Casting Call: Justice League

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?