True Detective: 10 Dream Castings For Season 4

Michael Shannon has already played a role similar to one that could feature in True Detective, as the cancer stricken investigator in Nocturnal Animals. That role saw him bag an Oscar nomination, so there’s every chance he’d want to take up the role again.

Besides, with Pizzolatto’s character building and Shannon’s wide range, he could inhabit a completely different personality this time around.

If Renner, providing comic relief while carrying a mature, subtle storyline, gives Shannon a different dynamic to move with, the results would be completely different anyway. Shannon straddles the line between genuinely deep and overreaching into ridiculousness; in Nocturnal Animals, lesser screen time, great writing and Gyllenhaal’s performance kept him the right side of things.

Renner meanwhile has the same smile-inducing nature as Woody Harrelson when he turns on the charm. Just like Harrelson as Hart though, he’s great at pulling overly serious tones back to a relatable level while holding his own in the most demanding sequences.

Together, Shannon allows Pizzolatto the gravitas for his most poetic and mystical lines, while Renner undercuts that perfectly to keep it level. Season Three took some leaves from Season One’s book; Season Four could recreate Marty & Rust.