Cast Party: Who Should Star In A ‘Beast’ Movie?
Welcome to Cast Party, the feature that imagines a world with even more live action comic book adaptations than we currently have, and comes up with arguably the best casting suggestions you’re ever going to find for the movies and shows we wish could exist.
The spooky season marches on, and I've been looking for comic book monsters to build movies around. And of course my favorite Marvel monster (at least of the superheroic variety) is Hank McCoy, the Beast. So today I'm imagining a movie based on his solo run in Amazing Adventures back in the early '70s, which was written by Gerry Conway and Steve Englehart, with art by Tom Sutton. This is the story in which he goes from a bouncy human-looking guy with big hands and feet to an actual furry monster.
I'm treating this as a spin-off of the X-Men reboot that I described in this column back in may. That way Beast can appear in human form in the first X-Men movie, then as a full-on beast in a later installment, and this movie will explain the change.
The tone here will be one that mixes superhero action with horror, just like the comic. Hank struggles with his transformation, even as he faces some pretty creepy villains. There's even a potential MCU tie-in as an Avenger makes a guest appearance. The nice thing about imaginary movies is not worrying about who owns the rights to what.
Michael C. Hall as Hank McCoy
Marvel/ShowtimeMarvel/Showtime I first cast Hall as the Beast back when I did an X-Men reboot, and I continue to think he's perfect for the part. He has a ton of dramatic range, plus that Hank McCoy chin.
Rose McIver as Linda Donaldson
Marvel/CWMarvel/CW Linda turns out not to be what she seems. McIver navigates a lot of layers of truth on iZombie, and I think she could bring a similar quality to this part, while being rather less pale.
Martin Starr as Carl Maddicks
Marvel/HBOMarvel/HBO Starr has built his career largely on "alienated nerd" roles, and I'd like to see him go full villain as Maddicks.
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark
MarvelMarvel RDJ just is Tony Stark now, there's no getting around it. And having him cameo as one of the funders of the Brand Corporation is exactly the sort of thing Marvel would do.
Brian Tyree Henry as Robert Baxter
Marvel/FXMarvel/FX Henry's doing such a great job on Atlanta that I immediately want to see what he's like in a totally different role. And Baxter requires a charismatic actor to balance what a jerk he is.
Rutina Wesley as Mrs. Baxter
Marvel/NBCMarvel/NBC In the comic, Baxter's wife is Patsy Walker, who soon becomes Hellcat, but if the idea is to set this in the MCU, there's just no way to make Rachael Taylor's Trish Walker fit into this role. I was thinking maybe she could be a version of Greer Nelson instead, and then later you can bring her back as Tigra. Either way, I really want to see Wesley as a superhero sooner or later.
Iggy Pop as Mastermind
Marvel/MiramaxMarvel/Miramax Mastermind has evolved over the years, but in Amazing Adventures he's a scary, skinny, screeching weirdo. Thus, Iggy Pop.
John Rhys-Davies as Quasimodo
Marvel/SyfyMarvel/Syfy A sentient computer in a monstrous body is just the sort of role genre veteran Davies would play.
Baron Corbin as the Griffin
Marvel/WWEMarvel/WWE This is sort of monster role I always want to bring in a wrestler for, and Corbin is certainly monster-sized. And maybe as a nod to his fans, the Griffin can yell, "Go back to the Fantastic Four!" as he throws the Beast off a roof.
Oscar Isaac as Warren Worthington III
Marvel/LucasfilmMarvel/Lucasfilm When your friend from home shows up to make sure you're okay, wouldn't it be even better if that friend was Oscar Isaac?
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