This week on The Multiversity Casting Couch, I tackle a rumored project up after The Green Lantern. Why, it’s the other half of that famous friendship, The Flash! This one is a little bit more difficult, as I’m not the most familiar with the franchise. I spent a lot of time, however, looking up these characters for at least a physical likeness that works. It’s almost a shame that I couldn’t cast Ryan Reynolds as Wally West, because I think that would have been perfect myself. Oh well, I ended up liking my current casting about 10 times more. Who is it? You’ll just have to find out!
Barry Allen OR Wally West — Neil Patrick Harris
Ever since the animated movie JLA: The New Frontier, I’ve thought one thing. Neil Patrick Harris is the perfect Barry Allen. He’s a tall likable blond guy who can play it really seriously. The beautiful thing is that he can play Wally West pretty effectively as well. Granted he’s not a ginger, but have you noticed there are a LOT of gingers in the Flash Universe? Hell, Wally’s daughter is a redhead and her mother is Korean! What the heck? I can’t explain it, but you know what else I can’t explain, how he’s right for both roles.
Iris West — Emmy Rossum
This casting is mostly due to the new Flash series, where Francis Manapul seems to model Iris after Emmy Rossum. Emmy kind of has that innocent look, and Manapul’s style is an almost innocent Normal Rockwell style. Is she a tad young to play NPH’s love interest? I don’t think so. She’s not a ginger, but like I said, there are a LOT of them here.
Linda Park West —Linda Park
You know I almost cast Grace Park (from last week’s Avengers casting)? I was even searching for pictures to put together for the post, and then I stumbled upon Linda Park. Odd, right? You may or may not remember her from Star Trek: Enterprise (to be honest, she was one of the few highlights). Well, she not only shares the character’s name, but she also looks JUST LIKE HER. Close call.
Jay Garrick — Stephen Collins
Jay Garrick, the original Flash still exists in modern continuity; but as a father figure of sorts to the rest of those who carry the mantle. He’s wise and grizzled, but carries just a enough warmth that makes you trust him. That’s sounds a lot like the dad from 7th Heaven to me. Well, if you subtract the grizzled. The dad on that show was about as grizzled as a newborn baby. If he toughened up a bit, he’d be perfect for Jay.
Pied Piper — Zack Ward
Pied Piper: the rogue who went straight despite being gay. He can also be a possible comedic foil to our hero Barry or Wally. Zack Ward, who might be best known for his role as the bully in A Christmas Story or the redheaded guy in the Epitaph episodes on Dollhouse (even though I always associate him as Christopher Titus’ stoner brother on Titus.) can obviously play both action and comedy really well. Would he want to play it gay though? Only time will tell.
Captain Cold — Christopher Meloni
Continued belowCaptain Cold is a cold and heartless villain (pardon the pun.). Christopher Meloni, from the NBC stalwart Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as well as Oz and the Harold and Kumar movies, has a varied resume’ (as you can see!). He’s played cops and criminals, freaks and Klansmen. But for my money, he can also be the thorn in any Flash’s side, as the honor-bound rogue Captain Cold.
Captain Boomerang (Digger Harkness) — Stephen Root
I’ll admit, this is a bit of an odd choice. But in the later years, Digger was a sort of overweight loser who was way past his prime. In true out-of-left-field fashion, I really like Stephen Root for the role of Captain Boomerang. He’s witty and somehow charming, and he can be either the fool (that is my stapler) or a pompous ass (JIMMY JAMES from Newsradio), and also an overweight loser (True Blood). I really like him for the role.
Captain Boomerang, Jr. — Cam Gigandet
I really wanted to set up the Legacy Rule that DC has had ever since Barry Allen took up the mantle of the Flash. I hinted at it earlier with the addition of Jay Garrick, and what way to make it perfect than to also include the younger Captain Boomerang. Cam Gigandet (who is probably BEST known from the terrible Twilight franchise, but I remember his as the cause of Mischa Barton’s timely demise from The OC, Kevin Volchok) knows how to play the bad boy. And I would think his father issues would be great to explore, even if it is someone from that awful vampire series.
Eobard Thawne — Kevin McKidd
Most likely known to you from the massively selling Modern Warfare series as the heroic “Soap” McTavish, McKidd has a full resume as a badass who could play the right amount of darkness. He plays psychoses well on Grey’s Anatomy (did I just admit I watch that? Oh well…) with Dr. Hunt’s Iraqi War induced PTSD. And how about that, he’s a ginger! Sooo many gingers!
