Cast The Actor To Redo The TV Role And We'll Reveal Who Could Run The Show
- by Dylan Jacob
- – on
- in Movies and TV
The internet loves picking who they want to play TV roles, then finding ways to be concerned when someone who was probably an even better choice gets picked. Remember when people were worried about Christian Bale playing Batman?
Today, we're going to give into our inner nerd and Comic Book Guy to recast some iconic roles on television. We're going to do something different with this quiz, as we'll include living characters on shows that are still ongoing. People like Daryl Dixon or Dennis Reynolds. Maybe there are people who want those shows to be rebooted, they believe an acting change is needed, or we feel like testing you.
We're also going to include some superheros on here, though who you pick can also be your ideal choice for who should play them in a movie. Some of the people I want to play Batman in a movie could also work for a TV show, so why not include them?
With the superheros, all of the characters listed have been major parts of shows in the past, like Batman or Wolverine. Franchises that have spawned TV shows after starting off as movies, like Star Wars, are not included on this quiz, so you don't have to worry about recasting Luke Skywalker or Han Solo.
Rick Grimes
Should The Walking Dead recast Rick Grimes with Andrew Lincoln set to leave after season 9? For practical matters, I say no, but for the sake of this quiz, let's see what you think. All four of these actors would seemingly make sense as the next leader of Alexandria, but who are you going to pick?
Daryl Dixon
Norman Reedus is set to lead The Walking Dead in the post-Rick Grimes generation, but what if the show was ever rebooted? What if HBO decided to do what they could've done a decade ago and pick up The Walking Dead as a more graphic, adult show? Which of these actors would you pick to portray Daryl?
Batman
There's a new Batman every few years, whether it's cartoons or movies, so we're probably not far off from a new one. Like I said in the intro, feel free to pick one of these choices as the next Batman. Yes, I have my own personal list and these are some of the four on there.
Superman
I don't know if it's Henry Cavill's acting or just the writing, but I wouldn't be opposed to a new Superman in the coming years. Cavill isn't bad, though I just prefer Christopher Reeve and other people who have played the role. Who are you choosing as the next Superman? And no, you can't go with Eminem.
Wolverine
I'd have to think Robert Downey Jr. playing Wolverine would certainly feel weird given his decade-long stint as Iron Man, but Chris Evans went from playing The Human Torch to Captain America. No, we're serious. The other three actors are fine choices on here as well, but who are you going with? Hugh Jackman will still probably be the best choice, though.
Omar Little
There's fans of "The Wire" that would love to see the show continued, whether it's after the fifth and final season or it's some sort of prequel. I would think Omar has to be involved in some form if it's the latter, which opens the door for one of these fine actors becoming Baltimore's greatest Robin Hood.
Don Draper
It's only been a few short years since Mad Men finished, yes, but there's several shows that ended in recent years on that list. Let's look at who could be an intriguing fit to replace Jon Hamm as Don Draper. I would absolutely love to see Andrew Lincoln in this role, though he may want to spend more time overseas. Who would you pick?
Walter White
Bryan Cranston is probably always going to be the best Walter White if Breaking Bad is ever rebooted, which I can't see for another 10-15 years. Then again, AMC could always decide to do another spin-off if that means it'll help the ratings which are going down from The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead. Who would you pick?
Tony Soprano
I can't see anyone but James Gandolfini playing Tony Soprano, but the show is coming closer and closer to being "eligible" for a reboot or spin-off. Chris Bauer of "The Wire" and "The Deuce" would be an intriguing choice, as would Bryan Cranston. Which of these four would you pick as the patriarch of the Soprano family?
Earn Marks
Earn Marks and "Atlanta" are Donald Glover's babies, but what happens if Glover gets too many movie opportunities he doesn't want to pass up? Would he be willing to let Earn be recast - and if so, would he or FX really pass up one of these four choices? Let us know who you're thinking.
Robin
All four of these actors could easily play Robin - and with Tom Holland, we know how good he's been as a superhero that is also a ward to another hero - if they went for a younger, teenage Robin. We're going with the idea that a Robin for this quiz would be a teenager in-story. Who are you taking?
Nightwing
If we're casting Robin as a teenager, Nightwing would probably have to be roughly 25 or older. Each of these actors is in that age range as of June 2018 and all have traits that would make them strong fits. Dillane can also pull the long hair look off, though I preferred him with his hair shorter in Fear The Walking Dead. Who are you taking?
Spider-Man
So many people have played Spider-Man that we had to include such choices as Drake Bell, Neil Patrick Harris, and Chris Barnes. I had none of them in mind. Yuri Lowenthal was excluded as well because he's playing Spider-Man in that new PS4 game. How do you like our choices otherwise?
James T. Kirk
If you've paid attention recently, you'd know that Anson Mount was cast as Captain Kirk for "Star Trek: Discovery." That's a younger Captain Kirk, but what if we were going to cast a Kirk that's around as old as William Shatner was in the original show. Shatner was in his 30s and 40s, for what it's worth.
Stringer Bell
This was the role that propelled Idris Elba onto the worldwide stage, but who would be an adequate Stringer Bell if "The Wire" ever rebooted or even did some sort of soft reboot? Donald Glover would be fascinating, though I see him working as an Avon Barksdale too. Who are you going with here?
Green Lantern
While we used John Stewart's version of Green Lantern as that's my personal favorite, Green Lantern is a title more than a character. This is one of those roles that really can be played by anyone of any ethnicity or gender, though we're going with these four male characters as options. Who are you going to take?
Negan
No one is sure what's going to happen with "The Walking Dead" and no one's sure how much longer Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be on the show. People seem to be divided on what Morgan brings to the table as Negan - I'm a fan, but I also think the show's writing makes things hard - so pick from one of the four options below.
George Jetson
George Jetson may seem like a surprising inclusion to this list, but The Jetsons are being rebooted as a live-action show to air on ABC in the coming years. Someone is going to have to play George and I'd imagine it'd have to be an older, redheaded actor capable of some wit. Who are you going with here?
Archie Bunker
Casting Robert De Niro to play a revamped Archie Bunker would be interesting given their poltiical ideologies are on the complete ends of the spectrum. There are plans to reboot "All in the Family," though I do wonder how Archie's beliefs would transfer over to the current political climate. We saw the fan reactions to some episodes of "Roseanne," after all. Who would you cast as Archie? (Give me Ed Harris!)
Francis Underwood
As Kevin Spacey is no longer with "House of Cards" following his departure last year, a new Francis Underwood is needed either for the next season or for a potential reboot down the line. All four of these actors make sense to me as picks, but I want to hear who you're going with.
Carl Grimes
We're operating here under the idea of a rebooted "The Walking Dead" with a young Carl Grimes, not recasting someone in their teens or early 20s to play Carl and pretend he never died. Just go with this idea and choose from one of the following four child actors that would hopefully stay in the house.
Glenn Rhee
Operating under the rule that we established which forbids the current/most recent actor from playing the character in a reboot, there will be no Steven Yeun here. We are providing options that keep Glenn's character loyal to both the comic and TV show. In other words, nothing that would cause controversy for reasons we don't need to explain.
Jesse Pinkman
We've included three younger options - Aaron Paul was only 28 when "Breaking Bad" started filming in 2007 - and an older-ish actor in Ross Marquand. I can't even call him older-ish because he's going to be 39 in August. If I can look that good at 39, I'll be happy. Hell, I'll be happy just to make it to 39. Who do you like here?
Will Smith
I'm still confused on what's going to happen with a reboot of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Is it going to be a male lead, or will it be a "princess?" For the sake of this quiz, we're going to go with a male here and have you choose from one of the following options.
Dennis Reynolds
Three Chris' and a Ryan sounds like the lead-into a really bad joke - and the last time I made one of those on here, I deleted it because it was so cringeworthy. If Glenn Howerton doesn't come back to "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and you had to choose one of these four to replace him as Dennis, who's the pick?
Ray Holt
I do like Ray Holt, but I'll let you choose one of the other actors on this list to portray him. Not that I don't like Andre Braugher, but three of these actors were on "The Wire" and you know how I feel about that show. (Especially season four. Because season four is so awesome and I love it and more.)
Sherlock Holmes
Part of me wanted to include Robert Downey Jr. on here because I love his portrayal of the character, but he violates a rule we had earlier. And yes, I also really like Benedict Cumberbatch. Go for one of the following choices to portray the legendary detective, even if it means we miss out on RDJ. Sad face emoji.
Barney Stinson
"How I Met Your Mother" has been off the air for over four years now, but what if they were going to make a movie and Neil Patrick Harris wasn't playing the role? I think Chris Hemsworth is the easiest option here and he's who I'd pick, though I'm excited to compare my selection with yours.
Jim Gordon
J.K. Simmons was fine as Jim Gordon in "Justice League," so we're not ripping on him here. I just don't know how much longer he's going to keep playing the role with how often they change who plays what in the Batman movies. Which of the following actors would you want as Jim Gordon?
Daredevil
Normal superhero rules apply here, but we're going to make this harder...well, harder on me. You can't pick anyone who's already in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play Daredevil. I know Marvel has done the switcharoo at times with minor characters, but I want to make this harder and get more people into the role that Charlie Cox has played to perfection.
