What usually happens is I describe the premise of the series I’m casting and why adapting it would be a good thing. This time I’m going to leave it to series creator Warren Ellis to describe what nextWAVE is all about.
“It's an absolute distillation of the superhero genre. No plot lines, characters, emotions, nothing whatsoever. It's people posing in the street for no good reason. It is people getting kicked, and then exploding. It is a pure comic book, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. And afterwards, they will explode.” – Warren Henshingly Ellis OBE
The PLOT of nextWAVE is about five obscure (for good reason) Marvel superheroes who form an elite Anti-Terrorism unit known as Nextwave, who are themselves part of H.A.T.E. (The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort).
Of course, H.A.T.E is an arm of the Beyond Corporation, a terrorist organization that manufactures Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction and aim to field test them on American soil. When our intrepid heroes find out they abscond with an experimental aircraft known as the shockwave rider and conducts missions to disrupt H.A.T.E. and Beyond Co.’s plans.
I love nextWAVE. It makes me happy. It would make others happy, especially if it was a movie. It’s awesome, and strange. How strange and awesome?
Very awesome and strange. But don’t take my word for it! Here’s some of it!
Skateboarding killing machines!
A dinosaur in a smoking jacket, holding a massive revolver!
Mark Millar getting pwned!
Captain America being misogynistic!
A dragon in purple underpants!
Due to both the visual style, and the fact that Marvel might not take kindly to some of its most recognizable characters being portrayed so over the top, I think nextWAVE should be an animated movie.
That cast is…
Gina Torres for the voice of
MONICA RAMBEAU
Monica can generate any kind of radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum. She used to lead the Avengers, did you know that? Well, if you didn’t, she’ll tell you. Quite often. Now she leads nextWAVE, among whom she may be the only sane person.
Keira Knightly for the voice of
ELSA BLOODSTONE
The daughter of a millennia old legendary monster hunter. She is immortal, and very good with guns. Her greatest power, however, is that she speaks with an English accent.
Alan Tudyk for the voice of
THE CAPTAIN
A Brooklynite bestowed upon with a generic set of superpowers (flight, super strength etc) by aliens while staggering home roaring drunk. He was previously known as Captain Marvel, Captain Universe, Captain Ultra, Captain Avenger, Captain Avalon, Captain Kerosene and finally he was known as The Captain.
Neil Patrick Harris for the voice of
AARON STACK
An surly, human-loathing, supremely rude android. He has rewired his brain to be able to get drunk, and he can make you pregnant from several feet away.
Kaley Cuoco for the voice of
TABITHA SMITH
A Z-list celebrity and mutant with the power of blowing stuff up. She’s a major kleptomaniac and apparently has no brain.
Bruce Campbell for the voice of
GENERAL DIRK ANGER
The suicidal, corrupt and quite insane head of H.A.T.E.
He’s Nick Fury on Ecs. Need I say any more?
Tom Waits for the voice of
DEVIL DINOSAUR
What would more stupendous than a red dinosaur with a gun in a smoking jacket that sounds like Tom Waits?
And
Patrick Stewart as
THE NARRATOR
He’s our narrator. Lots of comics got ‘em, and usually I wouldn’t bother with it, but plenty of comedy comes from the captions. Patrick Stewart is a friend and fan of Warren Ellis, so I totally see him doing it.