The Justice League film is slated for a summer 2015 release. With the Man of Steel hitting theaters in the summer of 2013, DC fans will be introduced to a rebooted Superman, who will headline the League. Additionally, the new Superman movie will open up the new shared DC cinematic universe. As has been reported, a script is already in the works and a director is being searched for. That leaves the cast.
Henry Cavill, who in my opinion will do Superman justice, has already been cast as Superman obviously. Also, it has been revealed that the Justice League movie will be the introduction of the rest of the team. Following the JL film, each other hero will receive their own solo film. I feel that Warner Bros. has correctly cast Superman. With a great choice there, you have to follow up with great casting through every other team member.
Here are my top choices to portray the rest of the Justice League.
We are currently seeking Film contributors on WhatCulture. To find out more about the perks of being a Film contributor, click here.
21 Comments
Am I the only one that thinks Cyborg willl be in the film and not martian manhunter
actually, i’ve been wondering about that. I’m curious if theyre going to be using Cyborg to reflect the current New 52 or Martian Manhunter
Batman – Christian Bale.
Superman – Henry Cavill.
Wonder Woman – Gina Carano.
Green Lantern – Ryan Reynolds.
Flash – Ian Somerhalder.
…Aquaman – Robert Pattinson.
Martian Manhunter – Dwayne Johnson.
Superman – Henry Cavill. Batman – Bradley Cooper. Wonder Woman – Ashley Greene. Green Lantern – Idris Elba. The Flash – Ryan Reynolds. Martian Manhunter – Luke Goss
Yes, unfortunately I think you’re right. I’d way prefer that Manhunter is in there – he’s my fave. Cyborg is really boring. Also wondering if they’ll do a John Stewart GL instead of Hal Jordan.
I could see casting many of the people you mentioned except for Gina Carano. The idea that she was made for the part is a mistake. If you look at the successful interpretations of superheroes, one of the most essential ingredients is having an actor that can be both physical and capture the emotional depth of the character and convincingly guide the audience through their characters story arc. Looking just at female leads who portrayed Catwoman…it worked for Michelle Pfeiffer and Anne Hathaway two very strong actresses. Not so much for Halle Berry who has long been regarded as an overrated actress despite her academy award. Gina Carano is no where near as good as Halle Berry. For arguably the most iconic role of any female superhero, I think it is doubly important to have a strong actress who can carry the role and not be over shadowed by the other male leads. Who that is…is the question. In terms of the best actress available, Emily Blunt is perhaps the most obvious. But she has the exact opposite problem as Carano, I am doubtful about her physicality for this role. At this point, I think the two people that best fit (having demonstrated decent to good acting ability and being somewhat physical) are Jessica Biel and Amber Heard. Bot are fairly tall at 5’8″ and have shown on screen staged fighting ability. Biel, my first choice, is reportedly is not interested and Heard is on the slim side, but I think it is more important that the person can act than they be buffed. The most iconic live action interpretation of Wonder Woman thus far has been Lynda Carter who at 5’9″ was not particularly muscular. That stated, Carano would make the ideal villain for Wonder Woman. A person whose presence solicits fear for our favorite heroine. In that sense Carano is absolutely perfect as there is no woman more intimidating than her. Thus Carano’s best contribution to any movie with Wonder Woman is to offer her the foe the audience feels is bigger and stronger than than Wonder Woman pushing her to her limits.
I disagree.
Does Wonder Woman really have all the much “depth” to her? And further, would Wonder Woman, in a Justice League movie, get enough time to actually USE that depth?
I think Carano is perfect for the part, because in a Justice League movie, they would use WW for her iconic sensationalism, meaning her ability to do battle. Carano is no bad actress by any means. In fact, she’s quite good at naturalistic acting, which is sometimes considered the most difficult one.
“Does Wonder Woman really have all the much “depth” to her?”
Not now…but she could using the right actress and script. In the Avengers movie, EVERY character was presented with depth, (Iron Man – the reluctant hero who had a reputation of being selfish, which made the end when he almost sacrificed himself more powerful/Black Widow – who hinted of a past that she was not proud of which involved her relationship with Hawkeye) and i could go on. Those are the subtle things that made the film epic and gripping…in addition to the battle scenes. As far as Carano being a good actress:
““Haywire” explores interesting questions about the nature of acting. Ms. Carano does, strictly speaking, very little of it.” (New York Times)
“The absolute worst thing you could say about Steven Soderbergh’s latest film is that its lead, Gina Carano, is consistently out-acted by Channing Tatum. On its surface and for obvious reasons that’s a pretty damning statement.” (Rob Hunter – Film School Rejects)
“Gina Carano’s acting was the weakest part of Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire, but her physicality and an A-list cast made that movie worth watching.” (Ben Pearson – firstshowing.net)
…and you do realize it was not even Carano’s voice in the movie Haywire!
Sure! It was her first role and there is no reason to think she is or won’t get better especially working with a good director. But I would argue that the very thing that makes her an ideal choice for Wonder Woman “her ability to do battle” makes her the absolute best choice for a Wonder Woman foe. Both Heath Ledger and Tom Hardy showed that being a formidable antagonist can in some ways make a movie. batman is great becasue of his rogues gallery and in my opinion introducing a threatening one for Wonder Woman could help do the same for her. Thanks for the comment!
Yes, but we also had “depth” added to The Avengers because of their solo films. That IS a major factor, and it isn’t a stretch to say the “weaker” performances definitely came from Renner, Johansson, and Jackson. Whedon wrote a lot for Johansson to react to, and she does it well, but there are moments that stick out as incredibly strange for her character (the look given to her captors when she’s on the phone with Coulson, her stale delivery when she’s talking to one person in a group) Even though we know they’re great actors. And they weren’t bad, but there wasn’t much there. It’s not really the movie’s fault, either. We can’t ask for EVERYTHING.
As for Carano as an actress, I’ll take the opinions of co-stars who actually train as actors over a critic’s view: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ycn-10816555
Also, it’s strange to hear Film School Rejects bashing Tatum, considering another one of their reviewers had this to say about Tatum in “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.”
“Dito’s crew is led by his best friend, the headstrong, fearless, and insecure Antonio (relative newcomer Channing Tatum, who is tormented and explosive in the film’s finest performance)…There are no pretensions in Guide about what real kids do or say, and the ensemble, especially the visibly conflicted Tatum, is a joy to watch. Almost none of them are entirely likable; but each one of them is entirely believable.” – James Schu
And anyone who’s seen that film will agree, though Tatum’s not the one on trial here.
I stand by the fact that Carano’s delivery (whether her own voice or not) only progresses her physicality in its naturalness. Had she made an attempt to “branch” out, it would have made the character far too much a play-up than anything else. Subtle is better and that’s why the movie, for the most part, worked.
Wonder Woman, in this movie, is going to constantly have to hold her own. She’s against icons like Superman and Batman. I wouldn’t expect a lot of “backstory” to make her relatable. I’d expect some pretty mondo action sequences that take priority. They’ve got to sell Wonder Woman as an icon before they can sell her as a layered character.
I wouldn’t expect a lot of layers to any of the six (seven) in the movie. It probably just wouldn’t allow for it. It’s a common threat, it’ll be under three hours, and people are going to want to see more Batman and Superman.
With the exception of Ben Barnes, I’m all sold. I’ve thought Bradley Cooper for Barry Allen Flash since he auditioned for Green Lantern (actually also thought that Reynolds would’ve been better suited to Allen). Carano hasn’t had the chance to show off that she clearly has the ability to act. Elba as MM is a great pick, Heildall similarities be damned. Anyone can be Aquaman, as long as they do something to make the character like able.
My problem with Barnes is that I’ve only ever seen him in the latter two Narnia movies, and while I liked them enough, and he was good in them, I don’t see Batman or Bruce Wayne in Caspian. The character similarities are there, but I just don’t think they were approached the same. I say they just go with the obvious and bring in JGL as Bats. Sure he won’t be Bruce, but there is nothing wrong with that.
Also, with the success of the show Arrow in the States, I wouldn’t be surprised if Oliver Queen/Green Arrow made an appearance. If that were the case, I’d love to see what Charlie Hunham could do with the character.
If Cyborg shows up, Terry Crews is the only choice.
I stopped reading at Ben Barnes.
He’s a solid pick. Batman needs to be portrayed by an unknown. You’re entitled to your opinion and I respect it. So what he’s only known for Narnia. Every actor deserves a chance. This role could propel him into something great. Who do you want for bats? Don’t give me that Jake Gyllenhal thing. He isn’t BATMAN. Doesn’t have the look or demeanor.
“He’s a solid pick” that cracked me up. For batgirl maybe but batman?
Everybody is legit except Ben Barnes!
Give him a chance. Every actor deserves a chance. Chris Hemsworth was unheard of before Thor. He’s a good actor.
I, too, am not feeling Ben Barnes for Batman. I would much rather have Armie Hammer, to me, Hammer pretty much IS Bruce Wayne. That said, its all ACTING as Jon Lovitz used to say on SNL, so you might be right. Ben Barnes could be great as Bats given the opportunity, who knows.
I also am not feeling the Carano pick. I really resent some of the comments above me implying Wonder Woman isn’t a real character with any kind of depth. Like the people who knock on Supes and Aquaman, they’ve probably never read a Wonder Woman comic. My pick is Olivia Wilde.
I kinda have a feeling they might include Cyborg rather than MM. Cyborg is in JL in the new 52 instead of MM, and supposedly part of the overall plan with the new 52 includes cross-media promotion. That makes me think WB might want Cyborg in the film rather than MM. Nate Parker from Red Tails might be a good fit. Great overall list. I disagree with a couple of picks but its the best JL casting editorial I’ve read on the net so far, so congrats on that.
Agreed on the Wonder Woman comment. I considered Olivia Wilde also but the more I thought about it, the more I thought she would be the perfect Catwoman. If they ever try to reboot the Catwoman character in the same universe as the Justice League, Olivia Wilde would definitely have my vote.
Matt Bomer needs to be Batman. Common should play Green Lantern.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1pJ–P3bhQ
I’ve also planned each movie, starting with big movie, single line of individuals then finale JL, ask me on the video if you want to know.
I don’t really see Jai Courtney as Aquaman. I think Simon Baker from the Mentalist looks more like an Aquaman. Chris Hemsworth would even make a better Aquaman.
I think Matt Bomer from White Collar would make a better Bruce Wayne or Superman than Ben Barnes. Not feeling Ben Barnes for Batman or Matt Bomer for Hal Jordan Green Lantern. I think Bradley Cooper would make an amazing Barry Allen the Flash. That was a good call.
I do have to give credit to the writer, however. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern are tough calls. Hard to fill those slots as there aren’t a lot of actors out there that could convince me. I do have to say Cobie Smulders may be a good choice for Wonder Woman if she got a bit more curves.
Nathan Fillion from Serenity reminds me – look wise – of a Hal Jordan Green Lantern, but I’m sure he’s too old for their casting standards.
Martian Manhunter is a tough call because a multitude of actors could play him like Vin Diesal, Elba, or even Clark Gregg from the Avengers could look like Manhunter with the right make up.
Great article and a lot of fun!
Well i believe Ryan Reynolds should stay as Green Lantern and Gina is a good pick for wonder woman, that guy that was robin in dark knight rises should be batman as well, for aquaman is still up for discussion now the best person to play the villian that is rumored, should have been played by Michael Clark Duncan (RIP)