Have you ever watched a movie and thought, “I wonder what this character would be like if (insert actor/actresses name) played them?” I do, because I am neurotic and that’s just how I roll. It doesn’t have anything to do with the person who actually IS playing the character. They could give an Oscar-worthy performance, and I would still think about it. In most cases, the movie is fantastic, but I’ll say it again, it’s just something I do.
I’ve picked a film that I absolutely adore, and I offer you some alternative choices for the characters. A “what could have been” situation, if you will.
This week’s Recast is: Bryan Singer’s X-MEN. Let’s get right to it shall we?
MYSTIQUE
My Choice: Emily Blunt
Now, I know that when X-MEN was made, Emily would have been a little too young for the role, but this is imaginary, so let me have my moment ok? Let the idea sit for a minute. Imagine Emily Blunt in full blue Mystique make-up… Got it? SEE WHAT I’M SAYING!
Emily Blunt is one of the most talented young actresses working today, and as displayed in her previous films, she alternates easily between “super-bitch” and “whip-smart sweetheart”. Let’s face it, that’s Mystique in a nutshell.
CYCLOPS
My Choice: John Krasinski
I feel like Krasinski is the most underused actor in the world. He’s great on THE OFFICE, and he’s Emily Blunt’s husband, incidentally. My reasoning here has to do with the fact that Krasinski is always “the nice guy”. When you think Cyclops, don’t you kind of think “nice guy”?
Remember, Krasinski was once in serious contention to play another nice guy superhero called CAPTAIN AMERICA. It seems far too serendipitous…
STORM
My Choice: Zoe Saldana
This one was actually instantaneous. During a recent viewing of X-MEN, I exclaimed to my wife, “Zoe Saldana would be perfect as Storm!” It’s true. Zoe Saldana can kick some ass. She can also be pretty intense.
On top of those great qualities, she’s a magnificent young actress whose star is on the rise. She’s naturally likeable and I’d buy her as a powerful superhero. Am I wrong?
SABRETOOTH
My Choice: Joe Manganiello
TRUE BLOOD fans will get this choice. Joe Manganiello is a beast of a man, and he plays one on TV. He’s got the size, the experience, and the crazy eyes to play Sabretooth. Best of all, he’s got the acting chops. (I’m just going to pretend MAGIC MIKE never happened)
It wouldn’t be Joe’s first rodeo either. He played Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi’s version of SPIDER-MAN. Granted he didn’t get to don a cape or rock some tights, but he knows the genre.
JEAN GREY
My Choice: Rachel McAdams
I may be in the minority here, but I really dig McAdams. On top of her obvious beauty, she seems to command a graceful presence on screen that I think encapsulates the character of Jean Grey perfectly.
She’s played good and bad characters too, which as we all know, lends a great deal of gravitas to the arc of Jean Grey. There are other actresses I thought of too, so if I’m wrong on this one let me know.
PROFESSOR X
My Choice: Kevin Spacey
Ok, so this idea was born out of seeing Spacey as Lex Luthor in SUPERMAN RETURNS. For some reason, the only thing I could think about was Professor X. That’s when I got to thinking, well, Spacey is an amazing actor, right age… Could be perfect.
Then I thought about it more. I’ve never heard Spacey attempt a British accent. That could be disastrous. So I thought, Xavier is only as good as the actor who plays Magneto, which led me too…
MAGNETO
My choice: Daniel Day Lewis
I think this would be a GREAT fit. Don’t get me wrong, Ian McKellan practically defined the character, but after seeing all these LINCOLN production photos and recalling that Daniel Day Lewis is the greatest living actor… I just couldn’t resist.
It could be cool to see what DDL could do with Magneto. It obviously would never happen, but it’s always fun to entertain some cool ideas.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…
WOLVERINE
My Choice: Tom Hardy
I know that Tom Hardy is the flavor of choice for practically every prominent action role, but I don’t think I need to convince you that Tom Hardy could knock Wolverine out of the park. He’s got the explosive volatility, size, experience… And I personally would love to see it.
I am all over the Hardy bandwagon folks, so expect to hear me lavish more praise on him in future posts. Hardy with adamantium claws… C’MON!! It’s gold Jerry, GOLD!
There it is folks. Remember, I think Singer’s X-MEN is perfect and I love the cast as well. As always, destroy my choices in the comments below and offer up your own alternatives. Happy hunting!
