Rebuilding the DCEU- PART 1
Time to fix this absolute train wreck.
I am a huge DC fan. Let me rephrase. I absolutely friggin love DC comics. Which makes the last 8 years of my life a living hell.
Do not get me wrong not all the DC movies are trash but the fact that we acknowledge that most are is a massive issue. Which makes me want to tear down the entire cinematic universe. There has been talks of letting Batgirl and Super girl takeover the universe, which is great, 5–6 years down the line. I mean come on we haven’t got a Superman trilogy we haven’t even got a Batman movie yet which is the build up to the female counterparts. I think the whole timeline is a massive screw-up. It just does not make sense at all. Also I think DC needs to explore even deeper into the character base. Booster Gold has become immensely popular as of late and hasn’t even been spoken about yet. The trilogy moment came too soon, flashpoint is coming too soon and Justice League was soooo rushed.
SO YES TEAR THE ENTIRE THING DOWN AND REBUILD!
With that said, the first step would be casting the actors to fit the roles. I won’t change the actors that have already been casted (to an extent). I will start with the heroes and anti-heroes.
Actors/Actresses that have been casted:
Wonder Woman- Gal Gadot. Aquaman- Jason Momoa. Flash (Barry Allen)- Ezra Miller. Shazam- Zachary Levi. Supergirl- Sasha Calle. Blue Beetle- Xolo Mariduena. Mera- Amber Heard. Black Adam- Dwayne Johnson. Katana- Karen Fukihara. Atom- Kai Zheng. Viola Davis- Amanda Waller. Batgirl- Leslie Grace. Alfred Pennyworth- Jeremy Irons.
Actors/Actresses that should/could be casted:
Before anyone tells me, there’s a budget.
- I get that.
- It’s Warner Bros last year they had 30 billion in revenue.
- They just casted Dwayne Johnson, sooooo.
Superman: Matt Bomer
First of all, he just looks the part. Secondly, he is a great actor who is tremendously versatile. In White Collar he played a charming ex con man, then played a serial killer scarred by his past in The Sinner, he has voiced Flash and also played a superhero in Doom Patrol. He’s multi talented and I think he could pull this role off well. We’ve seen the Michael B Jordan cries but I think he’s suited to another role. I also considered Sam Claflin but I see him as a compelling villain and Armie Hammer who is also a great actor but Lone Ranger threw me off completely. Also for Bizarro you could just age Bomer and get him to play him as Bizarro is literally Superman reversed.
Batman: Jon Hamm
Well, there’s 2 ways this could go. If we wanted a young Batman I say stick it out with Robert Pattinson and bring him into the DCEU. But, I think it’s time to have the Robins on screen so we go with an older one in Jon Hamm. Jon Hamm has literally played a character with a double life in Mad Men and his performance as Buddy in Baby Driver, well he was pretty damn freaky. Perfect for the Bat. He’s a tremendous actor and fans have wanted this for so long. I also thought of Michael Fassbender but I don’t know what the Sony-Marvel relationship is right now with the X-Men.
Cyborg: John Boyega
Ray Fisher is done with the role. John Boyega in Star Wars was who they referred for the Cyborg look so why not get the actor itself?
He’s already in the genre sort of playing roles in Pacific Rim too. He’s very talented and just suits the role. I think he will be perfectly able to understand the Cyborg dilemma of hating his new look and life yet understanding he has to use his gifts to help.
I didn’t really look past him for Cyborg.
Green Lantern (John Stewart): Michael B. Jordan
This is the other role I had in mind for Jordan. In comics, the Green Lantern corps are strong willed and want to do better for the world. Michael B. Jordan has all that in his persona. As Killmonger he was strong willed and as Adonis Creed too. To be honest, I don’t see anyone pulling this role off. I think they should do whatever it takes now that he’s been killed off by Marvel. I thought about Idris Elba but I have something else in mind for him.
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan): James Marsden
First of all if DC hadn’t messed up that 2011 movie, then Reynolds is the perfect actor for the role.
That being said Marsden has already played a super hero character and he has done it well. His cyclops displayed characteristics of what his Green Lantern could look like. In Westworld he displays a lot of contrasting emotions that could resemble Hal Jordan’s biggest weakness. His self doubt. While his Cyclops could play onto Hal’s arrogant side. I also pictured Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the role but I also thought of him for another role.
Flash (Wally West): Caleb McLaughlin
Yes I know he was in talks to play Static Shock but I think Caleb could pull off the character that becomes the Flash after an accident. Wally is infatuated with the Flash and because Ezra Miller is still young we needed to look to the younger side. Caleb is great in Stranger Things and gained favourable reviews in Concrete Cowboy. I think bringing him in earlier will give fans a Flash that they’ve wanted to see for a while.
Static Shock: Jaden Smith
According to rumours he is the actor they are considering to play the teenage superhero. To be honest, Jaden’s previous work leaves a lot to be desired but Static Shock is a character that has barely if not never been played so there’s nothing to lose, plus he is a big name.
Swamp Thing: CGI
It’s literally a plant monster. You could voice him with one of those who have in the past. I particularly like Roger Cross who voiced Swamp Thing is Justice league Dark.
Martian Manhunter: Idris Elba
I know I know, right now he is played by Harry Lennix but I just want to go against my rule this one time. Elba is a fantastic actor that was used poorly as Heimdall in Marvel. I think as the Martian shape-shifter Idris Elba would be fantastic. He just exudes that vibe of being calm and a leader but having to turn up the intensity when he has to. I also considered Djimon Hounsou for the role but I couldn’t look past Idris Elba.
Booster Gold: Jensen Ackles
Booster Gold is a futuristic character great at American football He sells games he plays in for money to pay for his moms surgeries. He was arrested for this and when he’s out works as a security for Metropolis Museum that idolizes 20th century heroes, because of how bad his life is he takes his technology back to the 20th century via the museum and time travel to become a superhero, so he doesn’t have to be who he is in the 25th century. Booster is quippish and is a loyal friend to Superman, Blue Beetle and even Batman. Jensen Ackles in Supernatural was very quippish to begin with and ended up as a brute. You could see the opposite in Booster Gold. Other names mentioned were Neill Patrick Harris but I just can’t see him in the role.
Lady Shiva: Han So Hee
To be honest I have no clue who could play this role of a sometimes villain sometimes contract killer sometimes hero. Lady Shiva is an expert in martial arts. I know Han So Hee played Ji-Woo in My Name a murder/detective drama and she was brilliant in that so maybe she could assume this role?
Catwoman: Zoe Kravitz
Regardless of who Batman is I think Zoe Kravitz could keep the role. I mean even Cat Woman herself Anne Hathaway called her the perfect candidate for it. So who am I to change that?
James Gordon: Bryan Cranston
This is solely under the impression that J.K Simmons is under contract with Marvel.
Cranston is an amazing actor, Godzilla was watchable the 7 minutes he was in. Breaking Bad is incredible. Look there’s no 2 ways about it. Give him any role he masters it. He was also the 2nd choice to play James Gordon anyways.
John Constantine: Matt Ryan
He has already done a damn good job as Constantine on the TV show so you might as well give him the chance on the big screen. If not for some reason I could see Collin Farrell in the role as an ego-maniac that just does as he pleases.
Now we end with my 3 favourite characters.
Green Arrow: Charlie Hunnam
It has come to the point that every time I look at Hunnam I see Oliver Queen instead. It’s not just the looks but he’s perfect as a character that is a millionaire playboy who could end up becoming the major. Even in Sons of Anarchy he leads a double life like the Green Arrow. So I think he’s perfect I did not even consider anyone else.
Red Hood: Taron Egerton
Red Hood is an anti-hero, not a villain.
Taron Egerton is a crazy good actor and he demonstrates such good varieties between anger, resentment and just being calm. Sort of like how Red Hood begins as Batman’s apprentice and ends up despising him. He’s also done action movies before and has that story arch to him. I just think Egerton would kill it as Red Hood.
Finally my favourite hero in the DC Universe.
Nightwing: Aaron Taylor Johnson
Let me be the first one to say I loved him as Quicksilver, he was quippy and fun, yet he portrayed that determined look. I think he would be the perfect Nightwing. Nightwing is Batman’s right hand man that doesn’t wanna be as dark and controlling as Bruce but still carry out his mission. Eventually he takes the mantle as Batman which I also see Aaron Taylor Johnson being capable of. He’s already got the physical profile and his previous movies like Kick Ass also demonstrate the ability to be the perfect Nightwing. He’s a great actor and I hope his Sony spin-off for Kraven just does not happen.
This is just part 1, I’ll look to cast some villains next time and maybe the timeline of movies, who knows :)
Also, this is solely my opinion so if you disagree just let me know. All I can say in the end is I hope DC gets back on track. (Also I know there are more heroes that could be adapted like Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Powergirl, Hawk and Dove, the Titans, Steel and Mr. Miracle but the ones casted is a good way to start)