Who Should Star in DCEU's Justice League Dark?
Recent reports have hinted at some progress with the Justice League Dark movie. Guillermo del Toro was meant to be involved, but had to leave due to the longevity of the timing and uncertainty of the project. Recent reports have mentioned names like Colin Farrell, Monica Bellucci, Ron Pearlman, and Ewan McGregor as potential cast members. While I’m reluctant to accept these names before they are officially confirmed, it is good to read that Warner Brothers is making Justice League Dark a priority.
Unfortunately, they still don’t have a director, a production date, or a release date. So, its basically still a mixed bag for the adaptation, but I am here to save the day with a potential cast that will turn Justice League Dark into a huge blockbuster. Warner Bros, you can thank me with a blank check.
John Constantine - Travis Fimmel
The NBC version of Constantine was good, especially Matt Ryan. It was clear they had something good with Matt Ryan, and decided to keep the character on board for Arrow. Another smart idea would be to pitch it to a premium network (HBO, SHO, ENC) or Netflix. However, my choice to play Constantine is Travis Himmel.
Constantine's soul belongs to hell while he is trolling the Earth, searching and fighting evil in the world. Fimmel (36) is a little older than Ryan, who portrays the character on TV - but he is a pretty good actor. He’s the main man on History channel’s Vikings in the role of King Ragnar. I know he's a TV actor, but he is talented. As Ragnar, he’s sarcastic, charismatic, smooth, and a little bit crazy. Colin Farrell is rumored to play the lead, but it’s just a rumor. Fimmel has what it takes to play the chain smoking leader of heroes. If he does a great job in WarCraft he would help legitimize himself on the big screen.
Deadman (Boston Brand) - Jensen Ackles
Deadman is a narcissistic, money hungry fame-seeker that loses his life thanks to Hook. In death, he finds new life and uses his ghostly powers to save the innocent. He posseses other bodies, but there are a few different ways to spend this. He could use Ackles’s body throughout the movie (like in the Brightest Day series) or stay with the white mask, played by Ackles. Either way, Ackles has what it takes to be funny, dark, intimidating, and pretty convincingly. Ackles has the voice, the acting ability, and has been offered hero roles before. He voiced Red Hood, which aided to the demand for him to reprise the role in a live action movie. While this isn’t Jason Todd, this role is perfect for Ackles’s big screen introduction to the super hero world.
Swamp Thing (Alec Holland) - Joel Edgerton
Botanist Alec Holland dies in the swap after a rival scientist, Nathan Ellery, plants a bomb - leaving him on fire and infected with chemicals. The deformed scientist is the perfect role for Edgerton, who has played some great roles in the past. His role in Warrior was just one reason why I opted for him. He played a teacher who fought his way up through an MMA tournament with an epic finish. Alongside Chris Pratt, he played Patrick, a war hero in a team of Navy SEALs that eventually kill Bin Laden. Ron Pearlman has his name attached for Doc Holland, but adding Edgerton would be a great draw for this movie.
Etrigan the Demon (Jason Blood) - Ben Foster
Jason Blood was a Druid during the time of King Aurthur, while Etrigan served as a servant to Merlin the magician. Blood summons the powers of Etrigan to help fight evil. Ben Foster recently portrayed Lance Armstrong in a biopic titled The Program. He was also excellent as solider Matthew Axelson in Lone Survivor. Foster is the perfect height and has the acting chops to pull off this role.
Zatanna - Christian Serratos
WB is allegedly looking for a Hispanic actress to play Zatanna and Serratos (pretty unkown) is perfect for the part. I know, I know shés a "TV actress" but she does have some big screen experiance. I was first introduced to Serratos on Nickelodeon’s Ned Declassified as Ned's girlfriend. Then I saw her on the big screen as the nerdy chick with glasses in Twilight. As Rosita on The Walking Dead, she completely flipped a switch and showed her acting range. She’s a militant, walker-slaying, no nonsense beauty involved with the red head machine, Abraham. In Justice League Dark, she would be the ideal person to bring out the qualities needed to bring Zatanna to life. Zatanna (Christian Serratos) being the youngest of the group would give her some versatility to star in a Young Justice movie, albeit being wishful thinking.
Madame Xanadu - Penelope Cruz
I'm not sure if this is the most original choice, but Cruz is perfect for this role. Monica Bellucci would be pretty cool too, but this is my vision. Cruz is sexy, mysterious, dark, and her role in Pirates of the Carribean as Angelica was one of the reasons I selected her to play Madame Xanadu. She was funny, captivating, and devious. As Xanada, she would be the woman behind the table with charm and sensuality using her tarot cards to help the dark fighters against the evil-doers.
Shade (Rack Shade) - Taylor Kitsch
Shade, also known as the Changing Man, isn’t from Earth. The jacket he wears is known as the M-Vest, which possesses powers of its own. Taylor Kitsch’s character on True Detective helped make this an easy choice. On the show he plays a dark, gritty, and sometimes emotionless cop. He’s played a hero twice (once as John Carter and once as Gambit) and Kitsch has the range to be perfect for Shade, who would eventually leave Justice League Dark for the Suicide Squad.
The Spectre - Armie Hammer
Spectre was created by God from an angel who sought out to follow Lucifer, but his will to repent rewarded him with powers. A former Gotham City Detective, Jim was lead into a trap thinking he would find his kidnapped wife. When he finds her, they are both killed and he is transferred to Spectre. Spectre may not ever appear on the big screen, but man would his story be cool - especially if they use Batman as a platform. Armie Hammer is a rising star with a future as a superhero whether it's with DC or Marvel. As Spectre, he would absolutely destroy the role. He has everything you want in a hero. He is tall and has a great voice and look. His resume includes Lone Ranger, UNCLE, J Edgar, Mirror Mirror, and the Social Network. If he isn’t already Shazam, DC would be wise to place him somewhere in their Cinematic Universe.