Dreaming up the perfect, diverse casts for upcoming films
Marvel’s Black Panther is just a start at getting better representation in Hollywood
The drumbeat for change continues to grow louder in Hollywood, particularly with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences extending invitations to its most diverse class yet last week. But when it comes to blockbusters, we can still do better where casting is concerned (although cheers to Marvel, Black Panther is certainly a good start).
Which franchises and announced major releases could use an overhaul? Here are some suggested dream casts for a few of Hollywood’s hottest roles.
Indiana Jones 5 (2019) About the project: The Raiders of the Lost Ark hero has yet another adventure in store, though he’s getting a little long in the tooth for globe-trotting. Notably played by: Harrison Ford Our pick: He’ll be 75 next summer, so Ford may be thinking about finally passing on the fedora, whip and Indy mantle. Wouldn’t it be cool for it to be handed to Into the Badlands star Daniel Wu, a man who can handle some serious action?
Green Lantern Corps (2020) About the project: The DC film universe plans to go to outer space and indoctrinate some earthlings into a cosmic force of space cops. Notably played by: Ryan Reynolds Our pick: With Suicide Squad and Justice League embracing diverse casts, Corps should do the same and recruit Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez ( Jane the Virgin) and Riz Ahmed ( Rogue One) as Latin American do-gooder Jessica Cruz and Muslim hero Simon Baz, two highprofile Lanterns now in the comics.
Transformers 6 (2019) About the project: Transforming alien robots — the vast majority of them male — battle each other with mankind in the balance for a sixth time. Notably played by: John Goodman, Hugo Weaving and the late Leonard Nimoy have all voiced Transformers. Our pick: It might be too late to toss in the first lead female Transformer in the fifth movie The Last Knight (out next year), but it would warm nerdy hearts to snag Rosario Dawson (TV’s Daredevil) as Windblade, a robotic warrior who’s been introduced in comics and cartoons.
Guys and Dolls (undated) About the project: A remake of the 1950 stage musical involving an illegal craps game, two unlikely couples and a bunch of show tunes. Notably played by: Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine in the 1955 movie adaptation. Our pick: An ensemble of hugely talented African-American performers featuring Usher as high-stakes gambler Sky Masterson, Terrence Howard as charismatic criminal Nathan Detroit, Janelle Monae as Nathan’s long-suffering love Miss Adelaide and Jennifer Hudson as Sky’s romantic interest, good-hearted Bible thumper Sarah Brown.
Wicked (2019) About the project: The Broadway smash earned raves for its “postfeminist, socially conscious reinterpretation of the story of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West,” when the show opened in 2003. Now, the project is headed for a big-screen adaptation. Notably played by: Idina Menzel won a Tony for her portrayal of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Kristin Chenoweth, who memorably starred as Glinda the Good Witch, was nominated for a Best Actress Tony, too. Our pick: Keke Palmer stole the show in Fox’s Grease: Live! production earlier this year, suggesting she’d do the Wicked Witch proud.
James Bond 25 (undated) About the project: Though Daniel Craig is still officially our James Bond, it’s no secret the hunt for the next 007 is on, with actors such as Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston being weighed by the public at large. But what if producers gave us Jane Bond? Notably played by: Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, Roger Moore, Sean Connery and George Lazenby. Our pick: Priyanka Chopra, who broke out on ABC’s Quantico, would kick butt in the franchise’s planned film. The Indian actress has all the key attributes: she’s strong, mysterious, sexy and cool under pressure.
Rose Red (undated) About the project: Like Disney’s revisionist take on Sleeping Beauty with 2014’s Maleficent, the studio is now pursuing an alternate look at Snow White, which tells the classic fairy tale through the eyes of her sister, Rose Red. The character, who appears in a Brothers Grimm story unrelated to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, will embark on a dangerous quest with Grumpy and the other dwarves to save the “fairest of them all” after she bites a poison apple and falls into the Sleeping Death.
Notably played by: Although Rose Red has appeared in the Fables comic books and a Japanese anime adaptation of the Grimm fairy tales, this will mark the character’s first appearance in a major movie or TV show. Our pick: Japanese model-turned-actress Rila Fukushima is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after action stars, appearing in the CW’s Arrow and HBO’s Game of Thrones, in addition to roles in The Wolverine and upcoming Ghost in the Shell. Throw in her stunning beauty and natural charisma, and she’s a perfect candidate for the next Disney heroine. With files from Brian Truitt and Patrick Ryan, USA Today