After Affleck: Casting The Justice League

There was such a brouhaha after Warner Bros announced that actor/writer/director/producer Ben Affleck has been cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming sequel to Man of Steel, coming out in July 2015. Most of the "fanic" comes from the earliest superheroic role Mr. Affleck headlined, Daredevil. He wasn't completely bad in the film. The script, written and directed by the guy who created Grumpy Old Men and Big Bully, wasn't the best by any stretch, and it was filled with corny, cartoonish performances and scenes. I still shudder at that fight between Elektra and Matt in the play park. That said, Daredevil wasn't the best superhero film ever made, and it's far from being the worse.

Right now, they're franchise building at Warner Bros., building a cinematic universe but one piece at a time. In time, they'll eventually get to a Justice League film. Could there be stand-alone films featuring the heroes? Maybe. But in the meantime, here's who I'd think would be an ideal Justice League roster:

Now, you may be wondering why my list looks like this. I'll explain. I think the lineup should include the heavy hitters and something familiar to the audiences as well as the comic readers. I also feel that the lineup should be racially diverse as well, thus the John Stewart version of Green Lantern and Vixen.

Considering Arrow is building itself into something stronger than Smallville, perhaps using League standouts like Green Arrow and Black Canary might be problematic considering TV audiences would be expecting them in the movie. Heck, there are still people who felt Tom Welling should have played Superman in Superman Returns over Brandon Routh, but I digress.

I also wanted characters that bring something new and unique to the lineup. Martian Manhunter is pretty much a shape-shifting Superman who's afraid of fire and loves Oreos. Captain Marvel, er, um, Shazam is a kid with Superman's power set and without his weaknesses. Green Arrow is a more liberal Batman with a Robin Hood fetish. I don't want other aliens on the roster because, for now, one alien (Superman) is enough, so no Thangarians like the Hawks. 

I also wanted the roster to be relatively youthful. With the exception of the 41-year old Ben Affleck, most of the cast are between their late 20s and early 30s. They're pretty much all knee-deep in the 18-49 demographic of the film. 

I'll stop procrastinating and put the names of folks I'd cast as the Justice League:

Gemma Arterton as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman

Ms Arterton is a classically-trained English actress who is earning her action chops in recent roles. Even though she was initially being considered as Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises,  Gemma has been a Bond girl (Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace), a priestess of Hera (Io in Clash of the Titans), a bounty hunter in search of witches and demons (Gretel in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters), and a Disney princess, well, a warrior princess in a Disney movie (Tamina in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time). Ms. Arterton's about to breakout in another role this fall in Runner Runner co-starring Justin Timberlake and some guy name Ben Affleck. She's tough, physically built, quite feminine, a talented actress, and could play the role of Wonder Woman with ease.

Chadwick Boseman as John Stewart/Green Lantern

Mr. Boseman's not quite a household name just yet, but given his star-making role in the critically-acclaimed Jackie Robinson biopic 42, he's definitely getting there. Mostly seen in smaller TV roles, this rising star fits both the build and the presence of the former Marine turned architect turned Green Lantern who is without fear and willing to shine a light on Batman's BS.

Robert Sheehan as Barry Allen/The Flash

Most of you know this Irish actor from his role of the pick-and-mix-stealing, slightly perverted, obnoxious jerk Nathan from Misfits while some of you may know him as Darren Trecy from Love/Hate. Some folks are being introduced to him this weekend in the first Mortal Instruments film, City of Bones.  Mr. Sheehan is a versatile, talented actor who could pull off any role, whether it's a timid booknerd, a troublemaking thug, a homeless prostitute, or a smart-aleck immortal jerkass. I don't think the Flash's impending live-action spinoff would be conflicting with a role in the Justice League movie. Heck, it could only help expand his visibility.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Mari Jiwe-McCabe/Vixen

An English Shakespearean actress who has worked under the direction of Tom Hanks, J.J. Abrams, and Tim Kring, Ms. Mbatha-Raw has been gaining the respect of her peers and the attention of the entertainment world.  She starred in the action spy series Undercovers and the thriller Touch and working on a historical drama called Belle where she's playing the lead character, Dido Elizabeth Belle. Ms. Mbatha-Raw has a diverse range of dialects and would be perfect in the role of the animal-powered heroine. 

Taylor Kitsch as Arthur Curry/Aquaman

Talented Canadian actor known by a lot of TV watchers as Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights and moviegoers as Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the title character in John Carter.  Hollywood wants him to be a star, and he's definitely poised for great things. Taking on the role of the king of Atlantis would definitely boost his star-power. 

Picking a cast of actors because of their talents and their adaptability for the role, not just because they're "an A-lister" or "pretty."  What a concept. 

In hindsight, you want to know what's the saddest part of Young Justice ending on Saturday? 

Unless he'll make appearances on Teen Titans Go!, this will be the last time we'll see Wally West in any medium for a long while, including comics. Going to miss that redheaded hero.

Definitely separated at birth, wouldn't you say?

Reading Superman #76 the other day (yeah, I know, it's technically Superman Vol. 2 #76, but does the volume really matter at this point?), and it's a melancholy Christmas story.

It's the first issue of Superman without Superman (he got killed the previous issue), and the Justice League gathers on the rooftop to reminisce about their fallen friend as the rain falls on a Christmas Eve morning (they just buried him a week earlier). They on a special assignment that they're doing for Superman, something he always did every Christmas Eve - go to the post office and read mail from all over the world sent to Superman. Letters of thanks, letters for help, simple requests, difficult ones. Every year he as been a public hero, Superman read them all, helped those he could, was frustrated when he couldn't.

You want to know the measure of a man? Ask those whose lives have been inspired by him, and the Justice League helped answer some of the letters, particularly one that was a word of thanks from a mother of two recently separated from her husband who lost her home in Ohio during the Doomsday fight.

On the B story, the lady's son heads to Metropolis to meet someone close to Superman so he could apologize to Superman's loved ones. He felt that he may have jinxed him and that he was the reason Superman died (he called for Superman to save his family though the Man of Steel was close to catching the Doomsday creature), which Jimmy Olsen explains he wasn't.

The stories interconnect and it's rare seeing superheroes doing something other than taking on mad criminals, environmental dangers, and alien threats. The Flash even commented about it later on in the story,  "Contrary to popular opinion, we can do more than bash bad guys."

Not even going to get into the "New 52" questionability of this story's very existence. It's still a good story written and drawn by Dan Jurgens. You can find it in its entirety in the World Without Superman collection (if you can find a copy) or in a few dollar bins at a comic shop near you. Pretty melancholy, yet sweet non-traditional superhero Christmas story.