Cast Party: Who Should Star in a 'Starman' Movie?

Welcome to Cast Party, the feature that imagines a world with even more live action comic book adaptations than we currently have, and comes up with arguably the best casting suggestions you’re ever going to find for the movies and shows we wish could exist. This week I'm looking back to a classic of the '90s: Starman, the story of reluctant legacy hero Jack Knight, as told by James Robinson, Tony Harris, and Peter Snejbjerg.

The whole series can't be covered in one movie, so I'm looking mostly to the early stuff. And even then I don't have room to cast all the memorable supporting players (please imagine all your favorite ginger actors as the O'Dare family). There are so many great Starman characters yet to be introduced that I may do a sequel down the road.

This is a story about family. Specifically about Jack Knight's relationship with his aging father, the original Starman Ted Knight, and his late brother David, who excitedly picked up their father's Starman mantle only to quickly meet his end. The first Starman's arch-enemy, the Mist, also has two grown children, Nash and Kyle, whose story is bound up with the Knights'.

Given that this is a father/son story set amid colorful absurdity tinged with tragedy, I think the perfect director would be Wes Anderson. And knowing he likes to bring back actors he's worked with before, I cast some of his favorites in key roles, which I think they fit nicely anyway.

Jason Schwartzman as Jack Knight
DC/8750 Films
DC/8750 Films
Schwartzman is great at that '90s-style slacker thing, and this is the sort of lead role he'll be great at.
Luke Wilson as David Knight
DC/Showtime
DC/Showtime
If this is a Wes Anderson project, there's going to be at least one Wilson brother around, and Luke makes a perfect David.
Bill Murray as Ted Knight
DC/Netflix
DC/Netflix
Of course the dad is Bill Murray! How's the Dad not going to be Bill Murray?
Harvey Keitel as the Mist
DC/Fox Searchlight
DC/Fox Searchlight
And there's there's the evil dad, which is the sort of thing Keitel is great at.
Olivia Wilde as Nash
DC/Disney
DC/Disney
The strength and the darkness that Nash finds within herself are surprising even to her, and I think Wilde can handle that kind of transformation.
Adrien Brody as Kyle
DC/Glacier Films
DC/Glacier Films
Another Anderson favorite, and he's already played his share of characters that you wouldn't want to meet in a dark sky.
Emily Browning as Charity
DC/Cross Creek Pictures
DC/Cross Creek Pictures
I like the idea of Browning embodying the mysterious ageless quality that Charity, a former DC horror hostess, possesses.
Noah Taylor as the Shade
DC/Starz
DC/Starz
Taylor is a fascinating actor, and a Victorian immortal of questionable morals is exactly his sort of role.
Lyndie Greenwood as Sadie
DC/Fox
DC/Fox
The truth about Sadie's family wouldn't be revealed until a sequel, but we can go ahead and bring her in as Jack's love interest. Greenwood is a promising TV actress who I'd like to see in more movies.
Gael García Bernal as Mikaal Tomas
DC/Amazon
DC/Amazon
If he were alive, I'd cast David Bowie himself in this part regardless of his age, but since that's sadly impossible I think Bernal will do a great job as the glammest of aliens.
Adam Copeland as Solomon Grundy
DC/Syfy
DC/Syfy
Edge has done more acting than a lot of the wrestlers I cast in this column, so I'm hoping he can get at some of the emotions of this childlike Grundy, in addition to just being really big.

Filed Under: cast party, james robinson, Peter Snejbjerg, starman, tony harris

Categories: DC, Lists, Movies, Opinion

Cast Party: Who Should Star in a ‘Starman’ Movie?