I'm not going to lie, since the death of the Marvel Netflix series and the "Infinity Saga" wrapped up, I haven't been as interested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as I once was. I'm not taking jabs, it's just going a different direction than I expected. But, I still occasionally think about how things could have been if Marvel and the MCU were working as a team. So now that a little time has passed and I've warmed up to the idea of SOME of the MarvelTV properties making the leap to the MCU (they can miss me with any PG-13 Daredevil/Punisher/Jessica Jones garbage), I thought that I might revisit some of my past Fan-Casts and try to shoot for the MCU this time.
First up...The Inhumans
And let me just say this up front so as not to waste anyone's time: I DID NOT cast Vin Diesel as Black Bolt. I know it's something that he's likely to get if they do a reboot and it might even be a role that he does well in...but for the life of me I just can't see it.
Things may have changed in the MCU by the time you read this.
Okay, here's the cast!
Plot Summary
Centuries ago, the extraterrestrial race known as the Kree waged a long war on several different fronts that resulted in massive casualties. In need of more soldiers, one vicious faction among the Kree decided to genetically modify the DNA of other intelligent life across various planets, intending to create a warrior/slave caste that they could use to help win the prolonged war. The Kree eventually came to Earth, where they created their own scientific installations and began experimenting on groups of early humans, using their own Kree DNA and advanced technology to change the genetic makeup of their subjects.
Before the experiments could be completed, another faction of the Kree came to Earth to shut down the project. The Kree eventually left Earth, believing their experiments were unsuccessful. Thousands of years later, a disgraced Kree engineer named Jat Vor-Thrul was able to get his hands on all of the data from the outlawed program and enlisted the help of a high-ranking yet corrupt government official and a sadistic Kree commander to help covertly restart the program on the secluded planet of Veritus IV. For decades, this group and a company of Kree scientists subjected captured Terrans to a series of brutal experiments and used all of their findings and successful subjects to amass a power base within the remote star-system of Rho Coronae Borealis. Over time however, the subjugated Inhumans successfully rebelled against their Kree overlords as led by a warrior who would come to be known as Randac The Great.
Hundreds of years after their uprising, the Inhumans of Veritus IV have developed a thriving, technologically advanced nation-state called Attilan, which is a mix of ancient Terran and Kree cultures. The Attilan empire is currently ruled by the royal House of Agon (formerly the House of Bolt) and its current monarchs Darius the Silent King (Black Bolt) and Queen Medusalith (Medusa). Under the royal house's leadership, Attilan has enjoyed new levels of peace and prosperity. Unfortunately, forces from within and outside of Attilan seek to shatter the nation's hard-won stability as the banished royal Maximus the Mad and the terrorist group known as The Maelstrom continually work against The House of Agon and the citizens of the empire - even as an unrelenting extraterrestrial force calling itself The Phalanx sets its sights on the small planet of Veritus IV.
Main Characters
Darius Bolt-Agon (Black Bolt; The Silent King; The Midnight King)
Character
Height - 6' 2"
Age - mid to late 30's
Actor
Garrett Hedlund ("Mudbound", "Lullaby", "Inside Llewyn Davis", "TRON: Legacy")
Height - 6'1"
Age - 35 years old
Personality traits
Stoic. Intense. Observant. Intelligent. Enigmatic. Reserved. Wise. Decisive. Strong-willed. Loyal. Intimidating. Farsighted. Strategic. Devoted to his family.
Enhanced Abilities
Black Bolt's primary superhuman/inhuman ability is the power to absorb, harness, and manipulate atomic and subatomic energy and channel it into various offensive and defensive phenomena. When the energy is channeled through the speech centers of his brain, it turns his voice into a massively destructive wave of sound and concussive energy. When channeled through other areas of his central nervous system, this energy grants him other abilities such as anti-gravitational flight, exponentially increased physical strength, near invulnerability, enhanced senses and cognitive abilities, and the power to emit a large wave of electrical and concussive energy from an area directly anterior to his prefrontal cortex (forehead). Due to erratic and relatively uncontrollable nature of this last ability, these energy blasts are typically narrowed into tightly focused energy beams via a conduit situated on either his royal crown or the head-pieces of his specially built exosuits. Unaided by this harnessed particle energy, Black Bolt's Inhuman physiology gives him enhanced strength compared to the average human, allowing him to lift anywhere between 1200 1400 lbs with maximum effort.
Interesting Bit of Trivia
Black Bolt is an avid fencer and archer. He is also an accomplished painter and a virtuoso of a Kree stringed instrument called the sagitari (an instrument similar to Earth's cello)
Why I chose Garrett Hedlund over Vin Diesel
To bring a character like Black Bolt to life on-screen and make him interesting, you need an actor that can effortlessly express a wide range of emotions with little more than his eyes, facial expressions, and body language. In a good (or even descent) Inhumans movie there will have to be moments when Black Bolt conveys nuanced emotions like barely contained fury that morphs into a deep hurt and sense of betrayal when he confronts his brother. There will have to be moments when we see a stoic warrior-king cautiously let down his guard in an attempt to find comfort in the arms of his wife and queen. We will need to see him hesitating to let loose the full force of his immense power even as invaders threaten his nation - then watch as he finds a primal enjoyment in using those same powers to single-handedly change the course of a war and rally an onlooking nation. I've seen Garrett Hedlund in a few movies and I sincerely believe that he is the sort of actor that can bring moments like that to life. I know Vin Diesel is the heir apparent for the role, but I honestly don't see him pulling any of that off. I'm not saying he's wooden, I'm just saying it won't look as natural when he's doing it. And honestly, at the end of the day, this is just a fan-cast soooooo....
Medusalith Bolt-Agon (Medusa; The Red Queen; She Who Speaks For The King)
Character
Height - 5' 11"
Age - mid to late 30's
Actress
Lauren Cohan ("Whiskey Cavalier", "The Walking Dead", "Mile 22", "The Boy")
Height - 5' 7"
Age - 37 years old
Personality traits
Protective. Courageous. Strong. Decisive. Intelligent. Loyal. Tough. Determined. Intimidating. Intuitive. Regal.
Enhanced Abilities
Medusa's primary superhuman/inhuman ability is her prehensile hair which she can wield psycho-kinetically in a number of offensive and defensive ways. A psionic field permeates each hair-cell of her scalp and allows her the ability to lift objects exceedingly heavier than what she would be able to lift through traditional means while dispersing physical elements like weight, force, speed and resistance away from the rest of her body. Each strand of her hair has a level of durability and tensile strength equivalent to a strand of steel wire of the same thickness and length. Shaping her hair into practically any object that she can imagine, Medusa can perform a myriad of attacks that can pummel, slice through, and puncture objects as strong as concrete. As a defensive object, Medusa's hair has been used to provide herself and others a significant degree of protection from concussive blasts, explosions, stun-charges, high-speed shrapnel, and the crushing weight of a falling stone pillar. Unaided by her hair, Medusa's Inhuman physiology gives her enhanced strength compared to the average human, allowing her to lift anywhere between 800 to 1000 lbs with maximum effort.
Interesting Bit of Trivia
While she has never traveled beyond her homeworld, Medusa is fluent in many of the written languages common to Earth and Hala due to the detailed records and technology left behind by the Kree after the Inhuman uprising. A few examples include English, Korean, Russian, Kree, Asgardian, and Shiväisith (Dark Elves).
Ideally the actress portraying Medusa would have to be comfortable with showcasing two important qualities: 1) an ability to comfort and inspire a nation during times of peace as well as times of war, and 2) underscore the uniquely close bond that Medusa shares with one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe - Black Bolt. At critical moments in the film the actress would have to convincingly give a speech that would help to bring a nation back together after a horrific terrorist attack then - later on - inspire that same nation to fight like hell when an overwhelming force seeks to force them back into bondage. Finally, in the quieter moments, Medusa needs to come across as genuine and relatable - even though she's an queen from an alien world whose hair is capable of taking on a dozen well trained attackers while she sits unfazed on her throne. To me, Cohan has the acting chops to express that wide range of emotions as she has given great performances in a variety of genres. Particularly, she has proven herself to be a capable leader, a supportive love interest, and an all-around badass fighter in the TV series " The Walking Dead" as Maggie Greene.
Gorgon Petragon (Gorgon; The Guardian; Commander of the Royal Guard)
Character
Height - 6' 7"
Age - mid 40's
Actor
Christian Kane ("Tinker", "S.W.A.T.", "Junkie", "The Librarian", "Leverage")
Height -5' 9" (6' 9" in digitigrade stilts)
Age - 47 years old
Personality traits
Strong-willed. Direct. Protective. Fiercely dedicated to his family and country. A skilled military commander and fighter. Effective. Commanding. Dogmatic. Courageous. Somewhat impulsive. Great in a crisis.
Enhanced Abilities
Gorgon possesses a variety of superhuman abilities including enhanced senses that allow him to track a target in almost complete darkness as well as adequately defend himself while blindfolded. His strength level is greater than the average Inhuman's as he can lift between 3000 to 4000 lbs (1.5 to 2.0 tons) with maximum exertion. He can reach and maintain a max running speed of approximately 50 mph for about 1 hour before experiencing signs of fatigue. In addition, he possesses an enhanced level of resistance to physical injury due to the increased density of his skin and muscle tissue. And last, but certainly not least, Gorgon possesses the ability to create destructive seismic shocks by impacting the ground with his Minotaur-like legs. This ability appears to be less dependent on the actual physical impact of his stomps and more depended on a orange-ish energy that flows from his legs and into the ground.
Interesting Bit of Trivia
Gorgon is an excellent cook and loves his pet Obsidian Darter (a canine-like creature that is native to Veritus IV) named "Beauty"
Why I chose Christian Kane
Christian's work on shows like "Leverage" and most recently "The Librarians" shows how good he is in roles that call for a highly skilled and very capable warrior that is also darkly funny and likable. Ideally, Gorgon would be portrayed as a gruff and practical war-dog who deeply cares for the people he's working with... even if he has a hard time showing it. He should seem tightly wound and likely to explode at any moment, but also avoid coming across like a one-dimensional meathead. So, while Karnak is the guy to call for uncovering plots inside of schemes and other big picture issues, Gorgon is the one to call when things call for a more fast and furious, "no guts, no glory" approach. I can almost hear people mumbling "..nah, that guy's too short for the role". But I'm guessing that he would have to wear some sort of digitigrade stilts to get the look and walk or Gorgon down just right - which typically add 12 to 14 inches to the height of the person wearing them.
Karnak Mander-Azur (Karnak; The Shatterer)
Character
Height - 5' 7"
Age - late 30's to early 40's
Actor
Brian Tee ("
Jurassic World", "
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "
Chicago Med", "
The Wolverine")
Height -6' 0"
Age - 42 years old
Personality traits
Independent. Extremely Intelligent. Analytical. Strategic. Self-confident. Decisive. Disciplined. Dutiful. Meticulous. Judgmental. Fatalistic. Arrogant. Intense. Quietly critical of the world around him. Can be insensitive to the needs of others.
Enhanced Abilities
Unlike almost every other citizen in Attilan, Karnak has opted out of undergoing the DNA-altering process known as Terrigenesis. This is due to his membership in a philosophical sect whose followers have dedicated themselves to only tapping into some of their innate supernatural abilities through intensive study and mental training. As a result, Karnak has gained an extrasensory ability to perceive stress points, fracture planes, and other flaws in all things - be it a physical object, a psychological concept, a strategy of attack, or otherwise. Karnak serves as the king and queen's chief counselor and is an unsurpassed strategist and advisor while also being a highly revered martial artists and military tactician. In addition, Karnak's Inhuman physiology gives him enhanced strength compared to the average human, allowing him to lift between 800 to 1000 lbs with maximum effort.
Interesting Bit of Trivia
Karnak has an on-going chess competition with an as-yet unidentified person in the royal palace. The games started by accident one day as Karnak happened to notice that someone had moved a pawn on one of the decorative chess sets in the royal garden. He initially thought to place the piece back in its rightful place, but instead moved an opposing pawn and went about his day. Some time later, he noticed that a new chess piece had been moved and that it seemed to be a deliberate (and pretty brilliant) attack. And so began the first of many games between Karnak and an unknown challenger. Since that initial game, Karnak has never lost a game nor has he attempted to figure out who the other player is.
Why I chose Brian Tee
Karnak is an intense and relatively mysterious character, or at least he should be. Watching Brian Tee on the hospital drama "Chicago Med" has shown me that he knows how to deliver nuanced performances that feel real and unscripted. While that show's writing can be a little heavy handed at times, Tee has delivered some solid performances that show a man who is quietly intense, analytical, and disciplined without being totally devoid of emotion. In the end, I chose Brian Tee to play Karnak because I believe that he could give viewers a character that comes across as scary smart, sure of himself and his cause, moderately arrogant - but not really pretentious....like Mr. Spock .
Triton Mander-Azur (Triton)
Character
Height - 6'2"
Age - mid 40's
Actor
Steven Yeun ("
Jurassic World", "
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "
Chicago Med", "
The Wolverine")
Height -6' 0"
Age - 35 years old
Personality
Energetic. Adventurous. Charming. Spontaneous. Outgoing. Flexible. Easily bored. Tends to be short-sighted. Impulsive. Feels confined when he is required to stick to a structured routine. A risk taker. Thinks quick on his feet.
Enhanced Abilities
As a result of the reptilian and amphibious adaptations that the terrigenesis process instilled in him, Triton possesses a variety of superhuman enhancements, including: an amphibious physiology which allows him to breathe water as well as air, the ability to travel underwater at incredible speeds, a limited ability to manipulate water via hydrokinesis, the ability to endure the extreme pressure changes that occur beneath the seas of Veritus IV, the ability to withstand extreme temperatures in any environment, hard scaly skin that is naturally resistant to several forms of injury, and enhanced speed, reflexes, and agility. Triton also appears to be aging at a much slower rate than most other Inhumans (pre- or post- terrigenesis) as he physically appears much younger than his younger brother Karnak. This seems to be the result of some form of accelerated cellular regeneration that can also be seen in other Inhumans who have taken on reptilian features after undergoing terrigenesis. Finally, Triton's strength level is greater than the average Inhuman as he can lift between 2000 to 2500 lbs (1 to 1.25 tons) with maximum exertion.
Interesting Bit of Trivia
Once while on an exploratory mission into an uncharted and particularly harsh area of Veritus IV with his cousin Black Bolt, Triton started telling a story that was so funny that it caused the king to fly up above the clouds and let out a small laugh. The effects of Black Bolt's tiny outburst were felt throughout Attilan, which was several hundred miles away, and the feedback created in Black Bolt's recorders knocked out almost all of the electronic systems that were set up to document the mission. While a nearby cave protected Triton from most of the effects of the blast, nothing was able to protect him from a furious Medusa when he and the king returned to Attilan.
Why I chose Steven Yeun
While Triton has been a main character of the Inhumans comics from its beginnings, his personality has never been all that fleshed out. So I consider Triton to be something of a blank slate and opted to make him the "live in the moment", adventurous member of the group. Ideally, Triton would be the polar opposite of his younger brother in that he is generally optimistic, routinely avoids the pomp and circumstance of being a member of the royal family - instead choosing to dive fully into new experiences at every opportunity. There should be something of a friendly rivalry between Triton and his brother Karnak, as they are so different but still strangely fascinated by how the other chooses to live his life. With that said, I chose Steven Yeun to play Triton because I think he did great work on "The Walking Dead" fleshing out an adventurous, youthful, smart and charming character in Glenn and I think he would make the character of Triton likable and relatable despite his monstrous appearance.
Crystal Ama-Quelin (Crystal)
Character
Height - 5' 6"
Age - mid 20's
Actor
Skylar Samuels ("
The Gifted", "
Scream Queens", "
The Duff", "
American Horror Story")
Height -5' 6"
Age - 25 years old
Personality traits
Compassionate. Intelligent. Determined. Driven. Optimistic. Idealistic. Open-minded. Dedicated. Hard-working. Fair. Charismatic.
Enhanced Abilities
Crystal possesses the ability to mentally manipulate the elements of fire, water, earth, and air. As a result of this ability, the young princess can perform a number of superhuman acts, such as summon wind currents that allow her to levitate or take flight, create seismic tremors of up to a 6.8 on the Richter scale, control the temperature of water to create sheets of ice or scalding hot pools, as well as psionically manipulate the size and movement of flames with her thoughts. Unaided by her elemental powers, Crystal's inhuman physiology gives her moderately enhanced strength compared to normal humans, allowing her lift anywhere between 800 to 1000 lbs with maximum effort.
Interesting Bit of Trivia
While Attilan suffered the same fate as the rest of the universe during the event that they call "The Decimation", Crystal was the only member of the royal family to disappear after the intergalactic warlord Thanos wiped out half of all life in the universe.
Why I chose Skyler Samuels
Ideally Crystal would be the youthfully optimistic voice in the group who never hesitates to call out her loved ones whenever she feels they are in the wrong. She would be someone who is warm and selfless - but not a pushover. She would stand as a symbol of the younger generation of Attilan - who no longer wants their world to stay hidden from the rest of the universe, but to instead work with other planets (particularly Earth) to help prevent figures like Thanos from brutally imposing their will over others. Most importantly, she would act as a reminder to the rest of the royal family of the future that they work so hard to protect. With all that said, I think Skyler Samuels would bring that sense of resilience, and youthful determination to the role of Crystal. Her work in shows like"Scream Queens" and "American Horror Story" have shown that she has a skill for playing women whose "beautiful princess" looks belie the spirit of a fighter that sits just beneath the surface.
Maximus Bolt-Agon (Maximus the Mad; The Traitor)
Character
Height - 5'11"
Age - early to mid 30's
Actor
Evan Peters ("
American Horror Story", "
X-Men: Days of Future Past", "
Pose")
Height -5' 11"
Age - 32 years old
Personality
Ambitious. Intelligent. Charismatic. Manipulative. Unpredictable. Restless. Direct. Confident. Creative. Adaptable. Egotistical. Rebellious. Sociopathic. Narcissistic.
Enhanced Abilities
Maximus possesses a number of psionically based powers, including a superhuman intellect, the ability to override the thought processes and will-power of others, the power to read the thoughts of others, the ability to shut down the central nervous system of certain creatures (causing either total body paralysis or instant death); the ability cast telepathic illusions, and a limited level of precognition.
Interesting Bit of Trivia
During one of his first attacks on the royal family, Maximus lost his left hand while battling his brother. After fleeing to one of The Maelstrom's hidden camps, he replaced the severed appendage with a cybernetic hand of his own design. Once the new hand met all of his specifications, he had his right hand cut off and replaced as well in order to "provide symmetry" to his body.
Why I chose Evan Peters
Ideally, Maximus The Mad would be a charismatic villain that is both fascinating and frightening. He should be unhinged, homicidal, but also a brilliant planner and schemer - to the point that even when he appears to lose no one is quiet sure if it's all part of his overall plan. Early on in the film, he and the terrorist group The Maelstrom would attack a solemn "Day of Remembrance" celebration and leave a number of Attilan's citizens dead or seriously injured. Towards the middle of the film, he would willing join with the Phalynx but become something more than a slavish member of their hive mind. The end of the film would show him imprisoned for his crimes but laughing maniacally and shouting how he has already won. Simply put, Maximus should be like a Joker to Black Bolt's Batman. Evan Peter's work on the "American Horror Story" series convinced me a long time ago that he would make a great villain in the MCU and I think that he would effortlessly land those "brilliant sociopathic anarchist" moments that Maximus would undoubtedly have during an Inhumans movie.
The First (First of the Phalynx)
Character
Height - 8', 0"
Age - unknown
Actor
CGI
Lance Henriksen ("
Aliens", "
Aliens vs Predator", "
The Blacklist", "
Into The Badlands" "Terminator" )
Height -5' 10"
Age - 79 years old
Personality
Unemotional. Unyielding. Oppressive. Domineering. Cold. Calculating. Rigid. Intelligent
Enhanced Abilities
The entity calling itself First of the Phalynx has the ability to control the hive-mind of the techno-organic race known as The Phalynx. The First is a form of advanced artificial intelligence that doesn't require a physical body to exist, yet it routinely takes on the form of a massive being when it needs to communicate with an alien race. Whenever The First takes on its physical form, it has the ability to shapeshift, infect and control most forms of organic life, and infect and control electronic and computer based systems.
Why I chose Lance Henriksen
Ideally The First would be an unrelenting force of nature whose only purpose is to spread The Phalynx throughout the universe like a virus. Unlike Ultron, it would not be prone to outbursts of emotion but would instead come across like a mix of Data (from Star Trek) and Agent Smith (from The Matrix). I chose Lance Henriksen because of the fact that he is a legendary actor and has one of the most famous voices in the world. To bring the character of The First to the screen, there would obviously need to be a mix of CGI and voice acting. I have no doubt that Henriksen would bring the right amount of intimidation and menace to the role.
Post Credit Scene
We see Karnak and Crystal walking through the halls of the palace. He explains that her disappearance during The Decimation event affected Queen Medusa so deeply that she pleaded with the ancient Inhuman Eldrac The Door to take her to Thanos so that she could either kill him or die trying. He states that while Eldrac didn't teleport her to Thanos' location, he was so moved by Medusa's pleas that he teleported a strange device to the grieving queen. We hear how Medusa and Black Bolt quickly discovered that the device gathered information from a number of different planets from across the universe, and allowed them to instantaneously search far off portions of the cosmos. Karnak explains that while they were never able to locate Thanos, they often saw beings who were just as cruel and destructive as The Mad Titan. Karnak brings Crystal into a secluded part of the palace before continuing. He tell her that after a cosmic event reversed Thanos' actions and returned the previously missing citizens of Attilan back home, Black Bolt and Medusa began to take a keen interest in one particular planet. We see the pair step into what appears to be a secret control center where a large holographic representation of Earth is shown spinning in the center of the room. As Crystal steps closer we see windows popping up from various points on the globe with other figures from the MCU being displayed.