The Avenger’s changed comic book films, forever. Not only did it showcase the entire world’s love for the genre and in particular superheroes but it also provided audiences with some great escapism. Now, whilst I enjoyed the film, given the way the MCU originally started off with a slightly more grounded/darker tone I couldn’t help but feel that both the light tone and extremely bright look (I’m looking at you Captain America) slightly undermined what had come before it (Iron Man/The Incredible Hulk). Sure I like fantastical superhero films, but I also like a fair amount of grit injected into them, and with this I don’t think The Avenger’s quite managed to succeed.
So in light of this, I’ve decided to give the MCU my own spin and am casting it from scratch to more accordingly fit in with what I have in mind for it. Anyway, worth noting those of you who checked my previous fan casts will know for my casts I’ve taken on a bit more a generic view with casting, those of you who don’t, just to make it clear; rather than cast one specific film entry in a franchise I decided to cast of characters I’d expect to be around in a ‘5 year’ window of the Marvel universe/existence of the Avengers, and who will hopefully crop up in Marvel’s future films (yes I’m inspired by the New 52).
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Chris Pine as Steve Rogers/Captain America
Original? Admittedly not, but Pine has always been my number one choice for the role. Whereas most people restrict Pine and just see him as a one note ‘Ryan Reynolds’-type actor I think he’s pretty damn underrated and has a lot of potential to do wonders in a role like this; his work as Captain Kirk alone has showcased moments which I think Pine would be able to translate beautifully well as the Sentinel of Liberty. Forgetting that though, outside Pine has been critically praised for a lot of his theatrical work so it’s clear he isn’t just a ‘pretty boy’. End of the day, he’s got the look and the presence and he’s very charismatic so would definitely be able to make Marvel’s Big Blue Boy Scout shine.
Alex O’Loughlin as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Casting someone other than Robert Downey Jr. for this role is considered blasphemy round these parts but given the fact that Downey’s portrayal was actually more in line with the Ultimate universe incarnation of the character I’d like to see the next actor who dons the suit to portray the character more in line with the regular universe incarnation. So why O’Loughlin? Well, again I think he’s a very underrated actor, but like Downey he knows how to play charming and charismatic very well and is also very capable with drama and even action too. Whilst a lot of people tend to cast O’Loughlin as Batman I personally think he’d be more appropriate for Iron Man mainly as he comes across as an ‘intelligent Hal Jordan’ and this more or less is what Tony Stark is.
Phillip Winchester as Thor
Winchester is a bit of an unknown, but a very talented actor and someone I think could bring the right kind of regal vibe balanced with a more tough and gruff appeal to the role. Like with Downey, replacing Chris Hemsworth is pretty tough, but I’m confident Winchester is an ideal choice for the role; he can handle drama, action and even knows how to play charming and likable whilst playing arrogant well at the same time too- his work in
Crusoe,
Camelot and
Strike Back proves so.
Jaime Bamber as Hank Pym/Giant-Man
Note: I prefer this incarnation of the character over his Ant-Man persona but recognise the need for that to be addressed in a MCU so would like with the character’s introduction for someone like Nick Fury to mention how Pym hit SHIELD’s radar by starting of as Ant-Man originally and how the concept is now used by SHIELD agents for special stealth missions (cue potential introductions for Scott Lang and others, etc).
So, Jaime Bamber as Hank Pym? What can I say? Bamber is a really talented actor, I’ve seen him in a bunch of things now and it’s clear he can play intelligent good guys well and can definitely bring a good balance of drama and humour to his roles too. Ignoring that though, I personally think Bamber could effectively portray Pym’s darker side very well and just really flesh out the character well.
Rose Byrne as Janet Pym/the Wasp
I get Byrne was in
First Class but given Fox’s notoriety for randomly omitting characters from sequels I think she’d be able to work in the role. She’s a beautifully talented actress and very versatile plus greatly resembles her comic book counterpart so I ‘d love to see her take on the role.
Cillian Murphy as Bruce Banner/the Hulk
I’ve been a fan of Murphy’s ever since
28 Days Later and he has continuously impressed me with the rest of his continuing filmography. He’s a genuinely talented and underappreciated actor who is very versatile and a credit to any film and put simply I think he could really balance the lighter and darker elements of Banner’s character very well given the fact that he has somewhat of a ‘Norman Bates charm’. He’s one of the few actors around who genuinely seems like he could convey both parts of Banner’s character equally well and if given the chance I really do believe we’d be in for a treat.
Jai Courtney as Clint Barton/Hawkeye
I’m a big fan of Courtney; I’ve seen him in a bunch of things now and it’s clear that he can play the easy going tough guy with charm in his sleep. His roles in
Spartacus and
A Good Day to Die Hard in particular worked as ‘auditions’ for me but Courtney’s work in
Jack Reacher also showed he’s capable with darker material and characters too. Put frankly, Courtney can act well and do action well and looks good whilst doing it, so I think that covers all grounds.
Alexandra Breckenridge as Natasha Romanov/Black Widow
I’ve seen Breckenridge in a few things now and it’s clear she’s a pretty talented and versatile actress. Breckenridge has showcased her skills in both light and dark material and whilst she hasn’t really done anything with action her acting more than makes up for it and I think she’d be an ideal choice for the role especially given that she so strongly resembles the character.
Denzel Washington as Nick Fury
Replacing Sam Jackson? Not an easy job, but if there is one actor in Hollywood who could surpass him as super spy Nick Fury it’s Washington. He’s a badass and has proven himself time and time again and with roles in films like
Training Day and
Safe House in particular showed me what he could do as Fury and I loved his characters in both films so would love for him to eventually get the role.
Anyway, whilst the Ultimate universe Nick Fury is just ‘Sam Jackson’ Fury and the current regular universe version is white Fury’s black kid (really dumb move) I personally would like for the MCU Nick Fury to have been Isaiah Bradley during WWII prior to creating a new identity (Nick Fury) for himself; essentially he was ‘Captain America’ before Steve Rogers was- personally, I think this would add more depth to the character and just make a richer MCU.
Rhona Mitra as Maria Hill
First off I just want to say Cobey Smoulders is a hot but cringe worthy actress; she was a large shit stain in an otherwise entertaining film and I pray she gets recast because frankly if she continues to portray the character I will hate the character as much as I hate Phil [frick]ing Coulson…
Ignoring my little rant, Mitra is a really great actress. She won me over a long time ago with her work in
Doomsday and more recently
Strike Back. If given the chance I’m certain she could deliver with the role in spades, because let’s face facts; she’s hot, she’s tough and she can act- already an improvement from Smoulders.
Abbie Cornish as Sharon Carter
I’ve seen Cornish in a few things now and it’s clear she’s a talented actress. She’s got the look, is a capable actress and most recently from her work in
Sucker Punch proved to be pretty capable with action and look good at it too, so personally speaking I’d love to see her as Cap’s squeeze.
Columbus Short as Sam Wilson/the Falcon
Short is a pretty solid actor who unfortunately doesn’t get as many leading roles as he deserves. His roles in
Armoured and
The Losers convinced me he’d be an ideal choice for the role as not only did he showcase his action skills but he proved how capable he was both comedy and drama and even worked well within an ensemble cast. Put frankly, I think given the chance at the role Short would not only elevate the character amongst an ensemble cast but also make the character more likable, especially to people who tend not to care much for unpowered supporting characters.
Mahershalalhashbaz Ali as James 'Rhodey' Rhodes/War Machine
Ali is a pretty solid actor; his work in
Alphas and
The 4400 made me think he’d be a solid choice for the role as not only did it display his dramatic capabilities but also his action skills- both of which he showcased well.
Harry Lloyd as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
Since being introduced to Lloyd in his brief stint as a baddie on
Dr Who I knew he was one to watch. He’s a talented and pretty versatile actor who knows how to handle dark material well and as seen by his role in
Game of Thrones has experience at playing (slightly) similar characters well. So, put simply I think Lloyd is the only choice for the role and if given the chance to play the character I think he’d really make him shine.
Rooney Mara as Wanda Maximoff/the Scarlet Witch
Since her work in
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Mara caught my attention; she’s great at playing dark and disturbed characters and just very pretty too. The fact that she happens to share a resemblance to Lloyd and is pretty good pulling a Euro accent just further makes me think she’d be great choice for the role.
Jude Law as the Vision
Whilst he may not typically be associated with a role like this I think Law could really do wonders here. Law’s pretty underrated and versatile and with roles in films like
Repo Men,
Contagion and
Side Effects I personally think he’d be great as the Conqueror and definitely be able to deliver on the cerebral hero.
Yvonne Strahovski as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
Note: Rather than be introduced to Mahr Vehl and Carol Danvers as Ms Marvel prior to her change to the Captain I personally would rather have the character introduced directly as Captain- essentially, I’d have her origin be something akin to Hal Jordan just to speed things up and have her take on the name Captain Marvel to honour the dead alien, etc.
So, Strahovski? Well, like with Pine, it’s not necessarily an original casting decision but it is one that works, very well I might add. Strahovski is beautifully talented actress who can handle comedy, drama and action exquisitely well. She’s a fan favourite and a joy to watch so I’d love to see her get the chance to play the character one day.
Autumn Reeser as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk
Whilst this might seem like a bit of a strange choice to some I think Reeser is the ideal choice for the role, especially given the fact that her character’s green skinned alter ego will most likely be mo-capped like the Na’vi from
Avatar. Anyway, she’s a great actress who can balance humour and drama well, and she has a very positive appeal to her that just keeps you engaged and focused on her. Her work in
The O.C. and
Last Resort in particular made me think she’d be able to bring the right balance of sweet and feisty to the role and play both sides of the character equally well.
Andrew Lincoln as Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange
The Walking Dead has made me a big fan of Lincoln; it’s proven what an underappreciated talent he is and that he definitely deserves more leading roles. Whilst the character of Strange might not be a character usually associated with Lincoln I think he’d nail the role as not only does he have the right look for the part but he genuinely comes across as intelligent and noble and I think he’d be able to bring some presence to the role and really just serve well as the Sorcerer Supreme.
Claire Danes as Virginia 'Pepper' Potts
I’ve seen Danes in a bunch of things now and have been wanting to cast in something for a while now, but just haven’t really found the right role for her yet. With Potts, I think Danes can really shine in the role and just elevate it to another level, as currently like with most of the MCU’s supporting cast I wouldn’t actually care if the character is killed off and this is clearly something that needs to be rectified given the fact that Pepper is (or at least should be) Tony Stark’s ‘Lois Lane’.
Caroline Dhavernas as Betty Ross
I’ve only seen Dhavernas in
Hannibal but she’s more than proven her talent. Whilst her performance there isn’t necessarily something to rave about it’s clear she’s a solid supporting actress who can handle dark material and genuinely comes off as smart, so frankly I’d like to see what she could do.
Chris Cooper as Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross
I get Cooper has been cast as Norman Osborn, but he’s always seemed more appropriate for the Hulk’s 'favourite' General to me. Cooper’s more or less always played/playing tough and gruff authoritative characters well and in a role such as this he’d only do nothing but elevate the material and his fellow actors performances.
Lance Reddick as Uatu the Watcher
Reddick is a really great actor and I could give thousands of reasons why I’d love to see him cast in the role but let’s keep it simple;
Fringe. Reddick’s role in that show really struck a chord with me and convinced me he’d really shine in the role. Yeah, admittedly he wasn't an Observer but he's got a really great and powerful voice too so personally, I think he'd own in this and just be really great as the glue that binds the MCU together.
Tony Todd as Thanos
What can I say? Todd as Thanos to me is just perfect casting. He’s a great veteran actor, has a powerful authoritative presence, a great voice and is just an imposing powerhouse of a man. His role as the Candyman and work in the
Final Destination films just further justify my reasoning for this casting choice as both just prove how creepily perfect he is for the job.
Mads Mikklesen as Johann Schmidt/the Red Skull
Casino Royale,
Valhalla Rising and
Hannibal have all proven to me what a great actor Mikklesen is. He can play smart, manipulative, cold, calculating, suave and badass all at the drop of a hat and if given the chance I believe he’d elevate the character and just make him a very memorable and great villain.
Rupert Friend as Loki
I’ve seen Friend in a few things now but cast him as Thor’s treacherous brother due in particular to his early appearances in
Homeland. There he effectively played darkly humoured and complex badass and showed what potential he has to offer; whilst it’s not quite Loki it spoke volumes about his talents, so I’d be down to see what he could do here.
Ken Watanabe as Gene Khan/the Mandarin
Since seeing Watanabe in
The Last Samurai and
Batman Begins I’ve wanted him for the role. Watanabe is a great actor. It’s really that simple. He’s a credit to any cast and has a great authoritative presence that would just compliment the character really well, so hopefully one day he will get the chance to play the role he rightfully deserves.
Dominic West as Samuel Sterns/the Leader
I’ve seen West in a bunch of things now and whilst none of performances in particular stick out to me as showcasing what he can do in the role, from his overall filmography I believe he would be a genuine pleasure to watch if given the chance. He’s a very capable and versatile actor and knows how to play smart and tough equally well and if cast I can see him making the character come across as a credible threat rather than just a weird looking supervillain.
Keifer Sutherland as George Tarleton/M.O.D.O.C./Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing
To some this might seem like a bit of strange casting decision, but hell it comes down to Sutherland’s voice. As expected for a role like this it isn’t necessarily physical, however this is hardly a problem as Sutherland perfectly showcased his capability of being a cerebral villain masterfully well in
Phone Booth. If cast and if he plays the character anything like his character from that film I think we’d be in for a real treat.
The only thing I’d say is, as expected I’d like MODOC to get somewhat of a redesign. Whilst I couldn’t really find any images of what I have in mind, I’d like him to still look like lab experiment gone wrong but maybe a little bit more cybernetic if that makes sense…
Warren Christie as Anthony Masters/Taskmaster
This is one casting decision that might seem strange to some of you but given Christie’s work in
Alphas and
True Justice it seems highly appropriate to me. In both shows Christie was pretty badass and showed off his acting and action muscles equally well. Whilst a role like this would obviously such skills to be showcased on a larger scale I still believe Christie’s the right man for the job and think he’d really just do wonders and give audiences a great portrayal of the character to witness.
Katheryn Winnick as Amora the Enchantress
I’ve seen Winnick in a bunch of things now and I think this is an ideal comic book role for her to fill. She’s a very talented actress and is very beautiful too capable at playing sirens and seductresses very well, so casting her here? Definitely the right choice in my book.
Robert Maillet as Skurge the Executioner
For a role like this you need a larger than life actor, who better than Maillet? He’s a ridiculously imposing individual and a badass to boot. Whilst he’s played all manner of baddies in all kinds of films requiring an individual of his size, I cast him after seeing him in
300 and
Sherlock Holmes. His roles in those films showed of his versatility and physicality very well, so if given the chance I can definitely seeing him do the role justice.
Sullivan Stapleton as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination
Stapleton is a pretty cool actor; he's kind of unknown but has shown his talent well in
Animal Kingdom and
Strike Back. He's capable with both drama and action, so in a role like this I think he’d really be able to deliver on the physical and dramatic aspects of the character and really just give us all a very memorable villain.
Cirian Hinds as Ultron
Like a few actors I’ve cast here Hinds has had some prior history in Marvel films, but frankly he’s the only choice that came to mind for this role. He’s a very talented actor and has a very powerful and intelligent sounding voice; it’s not much, but hell it’s more than enough to qualify him for the role.
Anyway, just wanted to say, rather than have Hank Pym be the sole creator of Ultron, I'd rather have Ultron be the result of a collaboration between Pym and Tony Stark, with Pym having based it on his brain waves and what not; it just makes sense since Pym hasn't really got a tech background whilst Tony has...
Benedict Cummberbatch as Kang the Conqueror
What can I say? Cummberbatch won fanboys over a long ago when he first hit TV screens in
Sherlock and since then he’s only continued to impress, most recently in
Star Trek: Into Darkness. End of the day, he can play cold and calculating like a pro and he genuinely comes off as intellectually superior so I’d love to see him take on the role and think he'd make the character shine.
Only thing I’d say is I’d prefer a more drastic change up to the character’s look; essentially something a bit more futuristic looking- Kris Anka’s redesign would be a great place to start –
Click Here to See
John Noble as Dormammu
I’ve seen Noble in a few things now and I think it’s safe to say he’s a solid candidate for the role. Whilst he hasn’t played many similar characters in the past his work in
The Lord of the Rings films really showcased what a great and despicable villain he can play and absent that he always brings a certain presence to his roles, so I’d love to see what he could do here.
Ian Glenn as Mephisto
Glenn is another very underappreciated actor I’ve cast here, but his talent justifies my decision to cast him here. He’s very talented and versatile and is capable of playing charming, smooth, suave and intelligent with ease so in the role of a big bad like this I think he’d be a genuine pleasure to watch.
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So, that’s my ideal cast for the Avengers. I hope you enjoyed checking it out, and if you did look out for my Captain America cast!