Back in the mid-90's to early 2000's, we were treated to a lot of animated shows to have featured teenagers as the main protagonists saving the world. Shows like "Teen Titans," "Kim Possible," "Freakazoid," "American Dragon," "My Life as a Teenage Robot," and "Static Shock" are all some of the main examples of such. However, among all of those, there is one show that had become so popular, that it really stands out as one of the best animated shows of the past decade; and that show is “Danny Phantom.” Created by Butch Hartman of "Fairly Odd Parents" fame, this is one of the few shows that was brought out by Nickelodeon during it's Silver Age of animation, and is one of the few that had people petition and protest it to come back, showing how much of an impact it has had. Not only did the show have amazing characters, great stories, as well as endless creativity,
this show was basically Hartman’s love letter to Marvel comics of the 60’s
(particularly Spiderman) and horror films. It combined action with comedy and
suspense, with much added elements of science fiction.
The story tells of a young boy named Danny Fenton, a 14-year
old boy who lives in the town of Amity Park, with his older sister Jazz, and
his parents Jack and Maddie. The two are ghost experts, and have been studying
them as far as their college days, working on a portal that will lead into the
Ghost-Zone. When it looks to them that it doesn’t work, Danny is convinced by
his friends to go check it out, and as a result, turns the machine on and is
turned into a half ghost. At first, he tries to get used to his new powers, and
it isn’t until later on that he learns what his powers are for now. He soon
takes on the responsibility of becoming Amity Park’s hero, protecting the
people from the evil ghosts that escape and wreak havoc all over.
There are so many great characters in the Danny Phantom
universe, that to make a film about it would take a lot of effort behind it,
and the right casting. And I don’t just want to see a TV movie, like they did with Fairly Oddparents. Danny
Phantom deserves to have the big-budget, Hollywood blockbuster treatment, with
a great director and stellar cast attached to it.
So for part 1 of my choice casting, we’re going to start
with the villains. Now what I mean villains is that I’m choosing ones that
would work as MAIN villains for the big screen. There could be other villains
that could be good for a cameo or that I might look over, but these are ones
that I think would work the best in the film. Also, the choices I’m making are
ones that can be played without the overbearing use of CGI, except for when
they’re intangible, invisible, overshadowing another, and flying. However, I do
have a couple exceptions that I would be okay if they used CGI, as long as they got their original voice actors to play them again. Those choices are Mark Hamill as Undergrowth and Michael Dorn as the Fright Knight.
Now let’s get into the real list. So without further ado,
let’s start with the Ultimate Enemy:
Dan Phantom:
The evil future being that destiny has Danny become. After losing his friends
and family in a tragic explosion, Danny turned to Vlad Masters, saying he’s the
only one who would understand his problems. In doing so, he asks him to tear
away his human emotions, by splitting him from his ghost half, which revolts
and takes over Vlad’s ghost half after splitting them. The two evil halves
combined formed a new terror, one that is more powerful than any other ghost in
existence. Even when he fights his own past self, he’s aware of what actions
are needed to make sure that his past doesn’t change to where he doesn’t exist.
For him, someone would have to be used to being very bloodlustful, but know
that he has everything turn into his own hands.
Benedict Cumberbatch – Here’s an actor who can really deliver
that essence that he had chosen this life because of a hard history he’s had,
as seen in his performance as Khan in “Star Trek Into Darkness.” Just
the look in his eyes and that voice really set the tone that he’s bad news. If
you just take a look at his interactions with Kirk in the film, tell me you
wouldn’t want to see this guy play Dan.
Next, let’s
talk about everybody’s favorite ringmaster:
Freakshow:
Coming from a long line of ghost controllers, Freakshow has used his ancestors’
talents to take over the minds of ghosts for his own selfish needs, such as
robberies, obtaining power, and the doing away of people who will stand in his
way. He is also the one who has been a researcher and possible creator of the
Reality Gauntlet, an artifact that allows him to control everything and
everyone he so desires. However, even when he has the upper-hand, he can let
his envy and stubbornness get the better of him, which would lead to his
downfalls. To play him, an actor who’s familiar with playing characters that
are outwitted or messed with, but still a fitting foe.
Now much like how they allowed Darran Norris, the voice of
Timmy’s Dad in Fairly Oddparents, to play him in live-action in the TV movies,
I would be perfectly fine if they did the same with Freakshow’s voice actor.
Jon Cryer – It
may come off as a surprise for those who didn’t know, but yes, the
“Two-and-a-Half-Men” star was the voice of Freakshow, and I think Jon could
bring that character to life perfectly. He has that great presence among him,
being the guy who ends up being the butt of the joke, ruining plans he had
going. And with it being live-action, I hope to see Jon bring more to the table
and give us something about the character we haven’t seen yet.
Now it’s time for…the one that shouts about himself a lot.
Nicolai Technus:
As a ghost that controls all of technology and anything mechanical, Technus has
shown to be a much bigger threat than he seems at times. He almost dominated
the city with a body of useless junk or all of Fenton Works, and almost taken
over the world through the internet or the greatest computer satellite. His intelligence
and power has proven from time and time again that he is a strong challenge for
Danny, coming back stronger and stronger every time. While he is a formidable
opponent, he isn’t without some of his quirks of shouting out his plans, or
even his attempts at sounding *ahem* “hip with the times, G.” In terms of what
version we go with, I’d say Technus 2.0 would be a better fit, but if we stick
to 1.0, I have no problem with it. The right person we’d need for this
character would have to be…
David Tennant - Better known for playing the 10th Doctor, David is a very energetic actor and can really pull out any kind of charm to a character related to science fiction. And as the Doctor, you can tell that he's been around for a long time and has knowledge beyond people's imagination. Not only that, but he can also play a smartass character to add to the character, as seen in his role as Peter Vincent in the new Fright Night.
I think it’s high time we talk about, the Red Huntress:
Valerie Gray:
Much in the same way Danny is to Spiderman, Valerie is much like the New Goblin
of the series. With a black-belt in karate and the gift of ghost hunting
equipment from Vlad Masters, she’s held a serious vendetta against Danny
Phantom and any other ghost, for ruining her status in the high school food
chain, lose so much of her belongings, and have her father lose his
job at Axion Laboratory. At one point, she admits after spending so much time
with Danny that she develops a crush for him, even admitting that she’d give up
ghost hunting if they ended up together. If done right in a live-action
adaption, I would love to see Valerie motivated more to be a ghost hunter, if
something more precious to her social life was taken from her. We never see Valerie’s
mother, so what if their work at Axion was to help cure cancer, or something
like that, and they were close until a fight Danny is in ruins that, leaving
her mother to die. Cliché, but that would be something that could really push
Valerie to that edge, as well as make the story in a dark turn that would be
appropriate for fans of the show. And the best choice I would see for Valerie
would be…
Zoe Kravitz – Zoe
is one of those young actresses that can really pull her own and give audiences
a true Valerie Gray. Plus, she has experience working with superhero films, as
seen in her performance as Angel in “X-Men First Class," as well as in the "Divergent" series. One thing's for sure, is that she's one you would NEVER want to mess with.
Now this next entrée, if you’re not familiar with by the
end, you’ll remember her name:
Ember McLain:
The rock and roll ghost with the most. Ember is considered one of my favorite
villains for two reasons. #1 – Out of all the ghosts who have been given
back-stories in the show, Ember had the most heartbreaking. She was a teenager
who wasn’t all that popular, but had dreams of being a rock star. The downside
was, she had a very sensitive heart, as she was left at a date that never came
to her, and she went home crying. That same day, a fire had burned the building
down, which she was asleep through, leaving her to die and turn to ash, hence
the name: Ember, as well as her own theme song. And #2 – She’s the ghost
responsible for furthering Danny and Sam’s growing relationship within the
first season. She’s very ill-tempered, most obsessed with attention, and really
strong with the power of music. Casting her would be a difficult choice, since the one portraying her would have to be musically talented. I'm still in a bit of thought at the right choice, but for now my choice would be...
Samantha Barks - Barks has shown she's got a great singing voice, as seen in her performances on Broadway and film with Les Miserables. Her performance as Eponine could really capture that look in Ember's heart of her past life, and the pain she goes through. Plus, it would give her more range to let out all that fury in her out so brilliantly.
We've talked about a huntress…let’s talk about the HUNTER:
Skulker:
One of the most iconic of the Danny Phantom villains, Skulker is one that never
gives up on prey, even if it ends up trashing another one of his armored suits,
which hides his real form. He has relied on more gadgets more than natural
instinct. His obsession with collecting Danny’s pelt has shown his extreme
persistence in catching him, even to go as far as try use cheap tactics. In the
later part of the series, we learn he’s developed a relationship with Ember,
but we don’t quite see how that developed exactly; I would love to see how they
would do that if interpreted into a movie. Now as far as I’m concerned, Skulker
needs to be played by an actor who can pull off a frightening hunter, and to
play him I choose…
Ron Perlman – If
there’s anyone who is capable of doing Skulker true justice, it’s Ron Perlman.
While he did voice Mr. Lancer on the show, Ron has had so much movie experience
and make-up, most notable with Guillermo Del Toro films like Blade 2, Pacific
Rim, and the Hellboy movies. Not only that, but his voice is…well, awesome. I
mean, if you listen to one episode of Teen Titans where he plays Slade, you can
just feel so much chills go down your spine. Just give him a tech suit, and let
him give it his best shot.
Alright, with this one, we need to play by the rules:
Walker: A
jail warden of the Ghost Zone, Walker is seen as one of Danny’s most persistent
enemies. Unlike Skulker though, Walker wants Danny to suffer and live the rest
of his afterlife in the jail he escaped, and take revenge for making a fool out
of him. He’ll do anything to take back his prisoners, even if it means taking
hostage those precious to him, or even turning his entire town against him.
He’s a rule follower, but one that does it with a plan that will work to his
advantage either way. That kind of sounds like…
Russell Crowe –
Better known as the Gladiator and the new Jor-El, Russell has that presence to
him that his job is more important than the lives of others. He can easily
portray someone whose life is centered on the law and will do anything to make
those who disobey it pay the price. The best way of seeing this is in his underrated
performance as Javert in Les Miserables. If his interactions between Hugh
Jackman or anyone else in that movie don’t show him good enough to play Walker, I
don’t know what will.
And now…presenting, the one who reigns over his foes with
triumph:
Pariah Dark, the
Ghost King: The most powerful enemy Danny has ever faced, to where he
needed an exoskeleton to win. Before any of the ghosts that Danny had faced
even existed, Pariah was the absolute ruler of the ghost zone, until he was
banished by high rulers, who dethroned the king and
separated him from his power. With such divine abilities, Pariah is
practically invincible. I can think of only one actor to give this character
the glory he deserves.
Hugo Weaving – He’s played so many
iconic villains that it’s practically the name of his resume. He has the presence and feel of a dictator with much power, as seen with his roles as Red Skull
from Captain America, Megatron from the Transformers trilogy, and Agent Smith from The Matrix. Those performances alone have him ready for someone like
Pariah.
With every king, there must also come a prince in the series:
Prince Aragon:
The prince of the medieval territories of the Ghost Zone, Aragon is one who
believes only in the Dark Age ways of life, to where his power over the
kingdom has time stop and anything modern or advanced be completely useless.
Much like his sister, Dorathea, he too has an amulet that grants him the
ability to turn into a fearsome dragon. Egotistical, arrogant, and all
powerful, he is a mighty foe that only one just as strong can match. If he is
brought into a movie, I could only see one way they could establish him into
it. He’d have to be Pariah’s son. I know it seems out of place for most
people, but when you think about how he keeps time frozen in one part of the
Ghost Zone, and yet still a prince, I would think this would make it an
interesting idea if they do decide to have Pariah be his father. And who better to play
a stubborn rich boy, then our typical stubborn rich boy
Tom Felton – While
it is a little type-casting, I think Tom has some great variety to work with in
Aragon. He has the charm, power, and snootiness that would suit Aragon, as seen
in his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, but with an added bonus
of the abilities of a dragon would make him a much bigger threat. I rest my
case.
Now, let’s move on to Danny’s cheese-head, arch enemy:
Vlad Plasmius:
The first human-ghost hybrid. In a freak accident during college, Vlad had been infected with ecto-acne, which ruined his reputation and
caused him to become a freak and lose his chances with Danny’s mother.
Years later, he’s become a billionaire, now with years of experience with his
ghost powers. Time and time again, he’s attempted to kill Jack, and steal his
family away, or take down Danny until he agrees to be his new apprentice. He’s
even gone as far to cheat his way into becoming mayor of Amity Park. Vlad has gained a reputation as one of the greatest villains
in cartoon history, but one aspect I really want to see is showing the torment that comes from having his powers at first. That would bring a great deal of drama into the character, to where we do feel some sympathy for him, rather than him just be a villain. For me, there needs to
be an actor who is very determined, eager, and calculative at
his attempts of taking back what he lost.
Hugh Jackman – My
favorite actor as one of my favorite villains. Hugh has played a variety of
characters, ranging from a poor soul trying to change his life, to an Canadian mutant in a comic book film series, to even playing a magician. The one thing
we haven’t seen him play is a villain. Vlad’s charm and charisma of a human,
along with the intimidation of his ghost are all in one little
package. Not only that, but Hugh's a brilliant actor, and showing both the lust and torment of his powers would be a walk in the park for him. And as a Broadway star, I think it would be great if Hugh gave Vlad a
sense of fun once in a while, really adding more to the character; but if
they didn’t, then I won’t complain.
Well, that's it for now. Check in for part two, and I'll cast the heroes and allies.
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