According to one report (movieweb.com) the next Man of Steel will introduce Wonder Woman or a new Batman. It got me thinking about the possibility of a Justice League movie and what it could mean for DC Universe and all of its fans. There has been debate on how they will bring about a Justice League movie. Will they copy Marvel’s style and introduce the heroes in movies of their own? Or will they just bring them all together in a JL movie and later give them their feature films. I say the ladder is the best way to do it. Origin stories are great but not all origin stories equal success (see X-Men Origins Wolverine). Not to say that Flash, Aquaman, or Wonder Woman can’t hold their own, but with the way Marvel is dominating the box office and the success of Man of Steel and the Dark Knight Series DC should capitalize by bringing all their beloved heroes together as soon as possible. I think Flash should have a movie after the MoS sequel (Introducing Bruce Wayne) and then a Justice League movie. Afterwards the heroes can get their own feature film. With that being said I have come up with a cast of superheroes and the actors who should portray them in a potential Justice League movie alongside Henry Cavill playing Superman. A recent article also stated that the WB may be looking for a 40+ year old Batman which I have no objections to, in fact I have been clambering for it just to give us a different version of the hero. Without further ado here is my cast.
WARNING it may not be the most "original".
Sam Worthington as Aquaman
Aquaman aka is the ruler of the seas and the King of Atlantis the Justice League movie must feature him. Sam Worthington is just the man to bring Aquaman to life. Worthington has proven to be Box office after starring in Avatar, Clash of the Titans, Terminator Salvation, and Clash of the Titans. His name in itself well bring along a fan base to support their favorite Demi-God. He was excellent as a leading man and captivated audiences with his portrayal as Jake Sully in Avatar. His role Perseus set him up perfectly to play the ruler of the seas. Aquaman is no stranger to body armor and the ay Worthington performed n fight scenes showed he was made for this role. Perseus took on a lot of the same qualities that Aquaman has which will reflect well on screen being portrayed by Worthigton.
Idris Elba as Green Lantern
Should they decide to do away with Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) they should bring in Idris Elba as John Stewart. Elba is more than capable of handling and bringing to life all that is John Stewart. Stewart an ex-military vet turned architect receives his ring as a backup to Hal Jordan whom initially dislikes Stewart because of his stubbornness. Stewart is probably the most recognizable amongst DC fans due to his many appearances on television. Elba can be seen as a leader of an army of robots fighting against deadly monsters in Pacific Rim. Elba’s is no stranger to action movies he has starred in Takers, Losers, and Prometheus to name a few. Stewart replaced Jordan on many Justice League missions so he can easily be written into the movie w/o a lengthy story.
David Oyelowo as Martian Manhunter
I know Oyelowo will not go over as an overly original pick because he is such a popular actor. But Martitian Manhunter is a role that I know he can excel in. He has a large resume and he was great in every movie I ever saw him in. Rather it as an antagonist (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) or a heroin (Red Tails he has been excellent. Most recently he I saw him in Jack Reacher as Emerson which finally put the nail in the coffin for me as to who I wanted to play MM. He will embody John Jones the leadership qualities the strength courage, and if asked is capable of a more relaxed version of the hero. In his Martian State I think they should cut back on the CGI and give him the opportunity to really bring out the realistic feeling of MM. They could make him taller like they did with Hardy in TDKR and have him bulk up. With all that in place I think it is the perfect setup for Oyelowo to play MM.
Ryan Gosling as Flash
Barry Allen should be the Flash he is one of the founding members of the Justice League after all. Ryan Gosling is the perfect fit for Barry Allen the mild mannered, friendly, laid back, approachable superhero. Gosling was widely known as Noah from the Notebook. Gosling however has shed that character he has shown the capability of being a hero most recently in the true story crime drama Gangster Squad as Jerry Wooters a smooth talking rogue ex-cop chasing down Mickey Cohen. His role in Driver was an anti-hero like role as he protected a family in harm’s way, he showed his softer side as he interacted with the young child. Gosling will bring out the best qualities in Barry Allen and will be able to carry the role when the times come for Flash to have his feature film.
Gina Carano as Wonder Woman
There was some backlash for my previous pick as Wonder Woman (Adrianna Palicki) so I reconsidered and I chose Gina Carano.I think Gina Carano would be an excellent version of the Amazonian warrior. She is attractive, intimidating, and can really fight she may not be the best actress but she is capable of pulling off this role. She is an up and coming action star and she proved her worth to me in her critically acclaimed feature film Haywire. She was good in Fast and the Furious 6 and can be seen in the upcoming Percy Jackson film. I know she is not an "original" pick but I am only casting the actors and actresses that I think fits the role best and that will capture the best qualities the heroes exhibit. But I don’t think Wonder Woman should be introduced in the Superman film I think she should be introduced in the JL movie.
Jim Caviezel as Batman
Batman should join Superman in the next MoS movie by introducing an enemy with an easy origin story and too difficult for Superman to defeat. People have and will continue to bash this idea and pick because of the age difference. But real life ages does not matter in movies Amy Adams is nearing 40 while Henry Cavill is barely in his 30s and I think that it works fine. Enter Jim Caviezel as the new Batman. Jim is an excellent actor which can be seen in his portrayal as Jesus Christ in Passion of the Christ. He is currently starring as John Resse on CBS’s show Person of Interest as an ex CIA agent gone vigilante. His role as Resse is very similar to Batman as he takes down bad guys using his superior set of fighting skills and with the help of an eye in the sky. His demeanor and dry sense of humor looks eerily similar to Bruce Wayne’s his stylish suits and smooth talking makes him the perfect fit to play the head of Wayne industries. I personally think he is the best fit for the role of an older Bruce Wayne if his “look” is the problem just die his hair blck and allow makeup to do the rest. But I do not have an issue with any of it. Batman can come in as a more experienced hero but coming to Metropolis as an investor who finds himself helping Superman. Make Batman somewhat resent Superman and make Wayne and Kent battle for the affection of Louis just to give it a friendly rivalry.
Brian Cox as Scientist Emmet Vale
Emmet Vale is the perfect villain for Superman and Batman to face in MoS 2. Vale could be introduced to as the man who is against what Superman stands for. He could bloviate about how he is the cause for the destruction, death, and the previous invasion. He could get the help from Lex Luthor who agrees with Vale’s ideas. Vale could work on a project using kryptonite as a power source (not knowing the full effects) shutdown by LuthorCorp to create an army of high powered soldiers and weaponry for what some think maybe an upcoming invasion. Emmet will go rouge and continue experimenting on his own fearing another invasion. Vale will use a former top military soldier as his Ginny pig to create Metallo. Brian Cox is the perfect person to pull off the rouge scientist he has played the bad guy plenty of times (X2, Planet of the Apes, Troy, and Red 2) and portrayed it well.
Joe Manganiello as John Corben/Metallo
John Corben could be introduced with a mix origin. He could be a former top military soldier that went M.I.A. after the invasion. Corben could be a drunken mess with his life seemingly spiraling out of control. After getting into a drunken brawl leaving a bar he was struck and nearly killed by Emmet Vale who quickly uses this opportunity to experiment on Corben and turns him into Metallo. Metallo can prove to be too much for Superman who could and will need Batman to help save Metropolis and to save himself. Joe Manganiello is an up and coming actor mostly known for his role in True Blood (Alcide Herveaux) he has the size and acting ability to pull off a menacing cyborg set to defeat Superman
Matthew Mcconaughey as Lex Luthor
Though Metallo is going to be the main villain in my MoS sequel idea I would love for Lex to make a cameo appearance. It doesn’t have to be huge but just a little taste for the fans. I think Matthew is a different and great choice because he can pull off the billionaire playboy role and the cynical manipulative role as well. Mccounaughey is a great actor who will do for Lex what Ledger did for the Joker. Lex will be the former employee of Dr. Vale preparing for any future alien attacks using these green rocks (Kryptonite) as a power source (unaware it can harm the aliens including Superman). But ultimately decides to shut the project down forcing Vale to work on his own. Bruce Wayne could be one of investors for the weapons that way Lex and Wayne can interact. But again all this will be done but also keeping Lex in the background.
There you have it my cast for the Justice League movie and Man of Steel 2 small plot. I know this will come with some serious criticism but I stand firm with my choices. I am sure some will argue the different universes and how it may not work. Special thanks to @thewonderer for the Matthew Mcconaughey idea. Please feel free to leave any comments and as always Thanks for reading.