In order to make your Fridays a little bit more awesome then they already were, Turbo-Exp is kicking off a new segment we call 'Fan-Cast Fridays'. Through this new segment, we'll be taking lovable comic book (Or former TV series) characters and be giving them the cast and story line they deserve for a film adaption. So to start things off, we have Crimson Wings; the story of Jason Todd, famously known as the Robin who becomes the notorious Red Hood. We lead off with an all star cast led by Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus) as Jason Todd, and Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) as Bruce Wayne/Batman. We find ourselves caught in a story based upon trust, respect of life after death, and the moral decision between vengeance and forgiveness.
Director:
Ruben Fleischer (Gangster Squad, Zombieland )
Composer:
Henry Jackman (X-Men: First Class)
Story:
Cast:
Ruben Fleischer (Gangster Squad, Zombieland )
Tony: It's pretty difficult when trying to select a director to take over the reigns of the Batman franchise, given that Christopher Nolan's trilogy has just recently come to a close, but I decided to go for a bit of a riskier choice with Fleischer. While all of his films haven't been as great as the could've been, the fault primarily has fallen on the screenwriter, and Fleischer has proven himself to be a very visual director, similar to Man of Steel's Zack Snyder. His visual style would be a great fit for the Batman character, and he gives an interesting tone to his films that keeps a good balance so that the film doesn't come off completely dull nor too upbeat. I think if given the chance, and the the right script, Fleischer could really work wonders for a new Batman film.
Henry Jackman (X-Men: First Class)
Tony: Like with choosing the director, the composer for the films also has some pretty big shoes to fill. Almost all previous soundtracks for any form of Batman media are iconic today, ranging from the theme song from the original Adam West TV series, to Danny Elfman's score for Tim Burton's original film, and most recently Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's exhilarating scores for the Dark Knight films. So when deciding on someone to compose this film, I need someone with the real credentials and proper style to take on such an iconic character, and Henry Jackman fit the bill. With such successful scores for films like Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, as as his score for the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, there's no denying he's currently one of the best in the biz. He's blend of exciting face paced and mysterious themes really just fits so perfectly for the character and specifically this film.
Story:
Aleek: The composition of Crimson Wings primarily focuses on developing Bruce Wayne as a character through the effects of a villain. Being that he once had a close relation to Jason Todd, we see how he can be a formidable foe both mentally and physically for Bruce Wayne. This film digs into the relations in which is built between Batman and Robin, the basis behind their relationship, what makes them compatible, what happens when this bond is broken, and potentially how will batman handle the death or having to put down a foe in which is uncontrollable and challenges his ability to make life or death decisions.
In the mist of Gotham lies the pain, the secrets, the dreams, and the hopes of a man once known as Robin, but when he is killed and resurrected, he then discovers that the truth behind the title of Robin is more of a bluff than reality. Being that the caped crusader refuses to take the life of his murder, he wishes to make him pay, through damaging his image, developing the standards of a anti hero. Once he has acquired the newly developed Zenith Mach IX or as we know it the Red Hood's cowl from STAR Labs Gotham, he then begins to use it's vast array of information in order to take over the concrete jungle known as Gotham. The Zenith serves more than a mysterious mask, but more of a portable bat cave. Primarily relying on a apex in human technological advances, he can visualize human vitals, recover information from a crime scene, and hack into various forms of surveillance in order to gain a tactical advantage on his opponents.
Finding out about his previous partners resurrection, Bruce seeks out Jason Todd in fear that his mind may have been corrupted during the resurrection process. Yet darkness has begun to arise over Gotham, Crime lord bosses being hunted and executed in the streets in search of Batman. Never has the Dark Knight encounter a figure in which purposely seeks him out. With intentions to destroy Batman's reputation and Bruce Wayne's personal life, we get our first movie depicting the life of not only Batman but also showing us the influence he has on the youth in which partake in some of his most deadly and vigilante like actions in order to protect the city. What happens when one of your greatest allies, becomes one of your most formidable foes.
Cast:
Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) -Bruce Wayne/Batman
Aleek: Andrew Lincoln was not my initial choice to take on the role of the caped crusader, yet instead of going with the militant more physical Dark Knight, I decided primarily to go with Andrew Lincoln because he can display the intellectual and emotional aspect of this extremely diverse character. I also looked at the potential of having the actor Based on his character Rick from AMC's The Walking Dead, I believe with a few months of training he could potentially build up the body mass in order to portray both Bruce Wayne and Batman.
Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus) -Jason Todd/Red Hood
Tony: While we had originally been considering Wentworth Miller for the part of Red Hood, once Marshall-Green popped up to me he was the clear choice. With a role like Jason Todd you need someone that truly possesses the acting skill needed to show just how deranged and obsessed with revenge he's become since his younger years as Robin, and I felt Green would be the perfect actor to showcase this and would make for an interesting dynamic opposite Lincoln. He's showcased his talents in such films as Devil and Prometheus, and he has a young Tom Hardy vibe to him that can really work to his advantage in a role like this.
Nick Robinson (Kings of the Summer)-Young Jason Todd/Robin
Tony: Like with the older version of the character, when casting the younger incarnation of Todd we had originally been looking at Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road), but once we had cast Marshall-Green, and new name had come to mind. Nick Robinson was the clear choice for the character, as he's recently proven himself in the leading role of this summer's indie hit The Kings of Summer, as well as landing himself a part in the upcoming Jurassic World film. That being said, Robinson has shown his diverse acting range and just how perfect he'd be as the struggling youth who is already showing signs of what he will soon become, and he'd also make for a very believable younger version of Green.
Sharlto Copley (Elysium) -The Joker
Aleek: The main aspect that makes Joker the Joker is his insanity and his inability to distinguish the hysterical from the hostile. Being that the movie primarily the result of the actions of the Joker, it is beneficial we have an actor who can do the role justice, yet while not necessarily stealing the show in terms of trying to establish the Joker as a main antagonist (Which is the spot currently occupied by Red Hood). Sharlto Copely is a phenomenal actor and can display the character in a beneficial manner that would be unique from past incarnations of the character, while still serving the role well in the context of the film.
Jeremy Irons (The Burgias)-Alfred Pennyworth
Aleek: Jeremy Irons is perfect for the role of Alfred, clearly an important supporting player. This version of the character won't focus so much on the physical Alfred, but rather as the care taker of Bruce Wayne who aids him in his time of need. Jeremy Irons would be cool to have in this role supporting Lincoln's Bruce, helping him cope with then haunting return of Todd. This form of Alfred is more proactive, stepping out of the consistent "Hey Bruce, don't do this" type figure, and into the more "Here's how you should approach this Bruce" type.
Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games) -Dick Grayson/Nightwing
Aleek: Wes Bentley is the best fit for this version of Nightwing, now a little later in his solo career as a vigilante. Being that Nightwing is stepping out and turning into an independent figure, he needs a more independent image. The younger the actor who portrays him, the quicker it's lead audiences to misjudge the Nightwing character and simply see him as a tall Robin, which is of course not the intention. Bentley is actor who can help show just how much Dick Grayson parallels Bruce Wayne when he was younger, and he'd make for a great contrast to Marshall-Green's Jason Todd.
Jason Isaacs (Awake)- Commissioner Jim Gordon
Aleek: Jim Gordon is portrayed as a cop that can't really carry his own weight, relying primarily on Batman to cover the dirty work, and he comes up on the scene after the deed has been done. In this adaption of Jason Todd's story, Jason Isaacs' Gordon will play a much more proactive role. Now instead of showing up after Batman wins, he may show up during a large fight, due to his fast ability to piece together information (Similar to but not as efficiently as Batman does). Also being the father figure to Barbara Gordon, Jason Isaacs would serve as a great actor in which to play a figure bound by the law but also intelligent enough to trust a vigilante when needed.
Amanda Peet (2012)-Barbara Kean-Gordon
Tony: We thought it'd be cool to include Jim Gordon's first wife, and mother of Barbara Gordon, in the film given that we're going with a younger version of the character. It'd be great to see a Gordon who's also struggling in his personal life with his wife and him deciding to get a divorce, and how this will effect him when he's on duty, as well as how it will affect their daughter. That being said, I think Amanda Peet would make for a very believable version of the character that would add depth to the small amount of screen time she'll be getting. I think she'd work well with Isaacs as Gordon and would be able to full off a good motherly vibe to her like she did in 2012.
Emma Watson (Perks of Being a Wallflower)-Barbara Gordon
Aleek: The reason behind Emma Watson being chosen for Barbara Gordon is her ability to potentially disobey her father, and step into the Batgirl role. She is showing her strides as a actress currently and can Barbara Gordon a aspect in which can be respected by fans and possibly become a fan favorite. No telling what the future of Crimson Wings has in store for her, but as an initial film, she will do it much good.
Peter Mensah (Spartacus: Blood and Sand)-Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Hunger Games: Catching Fire) -Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
Tony: Killer Croc will be a pivotal character in the film as he'll be the one responsible for the deaths of Jason Todd's parents, which is something we'll see through a flash back sequence. Killer Croc has been a character who's often compared to The Amazing Spider-Man's Lizard, but for this version we'd like to separate the similarities between the two and portray Croc as a much more menacing threat. Mensah is the perfect fit for the human version of the character; Waylon Jones, and standing at 6 4" with and intimidating voice, he'd serve perfectly for this version of the character. I'd imagine Jones already would be involved with the gangs of Gotham prior to his transformation, and could have some ties to both Penguin and Black Mask.
Aleek: For this version of Penguin, I'm looking more towards the annoying and creepy political figure who has funding in places we can't imagine. Seeing himself as untouchable he becomes more of a figure of power in the city, and has his minions do the dirty work for him. Now I'll be honest, this is by no means the most creative choice, but I stand by it cause it's so damn perfect. Hoffman would embody the character perfectly, and has shown his skill in many films including The Master and Capote. Hoffman would definitely be able to make the character much more menacing and realistic than previous incarnations.
Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead)-Harvey Bullock
Tony: Okay, okay, I know it's annoying that I'm using another actor that's also from The Walking Dead, but the truth of the matter is that Bernthal is just too perfect for the role. While I considered going for the younger inexperienced Earth One version of the character, I finally settled on a younger more versatile version of the classic character. Bernthal displays all the qualities needed to pull off the gritty and tough detective, and it's very similar to his upcoming role in TNT's Mob City. My version of Harvey Bullock is more of the figure who aims to get his paycheck day to day and at least put a few scumbags off the street while doing so.
Idris Elba (Thor: The Dark World)-Black Mask
Aleek: While he may not be the most orthodox choice out there, Idris Elba as Black Mask would serve perfectly. Being that his character is conflicted with that of Logan Marshall-Green, it would be interesting seeing the chemistry the two would have when trying two display between these two distinct characters, especially given that the two recently shared the screen in Ridley Scott's Prometheus.
Robert Patrick (Gangster Squad)-Slade Wilson/Deathstroke
Aleek: He showed how freakishly ferocious he could be in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, now he can be a deadly assassin in the role of Slade Wilson. Not only does Patrick look and act the part perfectly, but he's also recently worked with our director choice in Gangster Squad where he gave a great and memorable performance. Displaying a competitive figure with an apex in gymnastics and master of weaponry shouldn't really be a problem for him.
Joe Manganiello (True Blood)-Bane
Aleek: While the character of Bane won't be featured to prominently in Crimson Wings, he'll still serve a pretty substantial role in the film that'll need to leave a lasting impression. Manganiello, who's already been on DC's radar for the part of Superman and Batman, would make an excellent Bane for the version we're going with. While Tom Hardy's Bane was able to come off a bit more intelligent than the comic book version, he lacked the imposing stature that the character needs, and Manganiello has that plus the large build down pact. An actor with potential is what is needed for this role, and I'm positive that Joe Manganiello has it.
Olga Kurylenko (Oblivion)-Talia al Ghul
Aleek: Foreign, gorgeous, and a potential lover for Bruce Wayne were the major things I kept in mind while searching for an actress that could portray Talia al Ghul, and Olga Kurylenko instantly came to mind. To be honest, we actually had to do a last minute switch on this one, as our original choice for the role had been Fast and Furious star Gal Gadot (Who is now our new Wonder Woman), but we're quite happy with Kurylenko in the role as well. She's proven her acting chops recently in film's such as Oblivion, Quantum of Solace, and Seven Psychopaths, and she's also shown that she can be very physical in action scenes as well. While we would've loved to have seen Gadot in the role, Kurylenko is a close second.
We hope you guys in enjoyed our Crimson Fan-Cast and ideas, and stay tuned for many more upcoming 'Fan-Cast Friday' projects. Did you guys agree with our picks? Would you like us to post the full story for Crimson Wings? Sound off below.
