Comic Book Casting: Part 2

After discussing the casting or potential casting of upcoming films such as Thor, The Green Hornet and Captain America, I’ve saved the most heated debate for last — who is Wonder Woman?

There has been a bevy of notable starlets who have had their names attached to the role — Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Kate Beckinsale and Megan Fox, just to name a few. When speaking of a potential leads for the role it seems that most people are forgetting one essential fact — Wonder Woman is an Amazon queen. You can’t fit a round peg in a square hole; it’s as simple as that.

While some of the aforementioned actresses would bring a notable name to the table, the role of Wonder Woman craves something more. It’s more than about the Lasso of Truth or her indestructable gauntlets; the success of this character rests on presence. Anyone can play Wonder Woman; we need someone who is Wonder Woman.

I had more than a few people call me out for last week’s casting choices and this week should be no different. In Comic Casting: Part One, I blended some known actors with some, dare I said it, unconventional choices for roles. I feel unknowns, as a general rule, are better suited for comic book characters due to the fact that if a known star is plugged into the role, that’s precisely what we see — an actor playing a role.

I’m wandering off the reservation once again this week with my casting of Wonder Woman. Although I would love to see the lovely Megan Fox don the Amazon queen costume — and I mean love it — I’m hitting the small screen for my choice.

After watching the first episode of NBC’s Chuck, I had found my Wonder Woman. Sarah Lancaster, who plays Chuck’s older sister Allie, is what I had always imagined for the role. Beautiful, sultry and, damn it, she looks the part.

Standing 5-feet-8-inches tall, Lancaster is more than capable of handling the part. She measures just two inches shorter than Linda Carter and has a more athletic build. With her blend of beauty and body, she is clearly the perfect choice for Wonder Woman.

Take a moment, slip on over to Google images and type in her name. If that isn’t what you want in a Wonder Woman, I don’t know what is. While not a major star, Lancaster has the presence to pull off the role, and if the second season of Chuck is an indication, she might be freed up pretty soon.

Superman Returns...Again?

If it doesn’t work, reboot it. That seems to be Hollywood’s motto these days. There was never a quicker call for this than in the instance of Superman Returns. The movie banked well over $200 million domestically and the first thing you hear is that the studio wasn’t happy.

I don’t blame them for being unhappy, though. A crappy story, a horribly lackluster performance from Kate Bosworth and a scared stiff Brandon Routh, literally. Routh is undoubtedly the best choice for the part and hopefully in the reboot of the reboot of the franchise, he’s loosened his knickers a bit.

I hated the storyline for Superman Returns for the most part. I did, however, like that the Man of Steel returned and found that he had a son — that was about it. The rest of the story sucked in my opinion and even Kevin Spacey left me wanting more, and that in itself is an oddity.

It’s been confirmed by the studio that they are going darker in an attempt to replicate the success of the Dark Knight. It’s a sound idea, but the studio needs to keep one very important thing in mind — they don’t have a Heath Ledger. Ledger accounted for the majority of the success of the flick and I don’t believe that Fox can find an actor that can give a performance like that.

If the studio is compelled to keep the same lineup, I vote to have Bosworth play Lex Luther and Spacy play Lois Lane. That way it would be at least entertaining. I suggest that Fox shaves away everyone in the cast except Routh, Frank Langella and Sam Huntington. The trio gave the best performances in the film and, like they say, you have to trim the fact to get to the meat.

Reboot it, give Superman some scars and, for God’s sake, make his dilemma a character driven one. Kryptonite is cool, but it’s been done — a lot. I want the Man of Steel to be made to choose between two things he loves, with the knowledge that one must be sacrificed.

I know it’s been done, but that’s the meat, folks, and I’m ready to dig in.

Keep on Yappin’