Dream Cast: Superman Rebooted

Today, it was announced that Christopher Nolan (director of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) would be overseeing the reboot of the Superman franchise. I'm going to play the optimist and surmise that this will be a good thing. In all honesty, I was a fan of Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. It hearkened back to the golden age of cinema in a lot of ways, but I can also understand why it was decided to scrap it all and start from scratch. Could it have continued? Absolutely. Should it have? We may never know.

But looking to the future, the real question is... how do you re-cast one of the most iconic roles in comic book history? After Christopher Reeve's take on Superman, you really have to wonder if there are even a handful of people left on the planet (or even one, for that matter) that have the combination of physique, believable klutzyness, and earnest heroism required to bring Superman to life. For what it's worth, I think Singer did an admirable job of finding and developing Brandon Routh as the Superman of our generation. He was a solid choice for Superman Returns, and far better than any of the typical beefcake actors that most people tend to name as top choices. Given half the chance, I think Routh's portrayal of the Man of Steel would have only gotten better with a solid franchise. Sadly, the box office gods have spoken, and all possibilities of a sequel quietly faded away after Superman Returns failed to bring in the green (the movie's metaphorical kryptonite).

The thought of starting yet another worldwide talent search for a new Superman wearies me. The sad bit is that it wouldn't really be a reboot if they brought Routh back on board, so that option is clearly out. The problem, of course, being that people would see a (now) familiar actor back in the cape and assume it's a sequel. The dilemma here is that a new and even more exhaustive search will have to be initiated to find Superman amongst a world of unknown (or nearly unknown) actors. I've got my fingers crossed that they get it right. I will say this though... Singer had the right idea, find someone who can play Kent first, and then train him to play Superman... not the other way around. As a blog-only dream casting agent, I can only post names of at least somewhat established actors... and so, I have no real name to submit for who I think should don the tights. All I know for sure, is that every actor I am aware of at the moment is decidedly not a good choice.

As for the rest of the cast, honestly, I could care less. A good reboot only needs a solid Superman, and a solid Lois Lane. Everyone else can be made to revolve around those two.

And so the only place where I can start is exactly where I feel Singer dropped the ball: his well-intentioned, but misguided casting of Kate Bosworth to play the role of Lois Lane. Bosworth was easy enough on the eyes, but she did very little to inhabit the role. Singer was all about Superman Returns being a spiritual successor of sorts to Superman I and II. Routh had the same nerdy charm that Reeve did, but Kate Bosworth was a total miss. If he wanted a fresh young actress to succeed the original Margot Kidder, he really had only one clear choice: Rashida Jones.

Seriously. Don't just take my word for it, go and check out anything she's done, and then compare her to Margot Kidder from Supes I and II. They have a passing physical resemblance, but the vibe is dead-on.

Christopher Nolan obviously knows what he's doing, seeing as The Dark Knight was one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. So to this auteur, I have only these small suggestions. First, start looking for your new Kal-El ASAP, you'll need all the time you can get. And second, don't underestimate how important it is to cast Superman's love interest right, because really, Superman is only as good as his Lois Lane.

Dream Cast: Marvel Part V

Goodness, already on Part V, and still so many mutants to cast! If you're just joining in, here are the links to Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV. For this round, we're going to deal with some of the mutants from Wolverine's world.


X-23 - Eliza Dushku


If you don't know the history, X-23 is an experimental clone that was created from Wolverine's genetic material. Because the Y chromosomes of the sample was damaged, they were forced to duplicate the X, thereby creating a female child clone of Wolverine (on their 23rd attempt). As for trivia, it's interesting to note that the character of X-23 bears the distinction of being one of the only to start on television (in the animated series X-Men: Evolution) and later become a fully realized character in comic form.

In terms of casting, this one was a puzzle. The girl needed to look like an adolescent female version of Hugh Jackman (the current pick for Wolverine), while still looking the part of X-23 and having the ability to play the role. Let's face it, I don't know any girls that look like Hugh. It's weird even trying to picture that. But after considering the circumstances of the cloning project (what, with the duplication of the X chromosomes and all), I think that it's plausible that X-23 could be interpreted as the hyper-feminized version of Wolverine, 100% female with only the most basic of overlapping traits (such as hair color, eye color, etc). With that in mind, I found myself more free to find the most appropriate actress, without killing myself over finding the best visual match.


I found my pick for X-23 after circling back to some previously diqualified candidates. I was looking for someone along the lines of Mila Kunis (if you could make her somehow even the least bit threatening), and was almost dissapointed that I had already used up Alexa Davalos as Kitty Pryde (seeing as her ferocity in The Chronicles of Riddick would have been completely appropriate here). But in the end, it's none other than Eliza Dushku that I feel is most suited for the role.


The best thing Eliza's got going for her (aside from actually looking a lot like X-23) is that she's already played this role in Buffy as the on-again-off-again psycho killer, Faith. As a rogue Slayer, Faith had both the superhuman power, and the serious inner turmoil that drove her to the brink more than a few times. X-23 would require the same, and much more. Regardless of whether or not you're a fan of Eliza, you've got to admit, she's a lock.

Omega Red - Vladimir Kulich


Ever heard the name Vladimir Kulich? Yeah, me neither. Although you might have seen him around a few times without even knowing it. Finding this guy was the result of way too much time meandering through IMDB profiles. But back to the point, Vladimir was born in Czechoslovakia (which might help with the accent work for Omega Red), and has acted in a number of films. Most of them really play up the guy's frame... all 6 feet 5 inches of it. Seriously, the dude's a giant. And that's not bad, because Omega Red is supposed to stand at 6 feet 11 inches (What do they put in the water over there in Russia? Whatever it is, it's working. Colossus and Omega Red? That's just greedy)!

If you want this famous nemesis of Wolverine's to be truly frightening, you're going to want a guy that can put a little fear into you, and after imagining Vladimir in full Omega Red armor, I'm thinking I would pay the price of admission just to see the ensuing carnage.

Sabretooth - Josh Holloway


And lastly, the most famous of all of Wolverine's foes: Sabretooth. Honestly, I think that if you asked a hundred fans who they thought should play Sabretooth, you could get nearly the same amount of different answers. So I had to put some serious filters into place to whittle down the enormous pool of dark action hero types into something more manageable.

First of all, I had to take into account that Sabretooth is not just a one-clash-foe for Wolverine. Even a character like Omega Red doesn't require a great deal of depth to pull off. But Sabretooth has history with Wolverine. Go back far enough, and you find that they knew each other long before they became lifelong enemies.

If Sabertooth was brought to screen, I'd want him to be a fully fleshed out character, starting with the childhood abuse that contributed to his pychopathic sadism. The last thing I want is to cast a wrestler in the role. Granted, they seem to be going with more of a character actor in Liev Schreiber for Sabretooth's role in Wolverine: Origins, but in that case, I think they swung too far to the other end of the spectrum. I mean, seriously... who's afraid of Liev Schreiber? Exactly.


I chose Josh Holloway for a number of reasons. After watching every episode of Lost to date, I'm certain that Josh knows how to do inner conflict. Furthermore, I'm convinced that he can do rage, though they seem to be letting that out sparingly over the run of the show. And while most of the time Sawyer's just a cool, slick talking con-man... the moments when that shell cracks, you see the kind of acting that Sabretooth requires. The other main reason that I chose Josh, was because I can see him as Wolverine's foil (in a literary sense). Sabretooth is everything Wolverine doesn't want to be, yet somehow... is. So my choice reflects my desire to see someone who can hold his own against Hugh. And to me, imagining Hugh Jackman and Josh Holloway battling it out in both a physical and psychological sense just feels right.

That's it for now. Still to come in the future: The Lehnsherr Family Tree, the Brotherhood, and possibly some of the less prominent X-Men.

Awesome Parting Trivia: Every one of the people I've cast here in this article (aside from Hugh Jackman) has guest starred in at least one episode of Angel: Josh Holloway was in the Pilot episode as a vampire that Angel stakes, Eliza Dushku reprises her role from Buffy as Faith (now a somewhat-reformed convict), and Vladimir (under heavy makeup and prosthetics) inhabits the role of the Beast in Season 4! Talk about poaching the entire cast of a show!

Dream Cast: Marvel - Part IV

On to Part IV of the ongoing quest to cast the Marvel Universe. In case you missed it, here are the links to Part I, Part II, and Part III. For Part IV, I decided to tackle the Summers family tree. So let's take it from the top.

Corsair - Tom Selleck


Honestly, the moment I saw this picture (and that mustache), I thought to myself, "that looks just like Tom Selleck!" After doing a bit of research, I found that Tom is 6'3" tall (exactly the same as Corsair). In terms of realistic family casting, it stays consistent with the general physical bearing of all the men in the Summers family. Pay attention to his hairline and jaw, you'll be seeing some nifty similarities in the people cast as his children.

Havok - Matt Damon


Enter Havok, aka Alex Summers, son of Corsair and younger brother to Cyclops. Much like being halfway through a Sudoku puzzle, casting Havok required that I account for family resemblances to both Tom Selleck and Neal McDonough. Fortunately, Matt Damon, filled that requirement nicely while still looking a fair bit like the actual illustrations of Havok. You can see that Matt and Neal both share the same general head shape and hairline, and their chins are passably similar. He does have different eyes, but let's just assume that he gets it from his mother. Matt stands at 5'10" tall (two inches shorter than Neal), so casting him at the right age would make for a believable younger brother.

Cyclops & Jean Grey - Neal McDonough & Kate Beckinsale


You can read about my choices and rationale for Cyclops and Jean Grey in Part I, this is just a quick recap for the sake of easy visual comparison.


Cable - Gerard Butler


Here's a tough one. Cable, son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor (a clone of Jean Grey), is a giant of a man. Standing at 6'8" tall, he's supposed to be two inches taller than Colossus even. I didn't really concern myself with finding someone of the same height, but I did need someone who was taller than Cyclops at the very least. Gerard Butler is, so far, my best hope for filling the role. He's 6'2" (two inches taller than Neal), in top physical shape (especially after his insane training regimen preparing for 300), and is visually intimidating. Imagine him slinging an enourmous energy rifle and all you really need is for him to lose his natural Scottish accent. And you can probably excuse him for breaking from the now standard Summers hairline. He probably takes after his mother anyway (which, you have to admit, is not a bad direction to take).

The way I see it, Kate Beckinsale and Gerard Butler would both have to do double duty in terms of character roles because of cloning situations. The former would need to play Madeleyn Pryor, and the latter, Stryfe. It'd be interesting to see how the actors handle the dual roles.

Dream Cast: Marvel - Part III

Welcome to Part III of my quest to cast the Marvel Universe! If you're just joining in, you should check out Part I and Part II before reading on.

Beast - Anthony Hopkins


While Kelsey Grammer wasn't a terrible choice for Beast, he wasn't, by any means, the best choice. If anything, he falls victim to the Batman/Bruce Wayne duality problem... where it's very easy to find an actor to play one or the other, but exceedingly difficult to find an actor to convincingly portray both. Kelsey has the intellectual side of Beast down solid. Not a surprise, seeing as it's just Frasier in blue makeup. A tougher sell is Frasier the fighter. Yeah. I can't picture it either. And I've seen X-Men 3.

That's where Sir Anthony Hopkins steps in. Wind the clock back to him in his late twenties and see if he couldn't do a better job in Beast's furry blue skin. Intelligence and animalistic rage both present (look at his full IMDB if you have any doubts of his range). His physique is much more appropriate to playing Beast as well, which is an added bonus.

Psylocke - Maggie Q


Quick abridged recap for those unfamiliar with Psylocke: she was originally named Elisabeth Braddock, an English Supermodel with stylish purple hair turned substitute superhero who's mind was eventually transferred into the body of an Asian ninja assassin. That's probably the shortest version of that story you'll ever hear. Now a quick abridged recap of Maggie Q's career: originally a supermodel, she began an acting career with some early stunt training from the venerable Jackie Chan, and in a stunningly short amount of time, became a household name for being both unbelievably beautiful and genuinely talented, stunt/action-wise.

Something tells me that Maggie Q would make a fantastic Psylocke. In some versions of the story, Psylocke actually retains some of her original genetic code, which makes Maggie's mixed ethnicity all the more appropriate. Just imagine her in that red dress from MI:3 kicking all kinds of tail like she does in Live Free or Die Hard, and you'll start getting the picture of the Psylocke I have in mind.

Iceman - Shawn Ashmore


To be honest, I spent more than a little time trying to recast this role from the X-Men films. And after an inordinate amount of mental grief, I found myself back at square one. My biggest two complaints with the original casting was that Shawn Ashmore was too slight of build and height to play Iceman, and that he was too young. But as it turns out, Iceman is actually only 5'8" while Shawn Ashmore is a good 5'11". Looks like he's not too small after all. As for the age, I'd just cast him older so that he feels more like an adult (I really hated that they cast half of the X-Men as kids in the films). But overall, I think Bryan Singer had the right idea with Shawn. A lot of the Iceman feel comes from the eyes (I know... it seems minor, but think about it and you'll realize it's practically a necessary requirement), and Shawn's got the pale blues to match. So after much internal debate, I'm willing to leave this one as is.

Emma Frost - Michelle Pfeiffer


Emma Frost, also known as White Queen, might be an obscure one for some of you. If you're like me, you probably knew her as a bad guy, then never really heard of her again (or just never realized that the White Queen from distant memory was the same person as the Emma Frost of today). If you want the detailed back story, I suggest you check out the Wikipedia article on her. For now, it's enough to say that she's an on and off member of the X-Men, and thus, warrants a spot on this list.

You really wouldn't believe how many actresses I sorted through to cast Emma. I mean, honestly... the physical requirements of being blonde and attractive are kind of useless as a set of filtering criteria in today's Hollywood. Blonde women are kind of a dime a dozen. If you care to know, I rejected the following listed actresses on the basis that they either couldn't sell the image of the cunningly intelligent businesswoman side of Emma, or that they didn't have the acting chops to portray the seductress. Some of them could do one or the other, but most of them would have just looked foolish trying to do both. As it stands, I vetoed Liz Hurley, Sharon Stone, Madonna, Ali Larter, Rebecca Romijn, Sienna Miller, Scarlett Johansson, Uma Thurman, Rachel McAdams, Rebecca De Mornay (The Three Musketeers era), Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchette... and that's just from what I can remember off the top of my head.

In the end, I reached back in time a bit and settled on a Batman Returns era Michelle Pfeiffer. You have to admit, Michelle's not your stereotypical blonde airhead. She's got the beauty, the sensuality, and the intelligence all in one package. Sizzle, spectacle, and a commanding presence. So what if she made her mark as Catwoman in the DC Universe first?

Angel - Val Kilmer


I'm running with pre-Archangel here, so think back before the blue skin and metal wings. The thought that occurred to me was that Angel needs to look a little like Matthew McConaughey, and act... well... nothing like him. The serious, brooding, and lonely rich guy is much more the Angel I'm looking for. Going back to the Batman/Bruce Wayne duality, my choice came by way of stealing yet another DC character actor, Val Kilmer.

In my opinion, Val was a great half of Batman. He played a fantastic Bruce Wayne, but his Batman was weak at best (kind of the opposite of Michael Keaton's Batman when you think about it). But the way he played Bruce is exactly the way he needs to play Angel. Pick up the Val Kilmer from back in the Tombstone, Willow, or even Top Gun days when he was still fit, and I'd say you've got yourself a decent match up.

That's about wraps it up for this installment. I haven't decided where to go next with my next set. But chances are good that I'll be tackling the Summers and Lehnsherr family trees soon.

Dream Cast: Marvel - Part II

And we're back for Part II! If you haven't already seen it, you should check out Part I before reading on. Otherwise, here we go...

NIghtcrawler - Alan Cumming


Nightcrawler is a pretty strange character, and one you'd think would be a tough sell. Luckily, he was handled just fine in the X-Men United. Yeah, he's supposed to be a little more lighthearted, but that's after he becomes a regular member of the team. As far as casting goes, Alan Cumming was spot on with every detail, the accent, the physicality. I really couldn't ask for a better adaptation. So... I won't.

Colossus - Daniel Cudmore


After much thought, I decided to leave Bryan Singer's original casting choice of Daniel Cudmore as Colossus well alone. Normally, my process involves finding the right actor to embody the spirit of a character before choosing one based on physicality. But Colossus is a character for whom physicality is a core attribute... and Daniel is 6'8" tall! Yes, you read that right. This guy is six eight, which, strangely enough, places him two inches taller than Colossus actually is (in his normal state, that is, Colossus grows to 7'5" in his metal form in the comics). Daniel also looks a fair bit like him. If it were up to me, I'd get the guy some coaching to develop the Russian accent (also a key element to Colossus) and hope for the best.

Shadowcat - Alexa Davalos


Casting Shadowcat, or Kitty Pryde if you prefer, caused me no small amount of grief. As a character, she's not quite as popular (or as important, some might argue) on her own in the same way characters like Professor X or Jean Grey are. But she is important in relation to a number of the X-Men, which required me to cast her around her potential chemistry with a number of my other choices. Not only does she play a daughter figure of sorts to both Wolverine and Storm, she also becomes a love interest to Colossus.

Ellen Page plays Kitty in X-Men 3, and though passable within the context of the film, I felt that they could have done better. Kitty needs to exude both sweetness and vulnerability (while actually having the range to become a tough fighter later on), and I think the right actress to portray her is Alexa Davalos. If you want an example of how the classic Shadowcat/Wolverine relationship would look on screen, take a look at The Chronicles of Riddick and see for yourself how her character Kyra responds to the gruff, laconic, and seriously people un-friendly Riddick.

Gambit - Shane Taylor


Ah, the character that everyone has an opinion about. Online fans have been batting around names of people to play Gambit ever since the first X-Men film was even rumored. Most notably, Lost star Josh Holloway was rumored to have been heavily pursued for the role, though it's being said that he declined due to the similarities between Gambit and his current character Sawyer. As for who'll actually fill those metal shoes, we'll be seeing Taylor Kitsch playing Remy in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but I'm still skeptical of the choice. Taylor Kitsch strikes me as someone they cast to bring in the teen girl demographic. And let's face it, the real Gambit may be a ladies man, but he's hardly a pretty boy. I firmly believe they need to focus on finding someone with two traits in particular, the range to cover the depths of Gambit's inner complexity beyond his playful front, and the ability to make us believe the accent.

That said, my pick for Gambit was locked up tight when I watched Band of Brothers. In it, Shane Taylor plays a character named Eugene Roe, who's half Cajun. I was surprised to find out later that the guy's English (like practically half of the actors in Band of Brothers), but that doesn't mean that his accent isn't spot on. Every word was like hearing the real Gambit speak. It was stunning. Moreover, the guy's a fantastic actor. He's charming without it feeling forced at all. You feel that there's a weight on his shoulders that he's carrying silently. You want brooding? Shane Taylor can do it. His role didn't call for much by way of lightheartedness, but I'm confident that he'd be able to do justice to Gambit as more than just a two dimensional character.

Rogue - Keri Russell


What would Gambit be without his Rogue? Classic romance. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the Rogue from the films. The last thing I wanted to see was a trilogy of X-Men movies with the weakest and mopiest characterization of Rogue imaginable. And what was with Rogue actually going through with the de-mutation procedure in X-Men 3? And Cyclops dies? And Jean kills the Professor!?! I swear, Brett Ratner killed my inner child with that last film.

Right. Back on topic. The Rogue that I want to see is the Rogue from the X-Men Animated Series... the post-Ms. Marvel Rogue. I want to see flights, fights, and serious power packed neatly into a petite southern belle. And the actress I want for that role? Keri Russell. Keri's got two films that really help sell her ability to play Rogue. You want conflicted romance and the southern charm, watch Waitress. You want a glimpse of the action hero, watch her small part in MI:3. Keep in mind that Rogue's not exactly an amazon. At 5'8" she's just a normal woman with beyond-normal strength. Keri's a little smaller at 5'4", but if anything, I think it'd serve to accentuate the contrast in her favor. If Joss Whedon taught us anything, it's that it's awesome seeing petite women with superpowers kicking all kinds of tail. Buffy did it. River did it. Rogue should most certainly follow in their dainty footsteps.

That wraps it up for this set of five. Check back soon for Part III, covering the five more of the more permanent members of the X-Men: Beast, Psylocke, Iceman, White Queen, and Angel.

Dream Cast: Marvel - Part I

Well comic fans, here it is. I'm officially starting a recurring article of epic proportions, Dream Casting the Marvel Universe. As with my Final Fantasy Dream Cast articles, I'm going to attempt to seriously cast a live action adaptation of this beloved world in a way that's both respectful to the comics and ultimately satisfying within the film context. With my Final Fantasy Dream Cast articles, I upped the difficulty factor by casting the film for a specific date, mainly to prove that it could actually have worked. But considering how large the Marvel Universe is, I'm selecting actors and actresses at specific points in their careers, regardless of their current ages. Think of it as the All Star Cast from all of history coming together.


Although the subject matter is trivial, believe me when I say that the logic is serious. If you're the kind of person that thinks any muscle-bound WWE star can play a superhero, this isn't the article for you. As I've stated before, this is an exercise in careful compromise, taking the essence of each character and finding the the best actor or actress to bring it to the screen. Thoughtless flaming will not be tolerated, but if you disagree with a choice and can sway me with an alternate, I'll not only change my submission, I'll credit you with the switch. So let the intelligent discourse begin!

Professor Xavier - Patrick Stewart


Occasionally, the films do get things right. Patrick Stewart is the only man alive who should be allowed to play Professor X. I don't think I have to even explain why. But here's a bit of fan trivia, there's an X-Men/Star Trek crossover book called Planet X where Storm and Wolverine actually meet with Captain Picard. The hilarious part of the meeting is where they comment on how much the Captain looks like the Professor. This book came out in 1998, and even then there was no doubt as to who should portray the Prof.

Cyclops - Neal McDonough


More often, however, the films get things oh so very wrong. James Marsden was given the role for the X-Men Trilogy, but as far as I can tell, his casting is completely off on so many points. Cyclops is supposed to be the team leader. An imposing man both physically, and in general presence. What they did, though, is throw a GQ pretty boy into a role that would be better suited for a soldier. I don't really have anything against James Marsden, but as Cyclops, he was sorely miscast.

My pick to fix: Neal McDonough. He's a lesser known actor (which is a shame really) who's played supporting roles in a number of films. But the role that convinced me was his part as Buck Compton in Band of Brothers. Here is a Cyclops that I would actually follow into battle. Standing at 6 feet, Neal is only three inches shorter than the real Cyclops (as opposed to James Marsden's five inches), and has the physique necessary to fill his frame on screen. He may be blond, but if you've seen Star Trek: First Contact, you'll see what a little dye can do for his look. Lastly, Neal has one of the most expressive jaws I've ever seen. The range of emotion he can convey with just the lower half of his face is crucial to making a great Cyclops. Seriously, go check out some of his work and see if you're not convinced. In an interesting bit of trivia, if Neal were to actually play Cyclops, it would be his second time taking orders from Patrick Stewart, as he's already done in his role as Lieutenant Hawk in First Contact.

Jean Grey - Kate Beckinsale


Famke Janssen from the X-Men films is another example of uninspired casting. The only thing she had going for her was her look. She couldn't act, let alone be Jean Grey, and in the first film, her American accent needs some serious work. My pick to fix: Kate Beckinsale. Granted, any time you throw in an A-list actor or actress that's in the most-mind-bogglingly-beautiful-people-ever list, you're going to get some knee jerk reactions that immediately dismiss you as crazy. But after watching more of Kate's work, I'm convinced that the woman knows how to actually act and is much more than just a very, very, very pretty face. As a disclaimer, I'm not convinced that she's the perfect woman for the role, just the least wrong out of all the women I've considered for it.

Admittedly, Jean Grey is a tough character to play. She's a little insecure, immensely powerful, more than a little bi-polar, and caught in a seriously tense love triangle between Cyclops and Wolverine. But take a good look at the films Kate's been in and you'll see that she can actually cover the requisite range. In particular: Vacancy, Underworld, Pearl Harbor, Van Helsing. As an added bonus, Kate is 5'8", which is only two inches taller than Jean Grey is. As an even better added bonus, we've already seen the kind of chemistry she and Hugh Jackman have in Van Helsing... which bodes well for the believability of the love triangle. To top it all off she can even sport a respectable American accent. Toss in some hair dye and green contacts and you're good to go.

Storm - Vanessa Williams


Talk about downright painful. Halle Berry as Storm? To quote Gob from Arrested Development, "Come on!" If your only requirement was that the actress be black, you could have done better picking a name out of a hat than purposefully choosing Halle Berry. Here's the bad: She didn't look the part, and had about as much screen presence as a paper bag. I don't care if she won an Oscar, I'm still unconvinced that she can actually act. My pick to fix: Vanessa Williams.

You may be asking yourself, "the lady from the Proactive commercials?" And my answer would be a resounding yes. I first really noticed Vanessa Williams when I saw her playing Rose Alvarez in the film version of the musical Bye Bye Birdie. This woman has presence... loads of it. And really, that's what you need in a good Storm. If she's supposed to be an African Princess (and practically a goddess), she should very well have the charisma to make you believe it. Halle Berry? Not so much. Vanessa Williams, on the other hand, has the full figure, the vocal command, the theatricality and the beauty to give life to the Storm that the films desperately lacked. The added perk here is that Vanessa can pull off the long hair for real (none of that wig nonsense). A silver/platinum dye job would be all you really need. She even has Storm's blue eyes. Lastly, being a senior member of the X-Men, you'd want to cast Vanessa in her mid to late twenties to effectively play a mature leader of the team.

Wolverine - Hugh Jackman


And score two for Hollywood, Hugh Jackman really is an inspired choice to play Wolverine. Any fan will tell you, the Wolverine on screen is a bit different from the one in the comics. The most glaring alteration? The height. Wolverine is actually only 5'3" tall, and about 300 lbs. due to his adamantium skeleton. Hugh, on the other hand, is just over 6'2" and nowhere near as bulky. As far as changes go, though, this is a good one. Wolverine's the most popular character in Marvel history. He works in the comics, but how's a tiny, hairy, animal of a man going to hold up on the big screen? Not very well, that's how. What Hugh's taken and run with is the complex persona of Wolverine. Add a little feral rage and you've got yourself a much better result than you'd expect. We've yet to see the true berserker show himself, but hopes are high that X-Men Origins: Wolverine will cover it. As for me, Hugh Jackman is Wolverine, and I'm sticking with him.

So there are the first five of the X-Men. Stay tuned and check the Dream Cast Label for the next (and upcoming) set(s), which will cover Nightcrawler, Colossus, Shadowcat, Gambit, and Rogue!

Dream Cast: Final Fantasy VII - Part I

Final Fantasy VII has been, and probably always will be, my favorite game of all time. Even during my latent film geek period, I was obsessed with casting it as a live action adaptation. Casting is, a sort of mental game for myself, and to ratchet up the difficulty, I decided to cast the film as it should have been made in the year 2000. All the chosen actors' ages would, of course, be relative to that time frame. My disclaimer/explanation is that I'm casting for the good of the film as a whole, and trying to find a balance amongst a variety of variables such as age, height, build, look, compatibility with other choices, and of course, the ability to actually act. That said, if you have a problem with a choice I've made, I welcome any challenges, but you'd better be able to back up an alternate with an equal amount of thought (if you can change my mind, I'll credit you for it and update the roster!). On one last note, this cast is based off the look and feel of the characters as seen in Final Fantasy VII, ignoring all incarnations following (Crisis Core, Kingdom Hearts, Advent Children, etc.) So without further delay:

Cloud Strife - James McAvoy


The Pick: James McAvoy is my ideal choice for Cloud. Not only is JM one of my favorite actors, but he has the chops to pull off the complexity of a character like Cloud while adding depth to the role beyond what was seen in the game. Cloud's look is mostly iconic due to his hair and his weaponry, and so considering that JM is exactly the same height, and almost the perfect build (wiry and muscular), I'd say his otherwise loose resemblance to the anime stylings of Cloud should be excused.

The Stats: Cloud - 5ft. 7in. 21 years old. James - 5ft. 7in. 21 years old in 2000. Height Match: Exact; Age Match: Exact.

The Proof: If you want to see a twenty-something JM in action, pick up a copy of the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Children of Dune. The acting quality is wildly inconsistent all across the board of characters, but anytime JM is on screen, he's electric. The finest scenes? Try when Leto meets his sister Ghanima again after his "death," and his return to claim the throne from Alia. He's pretty much amazing. As an added bonus, we get to see him with spice melange saturated blue on blue eyes of the desert Fremen... which is only a few shades off from mako infused turquoise eyes when you really think about it.

Aeris Gainsborough - Rose Byrne


The Pick: I think that out of all my casting choices, Rose Byrne will prove to be my most controversial. Not because people have strong opinions about her, but rather that people love Aeris to death (no pun intended). I've considered and discared more actresses for this role than I care to count, notable selections including Mena Suvari, Katheryn Winnick, and Alexis Bledel. Most of them had one quality of Aeris: the look, the height, the age, the personality, the aura... but none of them were even close to having all of them. Sadly, casting Aeris has been an exercise in painful compromise, and as of yet, Rose Byrne is the closest I've come to filling Aeris' admittedly ridiculous boots.

The Stats: Aeris - 5ft. 3in. 22 years old. Rose - 5ft. 6in. 22 years old in 2001. Height Match: +3in; Age Match: +1 year.

The Proof: Talks of compromise aside, I feel that the most important aspect of portraying Aeris must undoubtedly be the actress' ability to evoke compassion and empathy. She'll have to bear the weight of the most famous character death in all of gaming history on her shoulders, and if the actress can't sell that scene, then it's game over from the start. I've seen RB's work in Sunshine, and the one thing I took from her acting was that she could sell it, and I would believe it. So far, no other actress comes close, though I am open to suggestion.

Tifa Lockheart - Rachel Leigh Cook


The Pick: Rachel Leigh Cook essentially looks as if the Tifa character was actually modeled on her appearance. A pretty spectacular visual match, considering the exaggerated anime features. Beyond that, though, RLC has both the personality and the ability to portray a live action Tifa. RLC can be sweet, cheerful, and charming while still exuding the inner strength of a fighter, and that's perfect for Tifa.

The Stats: Tifa - 5ft. 4in. 20 years old. Rachel - 5ft. 2in. 21 years old in 2000. Height Match: -2in.; Age Match: +1 year.

The Proof: Most any of the teen movies she's been in showcases the essential girl-next-door qualities that RLC possesses. If you want guilty pleasures, try "She's All That" or "Josie and the Pussycats." Hardcore fans will note that she already provides the voice for Tifa in both Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts. For what it's worth, I called this one long before either title was released.

Barret Wallace - Laurence Fishburne


The Pick: Let's face it, Barret in the game is essentially Mr. T from the A-Team with a gun-arm. Yes, he's a brawler with a heart of gold, but he's hardly what you'd call a deep character. Sadly, in the transition to live action, some of the cornier aspects of the game will have to be toned down, if not altered entirely. The only way I can see the film being taken seriously, is to focus on Barret's desire to protect the planet while keeping Marlene safe. His humor should be limited to the ongoing banter between him and Cloud. The only actor I see that can give Barret the necessary emotional weight? Laurence Fishburne. Barret is supposed to be the leader of AVALANCHE when Cloud meets him. Let's make sure this Barret actually feels like someone that people would follow into battle.

The Stats: Barret - 6ft. 4in. 35 years old. Laurence - 6ft. 0in. 39 years old in 2000. Height Match: -4in.; Age Match: +4 years.

The Proof: LF has been in some amazing films where he really carries his role with strength. Check out "Boys n the Hood" or his bit part in "MI:3" and you'll see what I mean.

Dream Cast: Final Fantasy VII - Part II

And now for Part II. Here, we'll explore a few of the secondary characters, along with the only villain in the game worth casting: Sephiroth. A note before we begin though... hardcore fans will notice the omission of a few supporting characters... namely, Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine. This is in part due to the highly tangential nature of their story arcs (as being detrimental to flow and pacing of the film), and their relatively insignificant verbal input throughout the game. If they were to appear in the film, I would personally downgrade their appearances to cameos or easter eggs. And in all fairness, casting either of these two wouldn't be overly difficult. Considering that neither of them really needs to act, only the look is important. That said, Yuffie needs to look like a wide eyed Japanese girl, and Vincent... well... he just needs to be male of appropriate height, seeing as he's mostly covered in a red cape. Enough said, let's move on.

Cid Highwind - Hugh Jackman


The Pick: Seriously? Look at Cid. He is Hugh Jackman. Think back to HJ's look from "Swordfish" and you'll see it immediately. In the story, we get no real insight into Cid's past, so for all we know, HJ might even get to deliver lines in his native Australian accent.

The Stats: Cid - 5ft. 8in. 32 years old. Hugh - 6ft. 2in. 32 years old in 2000. Height Match: +6in.; Age Match: Exact.

The Proof: It's no stretch to say that HJ knows how to act. The guy can switch from Wolverine to prince charming (see "Kate and Leopold"), so I'd say he's got range. I don't think playing Cid would be beyond his reach.

Red XIII - Ron Perlman


The Pick: Ron Perlman is kind of the man. Short and simple. We're going to skip the stats, seeing as Red XIII will have to be computer generated. I'm casting RP on voice alone.

The Proof: Hellboy. Seriously... go check it out and you'll hear the voice that needs to be coming out of Red XIII's mouth. What better voice to add the bass, the rumble, the authority, and maybe a little wry sarcasm to Red XIII's science experiment lot in life?

Cait Sith - John Leguizamo


The Pick: John Leguizamo's is the voice I hear in my head when I imagine Cait Sith blabbering on about goodness knows what. Cait Sith needs to be an odd mix of things, funny, annoying, harmless, yet ultimately noble. From what I've seen of JL's work, I think he's got the range. Like Red XIII, this character will need to be at least partly CG, though it'd be refreshing to accomplish some of the magic through animatronics.

The Proof: Where to begin? Looking at JL's imdb profile is exhausting. This guy's been all over the place. Go ahead and take a look for yourself. What I do know is that he's no stranger to voice acting, and that's what matters for this film.

Sephiroth - Jonathan Rhys Meyers


The Pick: As with Aeris, casting such an iconic character can prove to be difficult, but sooner or later, you have to go with the best available choice that hits the most pros and the fewest cons. In terms of Sephiroth, you need someone who has an androgynous quality, yet can exude danger, someone who can look absolutely cold and, later, more than a little insane. My pick for that actor? Jonathan Rhys Meyers. In my opinion, the only thing he lacks is the bulk. He's got the physicality, just not enough of it.

The Stats: Sephiroth - 6ft. 1in. Age Unknown. Jonathan - 5ft. 9in. Height Match: -4in.; Age Match: N/A.

The Proof: Obviously, his lack of an imposing physical presence is a problem, but I think with the right boots, costume and one freakishly long sword, the magic of Hollywood can glaze over that particular deficiency. As for his acting abilities, I'm not worried. Sephiroth is all about bottled intensity, and JRM can achieve that without even talking. Want to see him in action? His most accessible offerings include Bend it Like Beckham and Mission Impossible 3.

So that's it for Final Fantasy VII as it could have been in the year 2000. Would it have worked? I guess we'll never really know for sure... but as a final tidbit... I think there are only a few directors that could pull off a fully realized fantasy universe such as this. And for myself, the only people I would consider for the Director's chair are Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson.