Recasting the MCU: Part 5

By Austin Johnson

Welcome to Part V of the MCU recast. This segment along with every segment of the recast is dedicated to Chadwick Boseman. We’ve recasted twenty MCU characters so far and there are some heavy hitters in this next group. The age range is oddly tight. Michael B. is the youngest in this group at 33 and Corey Stoll is the oldest at 44. This caused me to think about a film about some kind of group of workers with these five actors playing the main characters. Like they could all go out for drinks after work and it wouldn’t be weird. I’d probably go see this cast of actors in something, but I would definitely go see the collection of actors I chose in something.

5.) Charlize Theron as Dr. Christine Palmer

Portrayed by Rachel McAdams in the MCU.

Rachel McAdams is a wonderful actress with a really interesting filmography. She is pretty great in Doctor Strange, but I do think we could take it up a notch. Charlize Theron is four years older than McAdams and an instant game changer when she’s added to the bill. McAdams oozes with talent, but Theron breathes that shit. She would no doubt elevate the MCU by just being there and now I’m even more excited to draw Doctor Strange in the future.

4.) Mark Wahlberg as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket

Portrayed by Corey Stoll in the MCU.

We need to spice up this villainous pick. Corey Stoll is 44 and from NYC, so I wanted to take a guy in his 40’s that’s also from the northeast. Bam, Marky Mark! We could all use a heat check performance from Mark Wahlberg as Yellowjacket. If we could get the same aggression that Scorsese got out of Wahlberg in The Departed, then Yellowjacket could be one of the best MCU villains ever.

3.) LaKeith Stanfield as Erik Stevens/Killmonger

Portrayed by LaKeith Stanfield in the MCU.

LaKeith Stanfield is probably my favorite actor under the age of 30 right now. He would make a great Killmonger and we would demand a film about him in Oakland if he had been cast as the villain of Black Panther. Stanfield is younger than Michael B. Jordan by just four years and has made so many great role decisions over the past few years with the most impressive ones being Sorry to Bother You and that heat check performance in Get Out. He’s worked with all kinds of directors already and I believe he’d fit right into Ryan Coogler's vision of Wakanda.

2.) Adam Driver as Peter Quill/Star-Lord

Portrayed by Chris Pratt in the MCU.

Star Wars snagged Adam Driver for Kylo Ren, which I see as solid casting even though he doesn’t have the best stuff to work with the whole time. I think he has to be selected in this MCU recast, and knowing that he can be really funny in stuff like Logan Lucky and the HBO series Girls makes this pick easy. He’s a villain in Star Wars but let’s bring him to the good side for Marvel. Driver is about to be 37 and Pratt is 41 at the moment, but the energy will surely be matched by Driver.

1.) Tom Hardy as Thor

Portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the MCU.

Thor is one of the biggest and most important MCU characters. I don't think there is a dude out there who could capture the same stature that Chris Hemsworth does but Tom Hardy is a guy who would go for it. Hardy is five years older than Hemsworth and has way more variety on his resume, but it really is difficult to match the sheer size of Hemsworth. Let’s get Hardy on that Bane diet/workout regime and we should be all good. We already have Ryan Gosling taking over the Captain America spot, so I’m having fun thinking about him and Hardy acting together in some superhero films.