Now that The Dark Knight Rises is concluded, the Man of
Steel trailer has debuted and Justice League seems to be finding its footing, I
can’t help but start to feed into the, albeit embers, of hype brewing in the DC
movie circuit. And I believe that now that we have seen what the Man of Steel
might look like, it gives up a better sense of what the Justice League movie
might ultimately look like. The Avengers was a good movie. It was fun, full of
humor and action, and showcased these larger than life characters that we
thought we’d never seen on the big screen, especially together. It accomplished
everything it set out to do; bring the comics to life and make a shit load of
money. Now that Marvel proved it can work, DC can go in having everything going
for them.
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern are
much more recognizable super heroes as opposed to Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye and
Black Widow. I omit Captain America
and the Hulk because both had some form
of mainstream media exposure in the past and therefore are known in the public
eye. But DC definitely has the iconic characters that can get asses in seats without
making a bunch of origin stories. They could do it the opposite of what Marvel
did. Make the big team movie and sprinkle off into individual movies
afterwards. Only time will tell and that’s another whole blog post waiting to
happen.
But the one thing that DC has going for them that gives them
the edge over Marvel more than anything, in my opinion, is the darker,
realistic tone of their films (forgetting GL). In Marvel’s movie universe, we
could never aspire to be or even exist with these heroes. They are the pages
come to life and that works in its own way. But in the Batman movies and now
the Man of Steel trailer, there exists a universe where these heroes could
exist among us or even be us. I walked out of Batman begins believing that I
could be Batman. I didn’t walk out of Thor or Captain America
or the Incredible Hulk thinking I could be any of them. And THAT sense of
realism is intangible and is a quality that really hits home with people, not
just comic book fans. And the fact that the Justice League movie could really
bring this to the DC films and unite the franchises could be something much
more than The Avengers was.
But it would hinge on the right cast. A few years ago they
had a slew of youngsters ready to don the costumes and jump into what sounded
like a very campy, comic book movie. But, if they go with the darker tone, the
cast would need to able to ground these characters in our world, and bring true
life to them. So, here are my candidates. Enjoy!
Superman:
Henry Cavill
Runner-up: Matthew Fox
The best way to start to connect the film universe should be
to start with the first super hero! Henry Cavill should reprise his role in the
Justice League. BUT if he were to not be in the film I have always wanted to
see Matthew Fox suit up as the slightly older/mature Superman from pre New 52
continuity. Plus the guy got fucking jacked for Alex Cross.
Batman:
Joseph Fiennes
Runner-up: Jeremy Renner
Batman is a tough one to tackle. Christian Bale was
incredible both as Batman and Bruce Wayne and what Chris Nolan did with those
films will never be duplicated nor should it. But I think that Joseph Fiennes
could bring that dark and brooding Batman to life. He would need to put on
about 80 pounds because he looks like a twig but I would love to see him in
action as the Dark Knight. Or hear his Batman voice.
Wonder Woman:
Gina Carano
Runner-up: Kate Beckinsale
Wonder Woman is the hardest to cast. She will be the most
scrutinized of the League and will have everything going against her. Much like
Anne Hathaway did with Catwoman. But I think that Gina Carano could bring that
bad-ass toughness and truly make Wonder Woman as cool as she should be. She is
one of the most powerful members of the League and the actress who plays her
needs to convey that. I think Gina is born to play Wonder Woman.
The Flash:
Michael Rosenbaum
Runner-up: Bradley Cooper
Michael Rosenbaum is no stranger to the comic book scene. He
played Lex Luthor on Smallville and he voice the Flash in the animated Justice League
Unlimited cartoon. He has proven that has the personality for the Flash, I say
give him a shot to embody the Flash. And don’t worry, he can grow hair.
Green Lantern:
Chris Pine
Runner-up: Ryan Reynolds
This casting choice relies on whether or not they are going
to continue the Green Lantern franchise with Ryan Reynolds. I wouldn’t care
either way, as long as the movie rocked as hard as the comic does. If they didn’t,
I’d love (my first choice for GL originally) Chris Pine to jump into the shoes
of Hal Jordan.
His cocky, smug attitude from his portrayal of Kirk is a perfect fit for Hal,
plus he definitely has the physical aspect down.
I know that none of these actors will be cast but it
definitely is fun to conjecture. I’d also like Idris Elba to play Martian
Manhunter, Ryan Gosling to play Aquaman, and Ron Perlman as Darkseid by now I’m
being greedy.
Who do you think should play these characters?
