For this week’s Casting Couch, I had a little bit of fun and cast The Teen Titans. But due to the nature of the Sprawling cast of the book, I couldn’t cast everyone. In this one you’ll see a lot of fan favorites and a lot of personal favorites, but not necessarily every member. I didn’t even cast all of the original members. If I did that, it’d be a looooong post.
Robin (Tim Drake) — Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Initially, I didn’t like this casting. I keep in hearing that McLovin voice and that is totally not how I hear Robin talking. But then I thought about it a little more and it started to make sense. Despite how he’s portrayed in the comics, I see Tim as being just a bit of a nerd. I see a kid playing in his room with those old Spy Gear Toys and then actually learning how to be a detective. He did figure out who Batman was rather easily (which is actually kind of scary) and now he’s the Boy Wonder. I honestly think if Mintz-Plasse bulked up about 30 pounds, he’d be a pretty awesome Robin.
Side-Note: If he really wants to lose the McLovin handle, he needs to pick a less unwieldy name. Chris Mintz? Topher Plasse? Anything is better than “Christopher Mintz-Plasse” when you’re thinking of the name of an actor.
Superboy — Taylor Lautner
Oh my God, a Twilight actor. But hear me out. This guy is certainly the physical ideal for someone as powerful as Superboy. Can he act? Well, as you can imagine, the Twilight franchise is not known for its acting. Or its plot. Or…wait, why is it popular? Oh yeah, one of the reasons is this guy. Make him Superboy and you’ll have instant blockbuster. He’s currently the highest paid actor under 20, which is saying a lot.
(But for the record, if you saw him on SNL, he’s actually not a bad actor and he’s funny to boot)
Wonder Girl — Sara Paxton
Chosen more for her looks than her ability, Sara Paxton certainly fits the physical standards for the role of Cassie Sandsmark. She’s cute, she’s blonde, and she’s got spunk. Put her in a Wonder Woman halter top and you have Cassie in spades. Here’s hoping we don’t end up with a Team-Robin, Team-Superboy fan rivalry.
Cyborg — Columbus Short
As an older more experienced mentor of sorts, Cyborg has been a Teen Titan for most of his career. Even though most of his colleagues have moved onto the big leagues, so to speak, he grew into the teacher role for the young heroes. Giving advice and being tough when he needs to. Or rather, that’s what I see him doing here. And I really like Columbus Short for the role, as he’s a solid action star (from movies like The Losers) and he has a good sarcastic wit to him. Plus, gotta love that name.
Static — Donald Glover
I’ll be honest; I made this cast specifically for this. I love Static, and he’s one of my favorite recently created characters. And if this whole Donald for Spider-Man thing doesn’t work out, here’s a strong character he has the ability to play. For the record, I’m not trying to push Donald Glover to a black character because he’s black. I was simply brainstorming for ideas and Static popped into my head, and then I saw Donald Glover. That’s about it. I just hope they play the character closer to his cartoon persona than his original persona. I don’t want a walking stereotype, thanks.
Continued below
Blue Beetle — Irvin “Pee Wee” Salinas
Not actually an actor I’m terribly familiar with but he has the look for Jaime Reyes. Could he be the one chosen by the Scarab? I don’t see why not. (Writer’s Note: Someone else suggested this actor, and I can definitely see it)
Ravager — Brittany Snow
To be honest, I originally cast Brittany as Wonder Girl, but I see Ravager having a bit of a harder edge to her. While Brittany isn’t exactly an action star here, Brittany could have a bit of a harder look to her, and she could play it evil or reluctantly good. Your call.
Slade Wilson — Liam Neeson
Let’s face it; Liam Neeson is the ultimate badass. Whether he’s playing Zeus in the Clash of the Titans or Ra’s al Ghul, he plays them with this overwhelming aura of cool. Slade Wilson IS that cool. Would they be able to get Liam Neeson? I don’t see why not. He’s an amazing actor, but he also seems to love the popcorn flicks. Look at his recent movies for example.
Alternate Pick for Slade: Sean Bean
I just had to post this because on my search for photos, I came across this, and I can see it. I still like Liam Neeson more, however.
