Dream Casting: Die

Dream Casting is an imaginative look at the casting process of potential Hollywood projects based on comics and other media. This isn't just about what is being made; this is about what should be made, and who we think should be the stars.

Die, the current comic series by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, is a postmodern fantasy epic inspired by Dungeons & Dragons. It's about five adults who got physically transported into the world of a role-playing game as teenagers, and returned with one of their friends and one of their arms missing. Twenty-five years later, they return to that realm and re-assume the personas they once played there.

Five issues in, I think Die could make an excellent prestige TV series, but casting it is extremely complicated. The comic never really makes clear how aging works in the realm of the game, although most of the characters look pretty similar in both worlds. With that in mind, I've decided to cast 20-somethings to play the fantasy personas, and then special effects can be used to make them look older in the "real world," or younger in the early teenage scenes. The only exception is the lead character Dominic, whose fantasy persona Ash requires a different actor, so I'm also casting someone middle-aged to play him in the real world.

Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood, The Little Drummer Girl) is a great actor who can get Dominic across in just a handful of scenes before Ash takes over. He can also return for later episodes if needed.

Jodie Comer is the breakout star of Killing Eve, and her mix of charisma and weirdness will also be perfect for Dominic's "Dictator" alter ego.

Grace Mandeville is best known as a YouTuber, but she has a background in acting and has been outspoken about the need for characters with missing limbs to be played by actors with similar disabilities, which is one reason I think she'll bring authenticity to Angela, the party's Neo.

Franz Drameh (Attack the Block, Legends of Tomorrow) is a promising young actor who can bring real pathos to the Grief Knight.

Jessica Sula (Skins, Split) is an actress on the rise, who seems like she has the fortitude to play the aggressively bilingual Godbinder of the party.

Douglas Booth (Jupiter Ascending) has just the look and demeanor for Chuck, the cocky, aggressive Fool.

Ben Hardy (X-Men: Apocalypse) can turn on a dime between friendly and intimidating, so he's just the right guy to play the Grandmaster.

Jenny Agutter (Logan's Run, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) will bring a touch of class to the proceedings as Sol's grieving mother.

The hobbit-like soldier from "Little England" only appears in one scene, but he makes quite a harrowing impression. Craig Roberts (Red Oaks) has the skill and the look for the part.

Timothy Spall (Harry Potter, Mr. Turner) is great at bringing personality and at least a little weirdness to these kinds of functionary roles.