Hey all,
As you may know, I've been thinking of a ton of fancasts to follow up to my Man Without Fear cast. I've thought of Iron Man, Scooby-Doo, , even Speed Racer. But after looking at my old Man Of Steel cast, I decided to update it with no choices that are currently in the Zack Snyder film. After shaping it around, I figured it might as well be my next cast. As usual, I'm including some obvious fan favorite choices and choices that not many people may see coming.
Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El - Sam Witwer (seen in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, CSI, and Smallville)
Superman is a character that, IMO, is very hard to cast without going with an obvious fan favorite. I was tired of seeing Jon Hamm, Matt Bomer, and Tom Welling being overused, so I wanted to try something different. After some consideration, I can easily see Witwer in the suit. He’s had experience voicing heroic characters (
Force Unleashed), while voicing Doomsday in
Smallville gives him a flavor of the Superman mythos. IMO, he can be a rather convincing Supes.
Others I considered: Jon Hamm, Chris Evans, Tom Welling, Brandon Routh
Lois Lane - Olivia Wilde (
seen in TRON: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens, and House)
Wilde is one of my favorite actresses, and I’d kill to see her in a CBM (not counting
Cowboys & Aliens). While this isn’t the most original choice, I think Wilde is the best choice for Lois out there. I can’t help but see her in the role, and I was disappointed when she wasn’t picked for Zack Snyder’s
Man Of Steel. Oh well, maybe next time.
Others I considered: Mila Kunis, Olivia Munn, Mary-Louise Parker
Perry White - James Caan (
seen in Elf, The Godfather, and Get Smart)
I was gonna cast Harrison Ford as the Daily Planet boss due to his grumpy old man attitude being needed here, but since it’d be awkward having Ford and Olivia Wilde in another comic-based film, I decided to cast someone else. I decided to go with James Caan - not the most original choice I could’ve made, but Caan can work well. He played a grumpy boss in
Elf and did an excellent job doing so, I can see him doing the same thing as Perry White.
Others I considered: Harrison Ford, Robin Williams, Sam Neill
Jimmy Olsen - Jamie Bell (
seen in King Kong, Jumper, and Flags Of Our Fathers)
I was wanting to cast Andrew Garfield, but seeing he’s a bit too old now to play Olsen (plus he'll be busy playing Spider-Man anyways, and then he'd be REALLY too old), I decided to go with someone else. Bell’s a pretty good actor, he was one of the many in
Kong who delivered solid performances. I can easily see him as Jimmy Olsen in a future
Superman film.
Others I considered: Andrew Garfield, Logan Lerman, Josh Hutcherson
Lex Luthor - Billy Zane (
seen in Titanic, Zoolander, and Demon Knight)
Zane is probably the fan favorite for Lex at this point, and for good reason. He’d be perfect for a live action take on the Clancy Brown version of the villain, and it’s hard for me to find anyone else who can do as good of a job (as long as he isn’t all comedic in his portrayal).
Others I considered: Daniel Day-Lewis, Adam Harris, Jude Law, Mark Strong
Jor-El - Liam Neeson (
seen in Batman Begins, Taken, and Unknown)
The previous actors who played/is playing Jor-El in a Superman film - Marlon Brando and Russell Crowe - were/are both A-listers, so I think it’d be obvious to continue the tradition. Neeson is by far one of my favorite actors (if not my #1), and even though he’s already played Ra’s al Ghul perfectly, Jor-El is another comic character I can see Neeson play well.
Others I considered: Ewan McGregor
Lara Lor-Van - Julia Ormond (
seen in Sabrina, I Know Who Killed Me, and My Week With Marilyn)
Ormond was actually going to play Lara in
Man Of Steel, but was replaced at the last minute. Personally, I think she should’ve played Superman’s mom when she had the chance. She’s a pretty decent actress, and I can see her in the role quite easily.
Other I considered: Michelle Pfieffer, Tea Leoni
Jonathan Kent - Sam Neill (
seen in Jurassic Park, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, and The Hunter)
I’ve seen a couple of people cast Neill as Gen. Sam Lane, but I better see him as Pa Kent. He’s a good actor, I loved him in the
Jurassic Park films. I think he can provide what’s needed for Superman’s earthly father, and the fact that he kinda looks similar to Kevin Costner (who’s playing Pa in
Man Of Steel) helps some.
Others I considered: Harrison Ford, Dennis Quaid
Martha Kent - Michelle Pfeiffer (
seen in Batman Returns, Scarface, and Hairspray)
A fan favorite for Lara Lor-Van, I decided to choose the former Catwoman for Superman’s early mother instead. She was good in
Batman Returns, and if there would be another CBM she’d do, I think she’d be a great Martha Kent (she’s more age-appropriate for the role than Diane Lane, IMO).
Others I considered: Helen Mirren
- Gerard Butler (
seen in 300, Machine Gun Preacher, and PS I Love You)
Butler’s been my choice for some time for Zod, I can’t help but see how perfect he can be. Just imagine him shouting “KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!” in the same way he shouted “THIS IS SPARTA!” in 300. That’d be epic. Also in 300, he proved that he could be a good military-like figure, something that Zod needs a bit of. And just look at the pictures - yeah, Butler would own as Zod.
Others I considered: None
Brainiac - Jude Law (
seen in Sherlock Holmes, Road To Perdition, and Contagion)
I think Ralph Fiennes would been the best choice for Brainiac, but I’m getting kinda bored seeing him in every Superman cast. Law’s a good actor, he was great in
Sherlock Holmes. I think he’d be a pretty good Brainiac.
Others I considered: Ralph Fiennes, Mark Strong
Darkseid - Jeremy Irons (
seen in The Lion King, Kingdom Of Heaven, and Lolita)
Personally, I think Michael Clarke Duncan is the actor best suited for Darkseid, but since he’s kinda overused, I decided to go with someone else. Irons definitely has that kind of intimidating voice style that Darkseid needs (just watch
Lion King to see what I mean). Just add some motion capture to him, and we have a good Darkseid.
Others I considered: Michael Clarke Duncan
Sam Lane - Dennis Quaid (
seen in Soul Surfer, Vantage Point, and G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra)
Quaid has had experience with the military before in
G.I. Joe, and on top of that he’s a good actor who does a fine job at playing a leader. Plus he kinda looks like he could be Olivia Wilde’s father, which is essential if Wilde would be playing Lois.
Others I considered: Sam Neill, Harrison Ford, Thomas Haden Church
Metallo - Paul Walker (
seen in Into The Blue, Takers, and the Fast & Furious films)
I’ve seen Walker cast as Metallo before, and personally I think that’s a pretty decent decision. Walker has had plenty of experience with the action genre (see
Fast & Furious), and while he isn’t the best actor quality-wise, I wouldn’t say no to his being in a CBM. I can see him as Metallo.
Others I considered: Sam Worthington, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Supergirl/Kara Zor-El - Hayden Pannitiere (
seen in Scream 4, Alpha & Omega, and Heroes)
I wanted to go with Kristen Bell at first, but I decided to use someone who isn’t as well known, as well as a non-stereo-typical choice.Pannitiere is a pretty good actress for her age, and I can definitely see her donning the Supergirl suit.
Others I considered: Kristen Bell, Emma Roberts
So that's it for now. As usual, comments/feedback/suggestions are always appreciated.