We’re big fans of Bendis and Oeming’s series, and it is a great fit for TV. We think with our work here, casting specifically for “Who Killed Retro Girl?” as the first season, they’d be one step closer to making it happen. Picks brought to you by the Casting Couch team of Jessica Graham, Matt Meylikhov and myself.
Format – TV Show
Why recreate the wheel? The show is already something FX is invested in, why not keep that gravy train rolling?
Showrunner – Shawn Ryan
This show is a hybrid of superpowers and procedural cop business. Why not get someone who we (and FX) know can handle at least one half of that? So we arrived on the creator of The Shield, Shawn Ryan, a guy who created one of the more memorable and quality cop shows in recent memory. We have no idea if he could handle the superpower aspect, but hey, he’d be someone we know could knock half of it out of the park.
Christian Walker – Jamie Bamber
When you get the chance to cast someone from Battlestar Galactica, you have to take it. Especially Bamber, someone who proved himself as a great actor more and more with each passing season of the show. Not only that, but he has procedural background with the British version of Law & Order. I’d love to see Bamber back on my TV, and we think he’d kill as the lead, Walker.
Deena Pilgrim – Sarah Jones
This one is scary easy. Jones currently plays a no-nonsense detective on Fox’s Alcatraz, but with that show looking likely for cancellation, she’s going to be very available for this role soon. Her character on Alcatraz is basically Deena, except her partner is Hurley, not a former superhero. Plus, I’ll fully admit I think she’s adorable. Win win for everyone.
Retro Girl – Brie Larson
More adorable-ness alert! After seeing 21 Jump Street, I was definitely a fan of Larson. As the victim whose death is the crux of this first arc, she wouldn’t get a ton of opportunity to bring this character to life, but man, I guarantee every scene she’s in would have a chance to be stolen.
Zora – Alice Eve
The woman who willed herself into being what amounts to a God and was immortal needs to be a woman who looks like a goddess and someone who has a sense of gravitas to her that makes her feel eternal in a way. Alice Eve, the woman who tamed Vinnie Chase’s heart, fits all of those requirements and then some. Lock it in.
Johnny Royale – Mark Pellegrino
The duplicitous “Power” who uses his powers for criminal gain rather than good was never really a good fit for actor Vinnie Jones in our mind. Now Mark Pellegrino? A guy who plays close to his chest with the best of them, always seeming on top of the game without letting other players in, we think Pellegrino would be a perfect villainous foil for this first arc.
Triphammer – David Strathairn
Continued belowThe beauty of this series is not that many characters make constant appearances, so for someone like Triphammer, we can bring in a stone cold killer of an actor like David Strathairn. As Triphammer, the Iron Man like former hero who plays a very important role in this first arc, Strathairn would chew the scenery with the best of them and make the screen sizzle every second he’s up there. Yeah, we’re down.
John Jackson Stevens – Fran Kranz
Kaotic Chic! As the creepy villain of the first arc, we couldn’t help but cast the breakout star of Cabin in the Woods. We love Kranz, and the guy would kill as JJS, the answer to the first season’s overarching question.
Wolfe – Donald Sumpter
Sure, he’s already in a show, appearing as Maester Lewin in Game of Thrones, but he’s such a perfect fit for Wolfe, both visually and in acting ability, that we can’t help but cast the guy. The good news is he can just film one, take a nice siesta, then film the other one. Bingo bango.
