Bruce" type.
Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games)-Dick Grayson/Nightwing
WakandaKing: Wes Bentley is the best fit for this version of Nightwing, now a little later in his solo career as a vigilante. Being that Nightwing is stepping out and turning into an independent figure, he needs a more independent image. The younger the actor who portrays him, the quicker it's lead audiences to misjudge the Nightwing character and simply see him as a tall Robin, which is of course not the intention. Bentley is actor who can help show just how much Dick Grayson parallels Bruce Wayne when he was younger, and he'd make for a great contrast to Marshall-Green's Jason Todd.
Jason Isaacs (Awake)-Commissioner Jim Gordon
WakandaKing: Jim Gordon is portrayed as a cop that can't really carry his own weight, relying primarily on
Batman to cover the dirty work, and he comes up on the scene after the deed has been done. In this adaption of Jason Todd's story, Jason Isaacs' Gordon will play a much more proactive role. Now instead of showing up after
Batman wins, he may show up during a large fight, due to his fast ability to piece together information (Similar to but not as efficiently as
Batman does). Also being the father figure to Barbara Gordon, Jason Isaacs would serve as a great actor in which to play a figure bound by the law, but also intelligent enough to trust a vigilante when needed.
Amanda Peet (2012)-Barbara Kean-Gordon
SilverFalcon: We thought it'd be cool to include Jim Gordon's first wife, and mother of Barbara Gordon, in the film given that we're going with a younger version of the character. It'd be great to see a Gordon who's also struggling in his personal life with his wife and him deciding to get a divorce, and how this will effect him when he's on duty, as well as how it will affect their daughter. That being said, I think Amanda Peet would make for a very believable version of the character that would add depth to the small amount of screen time she'll be getting. I think she'd work well with Isaacs' as Gordon and would be able to full off a good motherly vibe to her like she did in
2012.
Emma Watson (Perks of Being a Wallflower)-Barbara Gordon
WakandaKing: The reason behind Emma Watson being chosen for Barbara Gordon is her ability to potentially disobey her father, and step into the Batgirl role. She is showing her strides as a actress currently and can Barbara Gordon a aspect in which can be respected by fans and possibly become a fan favorite. No telling what the future of
Crimson Wings has in store for her, but as an initial film, she will do it much good.
Peter Mensah (Spartacus: Blood and Sand)-Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
SilverFalcon: Killer Croc will be a pivotal character in the film as he'll be the one responsible for the deaths of Jason Todd's parents, which is something we'll see through a flash back sequence. Killer Croc has been a character who's often compared to
The Amazing Spider-Man's Lizard, but for this version we'd like to separate the similarities between the two and portray Croc as a much more menacing threat. Mensah is the perfect fit for the human version of the character; Waylon Jones, and standing at 6 4" with and intimidating voice, he'd serve perfectly for this version of the character. I'd imagine Jones already would be involved with the gangs of Gotham prior to his transformation, and could have some ties to both Penguin and Black Mask.
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)-Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
WakandaKing: For this version of Penguin, I'm looking more towards the annoying and creepy political figure who has funding in places we can't imagine. Seeing himself as untouchable he becomes more of a figure of power in the city, and has his minions do the dirty work for him. Now I'll be honest, this is by no means the most creative choice, but I stand by it cause it's so damn perfect. Hoffman would embody the character perfectly, and has shown his skill in many films including
The Master and
Capote. Hoffman would definitely be able to make the character much more menacing and realistic than previous incarnations.
Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead)-Harvey Bullock
SilverFalcon: Okay, okay, I know it's annoying that I'm using another actor that's also from
The Walking Dead, but the truth of the matter is that Bernthal is just too perfect for the role. While I considered going for the younger inexperienced Earth One version of the character, I finally settled on a younger more versatile version of the classic character. Bernthal displays all the qualities needed to pull off the gritty and tough detective, and it's very similar to his upcoming role in TNT's
Mob City. My version of Harvey Bullock is more of the figure who aims to get his paycheck day to day and at least put a few scumbags off the street while doing so.
Idris Elba (Thor: The Dark World)-Roman Sionis/Black Mask
WakandaKing: While he may not be the most orthodox choice out there, Idris Elba as Black Mask would serve perfectly. Being that his character is conflicted with that of Logan Marshall-Green, it would be interesting seeing the chemistry the two would have when trying two display between these two distinct characters, especially given that the two recently shared the screen in Ridllook and act the part perfectly, but he's also recently worked with our director choice in
Gangster Squad where he gave a great and memorable performance. Displaying a competitive figure with an apex in gymnaey Scott's
Prometheus.
Robert Patrick (Gangster Squad)-Slade Wilson/Deathstroke
WakandaKing: He showed how freakishly ferocious he could be in
Terminator 2: Judgement Day, now he can be a deadly assassin in the role of Slade Wilson. Not only does Patrick stics and master of weaponry shouldn't really be a problem for him.
Joe Manganiello (True Blood)-Bane
WakandaKing: While the character of Bane won't be featured to prominently in
Crimson Wings, he'll still serve a pretty substantial role in the film that'll need to leave a lasting impression. Manganiello, who's already been on DC's radar for the part of
Superman and
Batman, would make an excellent Bane for the version we're going with. While Tom Hardy's Bane was able to come off a bit more intelligent than the comic book version, he lacked the imposing stature that the character needs, and Manganiello has that plus the large build down pact. An actor with potential is what is needed for this role, and I'm positive that Joe Manganiello has it.
Olga Kurylenko (Oblivion)-Talia al Ghul
WakandaKing: Foreign, gorgeous, and a potential lover for Bruce Wayne were the major things I kept in mind while searching for an actress that could portray Talia al Ghul, and Olga Kurylenko instantly came to mind. To be honest, we actually had to do a last minute switch on this one, as our original choice for the role had been
Fast and Furious star Gal Gadot (Who is now our new
Wonder Woman), but we're quite happy with Kurylenko in the role as well. She's proven her acting chops recently in film's such as
Oblivion,
Quantum of Solace, and
Seven Psychopaths, and she's also shown that she can be very physical in action scenes as well. While we would've loved to have seen Gadot in the role, Kurylenko is a close second.
We hope you guys in enjoyed our Crimson Fan-Cast and ideas, and stay tuned for many more upcoming 'Fan-Cast Friday' projects. Did you guys agree with our picks? Would you like us to post the full story for Crimson Wings? Sound off below.