Tom Holland is Nathan Drake. Or at least, he’ll play young Nathan Drake in an upcoming Uncharted movie that will serve as a prequel to the video game series. It’s an interesting decision for the role, and leaves the door open for many off-the-wall possibilities for other long-rumored video game movie adaptations. On the latest Achievement Oriented, Ben Lindbergh and Jason Concepcion talked to Tom Keegan, a longtime video game casting director who has worked on series like Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Wolfenstein. He gave his thoughts for who could play iconic video game characters in potential movie adaptations.
Listen to the full podcast here. This transcript has been edited and condensed.
The Last of Us, Ellie and Joel
"You know who might be interesting? Millie Bobby Brown. Do you know who she is? From Stranger Things. Joel, I was thinking, he’s probably not well known but of course Michael Wincott would be amazing in that role. But if you needed a star I would go with Viggo Mortensen."
Devil May Cry, Dante
"I was thinking, maybe Joseph Gordon-Levitt? With a wig? Blond him up. … I was thinking about Keanu Reeves. Good fighter, but minimalist."
God of War, Kratos
"It’s hard to imagine someone looking like him. Michael B. Jordan [could do it], but I’m not sure he’s big enough for Kratos. … [Jason Momoa], yeah. He’s got the voice — that’s a good one."
Half-Life, Gordon Freeman
"Gary Oldman?"
Halo, Master Chief
"Someone with a good voice. Maybe like Will Arnett or someone like that. A little against type but has that [raspy voice] quality."
Splinter Cell, Sam Fisher
"You always have Tom Hardy for that, right? Tough guy."
Mass Effect, Commander Shepard
"I would think you’d want a really big actress. Someone like Charlize Theron or Angelina Jolie, maybe. Somebody like that."
The Witcher, Geralt
"Maybe like Benedict Cumberbatch? A mystery person, quirky."
Portal, Chell
"I’m stumped on that one. That’s a tough one."
