Recasting The X-Men, Fantastic Four, And More In The MCU Ft. Robbie Fox
You like that thumbnail? That’s right, January Jones was in X-Men. Anyway, with the Disney-Fox Acquisition complete and the news out that Deadpool is probably going to be the only character not recast into the MCU, there is a lot of questions floating out there on who is going to assume the roles of some of our favorite comic book heroes. Being a BTMB, I just had to take a stab at doing it myself with my regular casting Partner Robbie Fox. By the way, have you listened to ‘My Mom’s Basement‘ yet? If not, you should cause it rules out loud. Robbie killed his first interview with Dana White, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as someone who doesn’t know much about UFC. Ok so here are the ground rules which I immediately break:
– The castings are for the character and not the original actor. IE you’re trying to find the best person to play Cyclops, not to play James Marsden
– The “Original Actor” in this case is usually just the first person to play the character
– You can’t cast anyone who has previously been in a MCU movie, a rule which I immediately violated
– After you view our selections, vote in the forms below. If you don’t like either of our picks, write one in! I’ll have a follow up blog to this where I’ll include your best selections (make sure not to typo names).
Kenjac: Have any of you seen ‘Outlaw King‘? Think of ATJ’s performance in that film and tell me he wouldn’t be a perfect wolverine. He’s jacked, has a great rage scream and best of all, he’s already been in the MCU as Quicksilver! Is that a problem? Yes. Do I have a way to address it? No. More importantly, Kit Harrington just isn’t a badass! He’s short and scruffy but he’s sort of wimpy looking. Just compare his picture on that graphic to Hugh Jackman. Bad visual!
Robbie: I fell in love with the idea of Kit Harrington as Wolverine when I binged all of ‘Game of Thrones’ earlier this year, and haven’t been able to get the thought outta my brain since. He’s nice and short, he’s scruffy, and UNLIKE what KenJac says (he is a filthy liar), he IS badass! Snow would nail the role, mark my words.
Kenjac: While not a household name just yet, I think Anna Diop brings the sort of subtle ferociousness needed for the role of Storm. Can’t argue at all with Robbie’s pick, though.
Robbie: I fucking love Kerry Washington, and I’d love to see her get a standalone flick as Storm before going forth with the character’s marriage to T’Challa, one of the most iconic Marvel Comics arcs. Big shoes to fill with Halle Berry, though – one of the best original X-Men. I don’t know who KenJac’s pick is.
Kenjac: Look, Cyclops sucks. There just isn’t any way around it. The real question is how do you make him interesting? I say cast a hot dude fresh off the most successful romantic comedy of 2018 and see what happens. Alden is good, but also you could put him in a room next to James Marsden and I don’t think I’d be able to tell them apart.
Robbie: Look, Cyclops DOESN’T suck, but also I froze on this pick and just kinda selected the first young actor that came to mind. It ain’t great – I’ll admit that. KenJac’s selection is better – I’ll admit that too. Keep Clops’ name off your lips if you’re gonna talk shit, though.
Kenjac: James’s performances in ‘Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again!’ and ‘Baby Driver’ are enough to convince me that she can play a tortured super-mutant. Allison Williams? Folks more like Allison Grilliams cause that pick is well done.
Robbie: Bro I’m not gonna lie…I nailed this pick. I shocked myself with how amazing it was, actually. Allison Williams shoves lil Mamma Mia girl in a locker.
Kenjac: I mean, Felicity Jones is literally the Rogue One. She’s proven she can play a badass in the sci-fi genre and I trust her as the eternally boring hero’s mantle. I can’t complain about the Daisy Ridley pick, though. Oh, wait, I can. Robbie, don’t burn our queens entrance into the MCU on such a terrible hero!
Robbie: Okay, I froze on this one too. Just went with Daisy cause she could play anything/anyone and be phenomenal in my eyes. Shark from Jaws? Daisy. Rogue? Yeah, Daisy, sure. If she made that stupid Murder on the Train movie interesting, she could make Rogue interesting.
Kenjac: Nightcrawler is a weirdo, tortured freak and I think Stanfield can capture that essence perfectly. While I loooooove Murphy, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play a role that wasn’t a stoic, imposing figure.
Robbie: Cillian just kinda looks like Nightcrawler as it is with his whole head/eyes and shit. Idk man.
Kenjac: Kitty Pryde is another hero who’s powers kind of stink, so I don’t mind having Sarah Hyland step into a limited MCU role for her. Emma Watson is far too prestigious imo. Perhaps she’d actually make a decent Jean Grey?
Robbie: Sarah Hyland is actually an awesome pick and now I feel like I’m getting bodybagged, but I wanted to go big for Kitty Pryde because ‘Days of Future Past’ is one of my favorite X-Men arcs of all time and I always felt she deserved more love in the flicks. She should be a full-timer.
Kenjac: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Condor is more than suitable for the role.
Robbie: Oh, c’mon, KenJac! You gotta wipe the slate CLEAN for the X-Men! Gotta recast everybody. Let’s not muddy the waters and confuse viewers now. Gemma rules.
Kenjac: Robbie in I went in different directions age-wise here. I love Hedges, who is far too much of a prestige project actor for the role (yea I know I bitched about that earlier, you gonna cry about it???), but he just fits the bill.
Robbie: Chris Pine is just a snack and I needed a way to fit him into the MCU somehow, and being ol’ Frozone head ass was a bit of a teenage heartthrob in the original flicks, I decided on Pine for him here. Hedges would be good too tho.
Kenjac: I actually enjoy the Deadpool version of Colossus, Stefan Kapicic. However, this is my personal favorite landing spot for the Mountain. Cena is a good pick, but I’d rather him for Vanisher (RIP).
Robbie: I think Cena would be HILARIOUS as Colossus! He really got to show off his comedy chops in ‘Blockers’ (very underrated) last year, and could play a perfect mix between the original, kinda boring Colossus, and the hilarious, raunchy one from Deadpool. The Mountain was my original pick for this role, and I shifted his position a bit at the last minute, so I can’t hate on that pick either.
Kenjac: Hear me out and imagine this reveal. The X-Men need help for a mission because presumably the school has been blown up for the 50000th time, so they go to a place where an old ally is rumored to live. They go to a smokey room where a bunch of southern aristocrat-types are playing cards. You hear the deep cajun drawl say something like “enchanté” or something dumb like that when out of the shadows emerges Jeff Bridges! I just gave myself chills. Also, Channing Tatum has cursed the Gambit movie too much for it to ever happen. It has been revived and cancelled no less than 2000 times under his tenure.
Robbie: Dude, Channing Tatum wants to be Gambit so god damn much!!! You GOTTA give him this one! I did butter at the lil scenario you set up there, though, KenJac.
Kenjac: Hey baby, I hear the blues a-callin’, Tossed salads and scrambled eggsssssss
Robbie: Brad Pitt playing Beast kinda just made me laugh.
Kenjac: I think this is maybe my best casting of all time. Ali is an incredibly talented and versatile actor that gives off such a perfect Professor X vibe. Wise, reassuring and brilliant are all adjectives that come immediately to mind. More importantly, I just can’t do Keanu bald. I need those luscious, greasy locks with energy pod Neo being the only exception.
Robbie: Mahershala is an AWESOME pick, but I side with Kevin Smith on this one, who mentioned on a recent ‘Fatman Beyond’ episode that he thinks Keanu would nail the Professor X character. He was actually offered the Jude Law role in ‘Captain Marvel’, too, so they clearly wanna fit him into the MCU somehow. I like this route.
Kenjac: Again, I’m picturing a young Pyro-Iceman rivalry, and who is a better hateable face than ole giant hair Joe Keery?
Robbie: I kinda hate this dickhead in ‘Whiplash’ and Pyro’s a dickhead so, ya know, if the glove fits…
Kenjac: I really got nothing here. I just think Johnny Galecki really looks like a toad.
Robbie: Joe Cole was UNBELIEVABLE in ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’ (one of the best combat sports movies ever made, check it out), and I would love to see him here as Toad. By the way, in the first X-Men, Storm says “You know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightening?”, and there’s a little pause, and then she says, “Same thing that happens to everybody else”, before striking him with lightening. I never understood that. Why not just strike him with lightening if you’ve got no actual fun facts to add, Storm?
Kenjac: I had TOTALLY forgotten Ben Foster was in X-Men. As much as I’d like to re-pick one of my favorite actors, I think this small role is best off in the hands of the Iron Fist/Loras Tyrell himself. Ben Winshaw is farrrr too wimpy to play the arrogant god Angel, in my oh so humble opinion.
Robbie: WIMPY?! DID YOU SEE MARY POPPINS RETU-ah fuck he was pretty wimpy in that.
Kenjac: Joe Manganiello has it all. Height, strength, and a voice that is scary enough to be repurposed. Really a no-brainer in my opinion. I’d rather save my sweet prince Henry Cavill for something more worthy.
Robbie: I like Joe Manganiello better than my own pick here. Damn.
Kenjac: I actually love Vinnie Jones and think he was a great Juggernaut. That said, I’ll set the lofty goal of casting the most popular actor in all of hollywood for what is essentially a bit role.
Robbie: HEEEEERRRRRREEEEE’S THE MOUNTAIN!!! Hey KenJac, Mr. “Save ___ For A Better Role!”…we really goin’ Jugs for Dwayne? No way.
Kenjac: Mystique bores the FUCK out of me, but I think Hailee Steinfeld has enough allure to make the character interesting.
Robbie: You get a load of this guy? Mystique bores him? C’mon, my man. I’m judging you for that one. Emmy Rossum is gonna be in the market for a new gig now that ‘Shameless’ is nearing its end, and she’s hot as all hell, allowing her to nail Mystique’s seductive tendencies, so put her in the blue paint and see what happens. I’ll be poppin’ boners for sure.
Kenjac: I think this is the best neck-and-neck casting Robbie and I have so far. I love both our picks so much that I kinda wish both of them could play Magneto a la the Sprouse twins in ‘Big Daddy’.
Robbie: I’d agree with KenJac’s take that this is the most neck-and-neck casting we had, if that were the case, but it’s not, because I snapped his neck and threw his body in a river. Cranston IS Magneto. Next!
Kenjac: I think Neeson is better as a bad guy than a good guy, making him a good fit for the psychopath Col. Stryker.
Robbie: Michael Shannon can stand and trade blows with the best bad guy actors of all time, and the Stryker role is sooooo important to Wolverine and the rest of the X-Men that I think you gotta go big or go home with him. Oh, and Liam Neeson is problematic now. Cancelled. Thought he would cry.
Kenjac: As much as I’d like to see Ioan gruf….gruffound? Gruffedd? Whatever. That guy and Jessica Alba return (I wouldn’t), I think Sudeikis and Wilde would make a good fit here. Sudeikis can do serious with a touch of goofy while his IRL wife Olivia Wilde brings sort of the same sentiment. I know you all stopped reading already to vote for Krasinski/Blunt, and I don’t blame you, but please think of the possibilities!
Robbie: I can’t take credit for this casting, as it seems to be the internet’s favorite idea in the world right now, but it’s just the best. I love these two. Love everything about them. Won’t hear any alternatives.
Kenjac: I cannot think of a better suited actor for the hotheaded, bro-heavy Johnny Storm than Momoa. Imagine him doing the “FLAME ON” followed by a hearty YEAHHHHHHHHHH as he flies through the skies of New York. Perfection! Before you ask, yes, Mama storm fucked the neighbor or something.
Robbie: You wanna spice things up for Johnny Storm?! JAKE JOHNSON! Make him an awesome comedic relief for the family. He’d crush it.
Kenjac: Don’t stop to think. Just vote for our beautiful king Brendan Fraser.
Robbie: He’s made of minerals, Marie.
Kenjac: I’m admiditly a huge Mark Strong fan, but I also think he’s perfectly suited for the role of super-rich bad guy. Phoenix is a little too…touched for this sort of wealthy swag.
Robbie: KenJac, WHO DA FOOK IS DAT GUY?! I don’t know him. Idk. I’m just trying to make Joaquin hit the villain cycle, or something.
Kenjac: He can do the voice and the mocap as he joins his brother in the MCU. I’m also fairly certain he actually surfs as well. That might just be a made up assumption because he’s an Aussie, though.
Robbie: I picked Rami to piss KenJac off. I hope it worked. (Really though he’d be great),
Kenjac: Easiest pick EVER.
Robbie: Yeah, his is better.
Kenjac: Enough said. He’s the only one coming back anyway.
Robbie: You recast Deadpool, we RIOT.
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