It’s been a while since I last did a cast, but hey ho! I feel that familiar itch again! So, Men in Black? Might seem like a bit of a strange fan cast, given that there isn’t much love for this series anymore, but quite frankly, if ever there was series in need/deserving a reboot, its this series. Whilst I enjoyed the Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith films, I enjoyed the premise more so than the films themselves; as a result, with this cast that I’ve put together, I’ve gone for something a little different in mind than what has come before.
Men in Black: The Animated Series, is my influence here- personally speaking, I much preferred it to the actual films and hope if ever this series is to get the reboot treatment that is what is followed through with rather than the films from before. As a result, I personally would like a bit of a shift in tone; rather than the more silly/comedic tone of the last series, I think Men in Black would be served better tonally if it was more so a cross between the first Iron Man and the first Hellboy film- a little serious and a little silly; perfect balance for something like this, but enough is enough, on to the cast!
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Jon Favreau as the Director
I don’t usually cast directors but hell, given this is technically a reboot cast, I figured why not? So, Favreau? Well, quite frankly he’s a really underrated talent who has a niche with fanboys- even doing a pretty good job when he cocks things up. Quite frankly, with his work in Iron Man, I’d say he’s the perfect choice to rejuvenate this series and reintroduce the MIB in a new and interesting way.
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Mark Valley as Agent K
Valley is another really underrated talent, whilst he undoubtedly lacks the presence that Tommy Lee Jones brings, he still has proven himself to be a fully dimensional, charismatic, tough, gritty, badass and authoritative actor with his work in things like Fringe and Human Target. Put simply, if cast I’d think he’d nail the role and definitely bring an enigmatic kind of ‘seasoned operative’ vibe to the role.
Daman Wayans Jr as Agent J
What can I say? Daman is a Wayans, and he’s [frick]ing hilarious. A very charismatic, funny and generally just amusing actor, who I personally think could steal the show like Will Smith before him- just watch him in Happy Endings, The Other Guys and New Girl; he just knows how to play it cool and can also do straight up silly, always bringing on the laughs.
Alec Baldwin as Agent Z
Baldwin would be a perfect replacement for Rip Torn; he can do intense, badass, funny, serious and even scary and could bring some serious range to the role- his work in The Departed and 30 Rock alone is a clear indication of what he could do here.
Eliza Coupe as Agent L
Now I’ll admit, I cast Coupe mainly due to her chemistry with Wayans as seen in Happy Endings, but she fits the role pretty well, plus she’s hot and looks the part… So, not much else needs to be said I guess…
Danny DeVito as Frank the Pug
DeVito is hilarious and has the perfect voice for this role, there really is no other way to put it. Hell, by all rights, Frank is more or less a classic Danny DeVito character; a ‘tough’ short guy who’s a little bit temperamental and the butt of most joke, so, if the glove fits… Why not?
John DiMaggio as the Worms
DiMaggio is nothing short of being one of the best voice actors around, it’s really that simple. He’s got great range and even greater talent, and realistically speaking, he always shines regardless of what role he’s cast in.
John Leguizamo as Jack Jeebs
Leguizamo fits this role perfectly, as seen strangely yet perfectly with his work primarily in the Ice Age series. He can do funny, stupid, serious and play slimy/annoying yet likable characters with ease, so quite frankly, I think he’d be a great addition to this cast.
Xander Berkley as Agent A
Berkley is another very, very underated actor who won me over a long time ago with his work in Nikita and The Booth at the End; I think he’d bring a great, dark and cerebral edge to the role and really just shine as the rogue MIB agent, and really just deliver with a very epic and memorable villain.
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Note: Now, with the below castings, I’ll admit I’ve added them here just as they were pretty memorable in the past films, but obviously if ever they’re reintroduced, I’d expect them to be reworked to fit whatever story they’re present in, but despite that, I’ve included them just as despite their faults, the character ultimately remain MIB movie worthy villains.
Christopher Meloni as Edgar the Bug
At first glance, Meloni might seem overqualified for a role like this, but like Vincent D’onofrio before him, he’s incredible versatile and surprisingly funny as seen in his work in Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies, so personally speaking, I think he’d nail the role and be able to bring a very dark appeal to the role too.
Eva Green as Serleena
Green might seem like another weird casting choice here, but when it gets down to basics, Serleena is basically a hot seductress; Green fits that bill well and has definitely got the right skill set to bring depth to the role too, so I’d be more than willing to see what she could do.
Kevin Durand as Boris the Animal
Durand is a very funny, very tough, and very talented badass beast of a man. Physically, he’s pretty much perfect, and with his work in films like Smoking Aces it’s clear he’s got what it takes to deliver on an insane, imposing and intimidating villain, so again, this is just one casting decision that ticks all the right boxes for me.
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So, that’s my ideal cast for a Men in Black reboot. I hope you enjoyed checking it out, and if you did look out for anything else I drop!