The above has reminded me that I picture “JLA: the movie” not as a single movie but as a trilogy. However, not as three adventures in three movies but rather ONE huge adventure/mission cut into three movies (ala Lord of the Rings). Except that our third movie won’t be four hours and change long.
Some omissions from previous installments of this fanboy daydream:
Desaad
I kind of forgot about this guy when I thought about who could play Desaad…
Willem Defoe kind of sounds like Desaad (Check out Spiderman 1 if you don’t believe me) and wearing a hooded cloak he’d probably look like him as well. Desaad is a pretty interesting character from the perspective that he revels in chaos but he serves Darkseid who forges order in an absolute way.
Barda
How about Lucy Lawless (from Xena Warrior princess fame)? Can you picture anyone else playing the former fury?
Obviously, it has to be someone shorter than Lucy Lawless and someone who’s into BDSM. Scott loves to be chained up. Barda has punched him on occasion and his typical reaction is to kiss her.
Okay, time to get a little more serious.
Ray Park may be a good choice, since Scott could be wearing a mask for most of the movie. Also, Mr. Miracle is a pretty graceful flyer (he needs to be flying standing or crouching upright most of the time) and Park has loads of physical grace. Lastly, Ray Park seems to be connected to a dozen masked superhero roles at any given time. So, what’s one more?
Who is XXXX?
I haven’t really decided yet, but there are some options with major implications for the story.
OPTION 1: XXXX is Orion
This may dovetail quite nicely with Darkseid being the villain of the story. I picture one or two Darkseid-Orion face-off scenes: the son defying the father. This choice will also allow us to explore the whole Apokalips-New Genesis history. Oh, and I’m not sure that Orion is known to the league before his try-out…
The same could hold for Apokalips – perhaps the heroes should be as shocked by the planet of the evil gods when they see it. Perhaps, they only have a vague notion of the planet. However, whatever we decide, Apokalips knows all about the league.
Who should play Orion? I have no clue, but let’s go Brit for this one.
OPTION 2: XXXX is Booster Gold
Who’d have thought Goldie would play such an important role. Booster knows the leaugue is about the face the Apokalips champions before he ‘tries out.’ He knows this, because he’s from the future and he’s a huge JLA fan…and history tells him that the JLA dies during the battle with Apokalips. Booster doesn’t know how they die exactly, but he wants to stop it from happening. Of course, he doesn’t how to stop it and he doesn’t share any of this with anyone on the team until the near the end of the first movie. Thanks a lot, Booster!
Who should play Booster Gold? There’s really no actor that screams Booster…Any suggestions?
I’m kind of leaning toward Option 2, because of my science fiction bias for time travel stories. I’m also of the opinion that a time traveler with only half of the whole picture would open up great story ideas. That and I don’t think Orion was well-written in the JLA comic. I know it’s not the character’s fault, but still Booster is more of JLA-fan favourite than Orion ever was.
Who should play Darkseid?
I know many might be screaming Anthony Hopkins, but who would play Highfather in the second and third movie? Unless Darkseid is all CGI motion-capture, that is. Then, he can do both roles. He’d probably want a dramatic scene between the both characters…could be arranged.
Again any suggestions for this uber-important role?
Lucy Lawless as Big Barda = win. I was almost thinking of her for Wonder Woman, but she's much better for Barda.
ReplyDelete"Scott loves to be chained up." Oh, dear. 0.o I didn't catch that subtext.
Ray Park...hmm. Is he charismatic enough to play Scott, though?
I like Option 2, as long as you watch out for the plot holes that time travel can sometimes present. I like the inept time traveller idea a lot. (Hence I am a Booster Gold fan.)
As for Booster...what about David Wenham?
http://www.listal.com/person/david-wenham
He might be a little too old, though.
As for Darkseid...I gotta keep thinking about that. I'm almost thinking relatively-unknown-but-great voice actor.
Scott's charisma: The forgotten factor...
ReplyDeleteI like Option 2, as long as you watch out for the plot holes that time travel can sometimes present. It's funny you should mention this, because I wanted two or three characters to argue about time travel theories (Time travel is theoretically impossible OR Time travel can create dangerous paradoxes OR Time paradoxes are essential to the workings of existence OR Time travel doesn't change anything about the future but merely creates new timelines) and have this massive argument interrupted by a sudden boom tube attack.
You know there was an option 3, but I'm not sure anyone would want the character to be in the movie...
I share your concerns about Wenham's age. That said an old, weathered-lookig Booster could be a sign that his future not being all roses...Still, a younger actor would be better.
Yeah, I think we need young and easy-going to play Booster. Wenham just looks the part, but if he was 10 years younger it would work better.
ReplyDeleteWhich characters would be debating time travel?
And who is Option 3? I'm all ears.
The only other plausible option besides Anthony Hopkins or a voice actor that I can come up with is Christopher Lee. He's had experience playing villains, at least.
Time travel debate: Usually this would be done by guys like Reed Richards in a Marvel movie, but we could have Batman (he knows everything) or Atom (if we decide to include him)...However, the more interesting choice woud be to ask the aliens. For example, what was the dominant view of time travel on Mars or Thanagar? What has Superman discovered about Krypton's views on time travel? Of course, any random member could just come out and say, "Time travel. Yeah, I've done it. No biggy."
ReplyDeleteOption 3 was the wildly fanboy polarising character (hero turned villain) Triumph. He was the real contraversial choice, but it would require him taking on another identity* and reign in his immense power in the try-out. He'd actually have to be freed by someone like Darksied or Desaad and act as a mole within the JLA (in the movie).
*Not sure how familiar you are with him, but Triumph was the original leader of the JLA, but got trapped in Limbo on their first mission. When he was freed years later, he blamed the JLA for keeping from his destiny in becoming the world's greatest hero.
Of course, the bold Hollywood choice would be to have Blue Devil, Booster Gold, AND Trumph try out. Then, somewhere in the course of the first and second movies have say Aquaman or Hawkman suspect that they've been infiltrated and suspect Booster (as evil).
May have gotten some Triumph details slightly wrong...
ReplyDeleteNot sure, but not such a big Triumph fan that I'm compelled to check those details. Mostly right, i think.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the early days of Triumph or his origin, but I did read the storyline of the Morrison JLA series where he comes back. I don't harbor any strong feelings for him either way, but I've seen people get really worked up over him.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that bugs me with time travel is that shouldn't characters from the future know what's going to happen? I think that was always expained away with Booster Gold because he was such a dunderhead and couldn't remember his history. (Though why he couldn't just ask Skeets always bugged me. If memory serves, some writers gave Skeet some faulty data. Or there's the plot devive of not interfering with the past lest it throw the time stream for a loop.)
I think the whole Triumph thing was that the writers creators created the character when that storyline came out. I'm not sure but I think the league had supposedly forgotten about him all together somehow...
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that bugs me with time travel is that shouldn't characters from the future know what's going to happen? > Not if their very presence changes a lot things.Again, it depends on what theory of time travel is proven right...
Your comment about Skeets has kind of ripped the heart of the post I wanted to write today (somewhat). Still, going to post it...