Dream Casting the new DCU
One of our newer article series "Dream Casting" tackles my picks for upcoming or theoretical live action shows or movies set in video game or other nerdom universes. Our first two installments tackled Mass Effect and Tomb Raider. I haven't had inspiration for a third installment until James Gunn decided to defeat the DCEU with the greatest power that even Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman can't defeat: "the Reboot". The DCEU, and Titans-verse, and the Arrowverse are all coming to an end. Behold the new DCU.
Taking over the new "DCU", James Gunn plans to reboot the universes after the Flash Movie. Most of our favorite heroes and actors are out, NOT EVEN A MONTH after we were promised Henry Cavil was coming back.
To be very honest. I was not happy about James Gunn taking over. I think his style is way to goofy, and has the humor of a 14 year old boy. Honestly Peacemaker, The Suicide Squad, and later Drax humor is some of the most cringe garbage I have watched. I have little faith in him and in his new DCU. In fact I have LESS than zero, in the idea that I am confident it will be garbage. I would rather have Henry Cavill come back and let the Rock do his Rock thing with Black Adam over putting Gunn in charge.
I hope I will be proven wrong. I hope the future of the DCU will be good. This week they announced some of the upcoming projects for the new DCU, and I will admit...most of it is puzzling..
However...as much as I expect nothing good from Gunn...and I think that the casting was the best part of the DCEU...since we are getting new projects and new characters...I figured I'd share my picks for DC casting in live action and who I want to play what characters. Honestly...my picks will probably be 10000% better than whatever Gunn sneezes out. I will list what characters I want to see and who to play them, and/or cast a character they have already announced is coming.
I will be avoiding the big three because I honestly DON'T want to see them recast. I want them to tell NEW stories with new characters and maybe that will make up for losing the great casting we've lost. New characters is the only way to make up for their failures.
Special Thank You to the artists who partnered up with us to bring some of these picks artwork to life! The fan art sections have been shared with permission and collaboration.
7. Green Lantern - Idris Elba
Growing Up with the Justice League cartoons, my first memory and interaction with GL was there, for me GL is John Stewart. While many think of Hal Jordan, I never thought he fit the character quite as well. I liked the darker, brooding, and intimidating hero who could go toe to toe with Superman himself, and face equally cosmic threats. I don't like the jokey and quippy GL with Hal. I want to see a really good live action representation of Green Lantern, one that is darker and grittier. I want to see him be strong and real. I think what hurt the Ryan Renolds GL movie was that bringing the Lantern to Live action the wrong way just makes them seem so cartoony and goofy. If they brought a more realism focus, darker suits, they could be done way more seriously. I want Idris Elba to play Gl. I don't care that he's already played a character in DC... He can bring the necessary gravitas to the character. He was the only watchable part of the Suicide Squad, and I'd love to see him in a more main hero.
6. Deathstroke - Pedro Pascal
Pedro Pascal has quickly become one of my favorite actors in Hollywood. Between his instantly iconic and fantastic roles in Mandalorian and Last of Us, he has quickly become a nerd favorite! It is past time he joins one of the major super hero universes. It Marvel doesn't cast him in something, I want to see him in DC. He single handedly saved Star Wars and proved video game live action can be S tier. It's time to bring him in to save the DCU. I'm not 100% on who I want him to play. He needs a darker, gritty, brooding character who doesn't speak too much. I thought about Deathstroke. I think he coupd elevate that character to a whole new level.
There's a trend in Hollywood to constantly unmask characters, because they want to show the actors face frequently. There are few actors in Hollywood that would sign up for a role that has a full mask like this character. Also, there are even fewer actors who can pull off the nuances of a helmeted role for most of the screen time. Pedro Pascal is that actor who would sign up for a mostly helmeted role.
5. Raven - Jenna Ortaga
Artist Feature: @chelzd_art
I felt like the Titans show did Raven dirty with casting. In fact I felt that entire show was terribly casted, shot, written, and everything. As a fan of the team, I just couldn't push myself to watch more than a few episodes. Raven is one of my favorite Titans and she deserves to be in the spotlight. Her powers are terrifying, and she could be amazing. This might be a little bit of typcasted obvious pick, but we have now such an obvious pick for Raven. Jenna Ortega has taken to world by storm as the brooding and dark Wednesday in the Netflix show by the same name. She absolutely excels at that character. Raven and Wednesday are very similar and she would fit the role perfectly!
4. Starfire - Emma Watson
Artist Feature: @chelzd_art
Another character who I'd like brought over from Titans is Starfire. But I want the Starfire from the teen titans I grew up with, the one from the comics. In the show and comics, she is a young, innocent, visitor from another world enamored by the strange new sights of a new planet. Most importantly...she needs to be Orange. I don't care about the ethnicity of the actor...the CHARACTER needs to be orange. She's an alien.
When thinking of casting this ultra powerful red haired super heroine, the very first person to come to mind was another ultra powerful red head, Hermonie Granger herself, Emma Wattson. I think she could capture the fierce, power of Starfire, while maintaining her fish out of water innocence.
3. Zatanna - Katherine Langford
Artist Feature: @douglas_bicalho
There already has been plans for Zatanna in the DCEU, however, we haven't heard much about it since it's initial discussion, and who knows where that stands in the new James Gunn DCU. Zatanna is definitely a character that needs to happen on the big screen in the new DCU. She is a fan favorite, and could be a fun and powerful magic based character for the series. She could join Dr Fate and Constantine in a future magic team up.
When casting Zatanna, I was trying to think of a younger actress that the DCU could have grow with the franchise over the next decade. Marvel almost cast Katherine Langford as Ironman's daughter, and I think she is a talented actress that could be a next generation Stark, but they ended up deleting that scene in Endgame. I think she could come over the DCU and really play this character well. She has the look and skill to make Zatanna a crowd favorite on the big screen.
2. Lex Luthor - Michael Rosenbaum
This one is technically a cheat answer...because he's not my original casting. However...it is my opinion we have already seen the perfect casting for Lex Luthor. I don't care what multiverse hopping excuse is needed...we need to bring back Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum. To this day I still argue he is the most complex, empathetic, and likeable Lex Luthor. He's complicated. Sometimes he makes good points. He's not the maniacal President Lex we've seen. He was friends with Clark for years! It's such a good version I want him to come back. He could be the same Lex or a multiversal variant, but Rosenbaum needs to return!
1. Power Girl - Ana De Armas
Artist Feature - GiFriends creator @nico_artoooo drew this Power Girl for us!
Powergirl is my favorite female DC hero. I know she is less popular than Wonder Woman or Supergirl, and unlikely to get her own project. But I want to see her in live action. She has some of the coolest designs, a cool backstory, and is also incredibly powerful. Being Kryptonian, she is easily one of the most powerful female characters in DC. This common ancestry allows her to be high on the power hierarchy, but her divergent story gives her more identity than Supergirl. Sometimes I feel supergirl is too derivative of Superman, and it would be better if she was given more identity. Supergirl literally shares everything with Superman. She shares his name, exact origin story, and outfit design! Powergirl can give the female hero presence more unique identity. She comes from another universe, giving her origin more distinction. She has a suit design that in no way resembles Superman's. Her name is also different. She is better than Supergirl in these ways. In the past, she may have been criticized by some as being too sexualized, but Injustice showed us how Powergirl can be done in a way that honors her original design, with the sexuality toned way done. She looks badass and looks like Powergirl, minus any unnecessary details. .
I pitched Ana De Armas to play Powergirl, in her more Injustice style representation. She has the grace of Gal Gadot Wonder Woman and doesn't feel out of place in a very action heavy scene. I think she would be perfect for the role. I think her action experience and demeanor would make her perfect for a super hero role.
