After early speculation had pointed to George Clooney being up for the role, it looks like Ryan Gosling is the top contender to join Johnny Depp as the title character in Gore Verbinski's 'The Lone Ranger'. But is he really the right man for the job?
According to The Wrap, Gosling is in talks for the role. He'd be joining Johnny Depp (Also an odd choice for his role) as The Lone Ranger's famous Native American sidekick; Tonto. Verbinski is shaping up a pretty odd cast, but both Gosling and Depp are proven great actors, and we can only hope the have good chemistry on screen. Verbinski seems to be wanting to go a different route then the previous hit TV series back in the fifties, and bring his own take on the characters to the table. According to Verbinski just last month:
“We’re not going to do it [straight], everyone knows that story. I don’t want to tell that story. I want the version from the untrustworthy narrator who might be a little crazy — but somehow the question is, is he crazy or is the world crazy? That, I find fascinating.”
Back when Clooney was being rumored, I had assumed Verbinski was looking for an older actor too look better opposite Depp, but I guess I was wrong. My personal choice would've been Matt Damon (See True Grit) or Jon Hamm (See Mad Men ) who are both older actors with a sense of action, and humor, and would look right with Depp on screen.
One of the main problems with Gosling's casting is his schedule. He's already booked filming the remake of the film Logan's Run, which is set to start filming in the second half of this year. While it doesn't really interfere with the filming of The Lone Ranger (Which isn't set to come out till 2014), Disney might be looking for an actor who has a much more clear schedule just in case.
The Lone Ranger is set to hit theaters some time in 2014, but until then be looking out for some official casting announcements.
What do you think of Gosling as The Lone Ranger? Is there another actor you would prefer for the part?
