10 Candidates for Luke Cage

There are a lot of directions Marvel Studios could go with Luke Cage.  He could be a serious street hero.  But there is also something kind of ridiculous about Cage in some interpretations.  He could work in a buddy comedy.  But Cage is a character that would work great on film with the right actor.  Here are ten very different ones that would work.

Quinton Jackson

The new B.A. Baracus did not take off in film.  He was adequate in A-Team but not the highlight.  However Rampage does have the size (actually he is probably bigger than Luke Cage).  I am only suggesting him if they want to do a Heroes for Hire movie with Sharlto Copley as Iron First.  Copley and Jackson have terrific chemistry (and are pretty much best friends) and would be a great duo.

Marlon Wayans

Blockbuster experience with G.I. Joe (don't know if he was good in it, didn't see it).  But he also has the dramatic experience in Requiem for a Dream.  Which no matter what else his career has been like, Requiem is a great performance.  I would not be a supporter of him as ridiculous, funny Cage but a more serious version he may be a decent candidate.

Edi Gathegi

Would need to bulk up for the role.  Gathegi has not had a major role yet, but he has been a consistent actor.  Despite his short amount of screen time he was the most memorable student in X-Men: First Class.  Played a criminal believably in Gone Baby Gone in another small role and also showed a sensitive side on House.  I like Gathegi a lot and want to see more from him.  Not sure if this is the right role for him, but I would definitely consider him.

Dwayne Johnson

The Rock definitely has the physique and the blockbuster experience.  A potential contender for an over the top cage.  However he could do serious too.  Dwayne Johnson is a movie star, surprised he has not been seriously considered for a superhero role yet (just rumored to projects that never get off the ground).

Tyrese Gibson

Was attached back when John Singleton was heading the project (or at least they were both rumored).  Has not done a whole lot of work outside of Transformers, where he was one of the series' better actors even though he didn't make a huge impact (I would blame the script not the actor though).  Still he is one that people seem to want in the role and seems open to it.

Will Smith

Will Smith's pay check is probably more than Marvel would pay for a recurring lesser known character.  But Marvel would be a good opportunity to Smith who returned to movies after several years with a terrible Men in Black and an upcoming M. Night Shyamalan movie.  If he does not make some good career choices his value as an actor is doomed to go down.  Smith is incredibly likable and would be fun to see alongside the likes of Robert Downey Jr.  Doubt he would take the role, but he is a good actor with a wide range.  Also attaching one of the most famous people in the world would definitely boost Luke Cage's status.

Terry Crews

I love Terry Crews.  Every time I have seen him in a movie I wanted more.  Easily the highlight of the Expendables movies.  Probably too old for an origin story, but if Marvel wanted to go the ridiculous comedy route Crews would be perfect.  In fact he is the only one I could see pulling off Cage's seventies yellow satin shirt and tiara.

Michael B. Jordan

A lot of these actors are older, than Cage would have been in his origin but Jordan would be around the right age.  Chronicle showed how likable he is and gave him superhero experience.  His profile should raise significantly when Fruitvale is released (one of the best films from Sundance).  Jordan is an up and coming actor who needs that blockbuster big break.  Could be a good younger Cage.

Isaiah Mustafa

A no-brainer, he has been very open about wanting the role.  Even shot a teaser with him as Cage.  Mustafa is the Old Spice guy, so we know he works well without a shirt.  Seems like the most likely candidate.

Nate Parker

A youthful looking actor with a lot of maturity.  Gave good performances in The Great Debaters and Arbitrage.  Can play both street smart and book smart.  An attractive up and comer that Marvel could take a chance on.

10 Candidates for Ant-Man

There is still a lot unknown about Edgar Wright's Ant-Man.  Will it be about Henry Pym, Scott Lang or both?  The internet has been throwing a lot of names around the role of Henry Pym for a number of years.  The consensus seems to be around Adrien Brody, Aaron Eckhart, Patrick Wilson, Simon Pegg, Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion (who the internet wants to cast in everything).  Here are my top ten choices for Pym.  Definitely a difficult character.  Pym has never held his own comic and is not well liked.  Ant-Man (or Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket, Wasp, etc.) is a very different superhero.  Not a traditional leading man, but very insecure and tragic.  Casting the right actor is especially vital for this character as he walks the line between unlikable and tragic.  Need an actor who has a lot of depth, can struggle and gain the audience's sympathy.  Here are some of my picks:

Tobey Maguire

Extremely unlikely that Marvel would consider an actor most associated with Spider-Man for one of their lesser heroes (mainly would confuse audiences).  But in looking at what worked for Tobey as Peter Parker and what a lot of people did not like about his portrayal, those qualities would fit Pym perfectly.  The solemness, sadness, self doubt.  I have read a lot of criticism (that I don't necessarily agree with) that Tobey was a bad Spider-Man because he was too serious.  Well Pym is very much Peter Parker without any breaks.  I think it is a good fit, however unlikely.

Greg Kinnear

This one is also unlikely, even though it would work so perfectly.  Kinnear would be 52 or 53 by the time Ant-Man is released, which would make him too old to start out with the role.  However Kinnear can play a likable sadsack.  He can fail and be introspective without losing the audiences attention.  If he was younger he would definitely be in the top five.

Adam Scott

This was my top pick well before his Parks and Rec cohort was chosen for Guardians of the Galaxy (a casting choice I fully support).  I think that comedic ability is important for the role of Henry Pym in order to not only keep him likable but also to capture his humanity.  Scott has a certain reflectiveness and understated quality that can express a lot.

Casey Affleck

Casey never goes for likable.  He takes a lot of risks and if he were to ever play a superhero this is the one for him to play.  However humor is not his strong suit, and even if this is not a comedy he would come across as too serious to fit into the Marvel Universe.  Still an actor who can make a weasel like Robert Ford fascinating should be considered.

Mark Duplass

Definitely does not seem like a fit on the surface, but Duplass very much has a loser, geeky persona that he has made work in a variety of projects.  In fact I would use his character in Safety Not Guaranteed as inspiration for how to make Pym work in the movies.  Not a movie star, but may be recognizable enough to work.

Michael Pena

I have expressed my admiration for this actor on this blog a few times before.  Pena has a great range and it is often unexpected.  Physically, while he is in great shape, he is of smaller stature which would fit an insecure character like Pym.  Marvel has been great at taking chances on actors and Pena is one who has not quite had his big break yet.

Sacha Baron Cohen

You don't cast Sacha in a movie that he didn't write unless he is really the best choice for the character. Talladega Nights, Hugo and Les Miserables would not have worked without this individual.  I think that he is such a unique performer that he would need a character he could really make his own to justify him in a blockbuster.  That is Henry Pym.  Sacha is not trying to be a movie star, he is an artist that I think would find some definite undiscovered depths tot the character of Ant-Man.  Although having him on board for multiple movies with multiple filmmakers may be difficult.

Jude Law

Can be a leading man without needing to be charming.  Law can play unlikable and second fiddle.  Fits in drama, comedy and action.  Also we already know he could bicker with Iron Man.

Sharlto Copley

I love this guy.  He has only been in two movies, but he had created two perfect characters in those movies.  Between District 9 and The A-Team, Copley has a wide range.  His experiences in both movies would help him with this character.  There is an exciting, almost Sam Rockwell, exuberance to Copley.  For whatever reason Hollywood has not been using him, but this is one of those gambles that Marvel is great at making.

Josh Brolin

The best in the business at bringing humanity to difficult characters.  If he can make an audience follow Dan White imagine what he can do with a mess of a character like Hank Pym.  After Jonah Hex I imagine there would be some trepidation.  But Brolin is a certain type of actor that is difficult to cast in a leading role.  Ant-Man is his type of leading role.