One of my greatest enjoyments in the recent DC Comics reboot has been the Justice League. Even though I’m not entirely sold on the plot, the interaction between the characters has been golden. Naturally, I begin to wonder who would be best to cast if they were to film the series. Today we turn our eyes to Superman.

Justice League, current incarnation

In this post, and a few more following it, I will be examining who I think would be best for every role in the current incarnation of the Justice League. Its members are Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Aqua Man, The Flash, Cyborg and Wonder Woman, meaning we’ll be seeing seven different posts; each about one of these characters. For the sake of brevity, I’ve narrowed it down to three names in all cases, even though there are probably dozens more that would do the role justice.

I’ve also intentionally used ‘lesser’ actors for these roles, as it would be too simple to just say Christian Bale for Batman and be done with it. The casting is done with the assumption that we’re starting fresh and making a television series or a one-off movie about the team.

I’d love to hear from all of my readers, no matter if you agree or disagree with my picks, so feel free to add your comments below!

And so, we turn our eyes to Superman. He is, without a doubt, the archetypal hero and the man who pretty much defined the entire genre of superheroes. If I didn’t know better, I would have assumed the entire genre was named after him and that we’d be talking about ultraheroes if he had been called Ultraman.

We’re talking about an alien with super strength, super speed, super health, super x-ray vision and super good looks, so the task comes to us to cast somebody that can convince us that he’s better than the rest of us. Superman is traditionally a tall, muscular and dark-haired man with a strong chin, so even that has to be taken into account when casting him.

#1. Brendan Hines

Brendan Hines

The first choice on the list is Brendan Hines. While he’s the youngest on this list at 35 years old, he’s probably got one of the most suitable looks on the market right now. The singer/songwriter/actor is currently best known for his run as Eli Loker on Lie to Me, Brendan is an up-and-coming actor that I foresee great things for in the future.

As Superman, he would be able to bring the perfect Superman look to the table. He’s even got the little curl down the forehead, if you would just style the rest of the hair into the correct haircut. I’m not entirely confident on his acting ability, but we’s shown in the few things we’ve seen him in so far, so maybe the superiority of a character such as Superman won’t be too difficult to portray? Who knows.

Either way, it’s going to be very interesting to see what his first major movie role will be, because I think he’s got what it takes to go far.

#2. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

While a far cry from the more traditional Supermen we’ve seen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has a certain something that I think would be a great benefit to the role. The Danish actor, who turns 42 this year, is without a doubt best known as Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones, but has also been seen in movies such as Firewall, Kingdom of Heaven and upcoming Mama.

As Superman, Nikolaj would be able to bring a sense of entitled superiority that is often sorely missing in the character. After all, we’re talking about a character who knows that he’s miles ahead of everybody else in strength and ability, why does he have to be humble about it? We’re already seeing some of this in the current incarnation of Justice League, as in #4 when the police are trying to arrest him. His only response is a simple “Are you kidding?”.

While he may be too old for the role, he’s definitely got the star quality needed for a convincing Superman and a roguish charm that would definitely add to the role.

#3. Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer

Sometimes I feel as if Armie Hammer is turning into what Brendan Fraser was for the mid-90s, what Bradley Cooper was during 2008-2010 and what Ryan Gosling is right now. These are three guys that showed up in all the movies, or so it felt, and Armie Hammer, after the success of The Social Network, is certainly finding himself in a good place right now. Currently finishing his work on Mirror Mirror and expected to appear as The Lone Ranger in … well, The Lone Ranger, Armie Hammer is a popular guy; but could he be Superman?

I’d say yes. While he doesn’t have the same charm as Nikolaj and the same natural Superman looks as Brendan, he’s got a pleasant look that I think would do well as Superman. Dye his hair black and have him spend a couple of months in the gym, I think he could be a convincing Superman – or at least a convincing Clark Kent.

So; what do you think? Did I miss anybody or am I way off? Comment in the field below and let’s see where this takes us! Also, come back tomorrow for a look at the next member of Casting the Justice League!