Danny Phantom choice casting part 2 heroes

Welcome to part 2 of my casting choices for Danny Phantom. We’ve talked about possible villains that would work, so let’s talk about possible allies and our main heroes.

Let’s start off, with the coldest of allies:

Frostbite: In his travels of mapping out the Ghost Zone, Danny meets Frostbite, the soul leader of a tribe of yeti-ghosts, as well as the guardians of the Infi-map, an artifact that can lead its user to anywhere they so choose in the ghost zone. His tribe has a deep respect for Danny, after he had defeated Pariah and gained much trust, even to help him train his new ice powers, becoming one of Danny’s closest ghost friends. He’s strong, noble, and wise, so to play him I choose…

Liam Neeson – Gaining a reputation as one of the most memorable action stars of the past decade, Liam is capable of perfecting the mentor of the hero. He's played the creator of Narnia, the leader of the A-Team, an FBI agent who kills to get his daughter back, trained Obi-Wan and BATMAN, and Darkman.

Now if the decision to do Dan Phantom is possible, then it’ll be obvious they’ll include this one:

Clockwork: Being the controller of time itself, Clockwork is one that has much mystery behind him, but at the same time shows more than needed. He sees every possibility that can happen and has powers to even manipulate the time stream if he wanted to, but his logical thinking and calm tone say otherwise in what would be expected. For someone to play Clockwork in live action would have to be someone who could deliver a presence of smarts and surprise. So my choice is…

Christoph Waltz – Being a two-time Oscar winner, as well as the only good part about The Green Hornet movie, Christoph is an unpredictable maniac that keeps you guessing what he’ll do next, or what he’ll say to get out of a big situation. All you need to do is just watch at least one scene of his performance as Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained, and I think you might agree with me.

This next one, you’ll need Esperanto to understand:

Wulf: Originally a servant prisoner of Walker, Wulf had regained his freedom from the help of Danny and his friends, and in return saved them from a ghost invasion. He has the ability to claw portals between the Ghost Zone and the human world, which has served for great escape routes, but can also be used for removing ghosts that overshadow humans. With him speaking Esperanto, it could be that he was a werewolf that died in the 1800’s. He is ferocious and deadly, only showing compassion for his allies. Now Wulf is a character that I'd be fine with if he was motion-capture, if done right. So who better to play him, than one who’s best at playing animals in that format.

Andy Serkis - Andy has played many different kinds of creatures, in terms of motion capture works such as "Lord of the Rings" and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." He can get the emotion into a character through its movements and actions, more so than any other actor can. Andy is one of the most talented actors working today, and he would be a perfect choice to really bring Wulf to full life.

Now let’s talk about a character that I think would work best if she appeared in a sequel after Vlad Masters:

Danielle Phantom: Danielle started off as a clone of Danny created by Vlad Masters, given almost every ability that Danny has, but has one flaw: an over usage of her power at once will have her become unstable and turn back into ectoplasm. However, thanks to Danny and Valerie, she now has been able to become more stable and more cautious about her abilities. While she does have some similarities to Danny, Danielle can be sort of a trouble maker at times when on her own, but is still good hearted. Now with her being a half-ghost, she’d have to be played by a young actress who’s good with action…I think you know where I’m going.

Chloe Grace Moretz – Chloe is one of the best child actors working today. She can bring out so much personality, but at the same time, kick more ass than anyone else. She’s ranged from such great films like Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, (500) Days of Summer, and the role of Hit-Girl in the Kick-Ass movies. All that’s needed is some ghost abilities, and you’ve got yourself a perfect candidate for the Ghost Girl herself.

While New York may have the Ghost Busters, Amity Park has…these two:

Jack and Maddie Fenton: Ever since their college days, or maybe even before, Jack and Maddie have shared a strong passion for the paranormal. They’re opposites of one another: Jack being the lovable goof, and Maddie being the daring strategist. Their chemistry of how they work off one another is how both the comedy and teamwork really adds in. And for them, I choose…

Bruce Campbell and Jodie Foster – Bruce is one of the best B-movie actors working today. His resume is chuck full of icons such as Ash from Evil Dead, Brisco County Jr, and Sam Axe in Burn Notice. To him, fighting supernatural demons is like a trip to the grocery store, he has no fear. Not only that, but in the film “My Name Is Bruce,” he’s shown that he’s not afraid to make fun of himself at times. As for Jodie, well she’s one of the best known actresses ever since the 70’s. She’s had interactions with Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs, dealt with a home invasion in Panic Room, and has had strong on screen chemistry with Robert De Niro. With her work, I say let her be Maddie.

Now when it comes to having crazy parents, we always need the responsible daughter:

Jazz Fenton: Jazz is the overbearing honor student in the family. While she does have her naggy moments, she’s still likable and cares much for her little brother, even as a half-ghost. She tries so hard to be part of a normal family, but as time goes on, she learns to embrace her family’s enjoyment of ghost hunting, mostly due to wanting help Danny in his fights. At one point, she even admits she has “ghost envy,” due to her parents caring more about ghosts than they do her. She can be a great strategist, and at times can serve as a great help for Danny when he really needs it. If she is to be played by anyone, it should be…

Emma Stone – Over the past five years, she’s really gotten much recognition as a great young actress. She can be snobby at times, but also have responsibility for her siblings, and show that she isn’t one you want to mess around with. All of that is able to be seen in her performance in Zombieland, and you can see her academic wanting in her roles as Skeeter in The Help, Olive in Easy A, and Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spiderman. If she’s not good enough for Jazz, then I don’t know who is.

Now we go to our favorite techno-geek:

Tucker Foley: Tucker is pretty much Danny’s best friend, and both he and Sam have kept this friendship since the second grade. He’s the big techno geek of the group, and has been a blessing for ghost fights, but it’s what also gets him ridiculed socially.  His way of being with women mostly comes from him being around Danny, whether it’s the ghost-hunters vibe or being judge at a beauty pageant. For him to be played in live action, I have a good choice.

Daniel Curtis Lee - Best known for playing Simon Cookie on Ned’s Declassified, Daniel is pretty much an expert with playing techno-geeks who catch on pretty easy. Quick tech wizard, has hard trouble with women at times, but is still a good friend and willing to help out when needed.

Next up is everybody’s favorite Goth:

Sam Manson: While she might look like the stereotypical Goth chick, Sam is a much more developed character, being an environmentalist and vegetarian. In the episode “Memory Blank,” we find out that she’s the one who convinced Danny to step into his parents’ ghost portal and get his powers. While she is rich, she doesn’t exploit it just to get friends like most do, and has a dislike for anything that is too mainstream, especially her parent’s choice of lifestyle. Throughout the series, we see the growing relationship between her and Danny, and by the end they finally confess their true feelings. She is strong willed,  is no pushover, and is willing to take risks if it means helping out her friends. Now for Sam, I actually have TWO choices to play her, but both are really good so either one would work for it. Choice #1 is...

Anna Sophia Robb – Better known for playing Leslie in Bridge to Terabithia, Anna can pull of playing a girl who is more different than anyone you’ll ever meet. She has a great sense of energy to her, and isn’t afraid to take risks. Now part of the Goth attitude can be seen in her performance in Soul Surfer, where she’s in a struggling battle to live life after a tragic attack. Not only that, but she’d have some familiarity working with a Danny Phantom movie, since she first voiced Danielle in the episode “Kindred Spirits.” All you need is her hair dyed, dark clothes, and you’ve got a great Sam.

Now, choice #2 is...

Mae Whitman - Best known for playing Katara on "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and one of the 7 Evil Exes from "Scott Pilgrim," Mae has an experience with both creating dynamic emotion in a character, as well as comic book style action. However, when she played Mary Elizabeth in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," she brought a marvelous performance as a girl who deems away from most social types until an unpopular one makes her open up to him. That performance really does add so much to what Sam is.

But like I said, either one would be fine.

Well, we’ve come a long way…now it’s time we bring out the one you’ve all been waiting for. The duly-appointed deputy of Amity Park, and our favorite halfa:

Danny Phantom: The young teenager that is granted the abilities of a ghost, after turning on a ghost portal from the inside of it. Much like Peter Parker, Danny is that unpopular kid that gets on the wrong end of situations he doesn’t want to be a part of. However, unlike Spiderman, Danny’s powers have started as being hard to control, that can lead to him revealing his secret. It’s only until his first few ghost fights that Danny’s able to have control of his abilities, with new ones coming in as he grows stronger. If Danny is to be played in live-action, it should be by someone who can pull off being a teenager, like Andrew Garfield or Josh Hutcherson. However, there is one that had a film last year, that really showed much potential, and he’s one that everyone has agreed would make a great Danny.

Logan Lerman – While he’s best known for Percy Jackson, Logan has really been evolving more as an actor. Even in bad films like “The Three Musketeers,” he did prove that he can be good when it comes to action movies. However, the depth and reality of a teenager outcast who becomes a better person can be seen flawlessly, in his performance as Charlie in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” That work alone makes him worthy of taking on the role of Danny.

So those were my picks on a Danny Phantom movie. If you feel I missed some big choices, feel free to list them and say who’d you like to see play them, or if you have someone else for a role than what I chose would work, tell me. I’d love to see what you guys would consider. Hope you enjoyed my list, and I hope that you at least think I have some decent choices.

See you next time!