It’s glorious news for Nintendo fans: there’s an official live-action Legend of Zelda movie on the way, and Shigeru Miyamoto himself is heavily involved. It’s almost too good to be true, but after the blinding success of the The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it feels inevitable. Now it’s confirmed! Now that we know it’s coming, we can start speculating about who will play Link.
There are quite a few roles to fill, the major ones being: Link himself, Princess Zelda and Ganon. There are also hundreds of ancillary characters to choose from depending on which direction they decide to take the story.
There’s the old man from the first game, who also appears in Breath of the Wild. There’s Impa (both young and old), the Goron, the Zora, the Rito, the Gerudo, Midna, Beedle, Tingle, Linebeck, you get the point.
The only smart bet right now is that the main three will at least be present. The biggest question right now is who will play Link. Here are 10 suggestions. To reiterate, these are our opinions and in no way does that mean any of these people will eventually be chosen.
Tom Holland
This is probably the most obvious choice. Holland has proved his chops in action movies time and time again. He crushed it in Uncharted, and he obviously rules as Spider-Man. He’s also still in his 20s, although we don’t know just when the movie will be released.
There was even some fan-made posters mocked up with Holland as the character, and it gave us a chance to see what he would look like in Hylian ears. Unless Nintendo decides to go with a relative newcomer, we’d put our money on Holland.
Timothée Chalamet
There’s no denying Chalamet has the boyish looks necessary to portray Link, but he also has the acting chops as well. Chalamet is a bit of an everyman in Hollywood – meaning there are few roles he’d have trouble pulling off.
We’ve seen him brood as Paul Atreides and bounce around as Willy Wonka, so putting him in green with a sword and a shield doesn’t feel so off base. He has a quiet confidence about him with an ability to portray emotion bubbling underneath the surface.
He’s likable and charming as well. Let’s remember that in the games Link doesn’t speak; he just grunts and yells. The better the actor, the better chance we have of getting a believable Link – especially since we’re going to be hearing him talk for the first time.
Iain Armitage
Best known as the lead in the hit show Young Sheldon, Armitage has proved himself a force to be reckoned with. He carries the show and plays Sheldon with a compassion and magnetism that an actor his age shouldn’t have yet.
At 15, he’s the perfect age to play Link both young and old (with some CGI). He’s good at going subtle and not overplaying a role, but he shows enough emotion when he needs to do so. Also, acting runs in his blood: he’s the son of Tony-nominated actor Euan Morton and Broadway producer Lee Armitage.
Armitage is still very young, but it’s clear if he continues on his current path he’ll be a huge Hollywood star one day. The role of Link would help him get there.
Jaden Smith
Smith proved his action chops when he starred in The Karate Kid remake in 2010. Now in his mid-20s, he has a good number of Hollywood movies under his belt.
Sure, he would have to really commit to the role, and while he hasn’t yet demonstrated the full range of his acting ability, he has a ton of potential and could very well step into Link’s boots and knock it out of the stadium.
He may be mostly making music now, and sure, he wasn’t great in that sci fi movie with his dad, but don’t count him out just yet.
Xolo Maridueña
While they’re very intense in subject, the Zelda games also have a lot of humor and levity in them. Any actor who takes on the role needs to have some comic timing, as well an aptitude for action movie. Xolo has both.
He’s proven that very thing clearly as one of the main leads in Cobra Kai, and he proved it even more when he carried Blue Beetle. Xolo!
Barry Keoghan
Keoghan is the dark horse choice for Link. He would bring an edge to to the character and highlight the darker parts of Link’s personality. Remember, we’ve never gotten a lot of backstory for Link and someone like Keoghan would be able to fill out those gaps.
Just look what he does with the Joker in the scene above! He brings so much to the character by doing so little. Someone get his agent on the phone.
Harris Dickinson
If you don’t know who Dickinson is yet, you will soon. This up and comer has been quietly climbing the ranks in Hollywood for some years now. His turn in Triangle of Sadness especially showed just how versatile he can be.
The only thing working against him is his height. Link is generally not a tall Hylian, so if they’re being faithful to his game roots they’ll probably go with someone shorter. Holland is looking better and better!
Jeremy Allen White
Who doesn’t love a little J.A.W? After turns in Shameless and The Bear, he’s at the perfect point in his career to try something different. He would bring a different sort of energy to Link, if that’s what producers are going for.
It would be such an interesting choice for the role, and we know he can do action after his turn in The Iron Claw.
Will Poulter
There’s few things Poulter can’t do, and he has this vulnerability that’s very relatable. He’s got a ton of range and we’ve seen him play a superhero in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
He has that boyish charm that would be perfect as well. Also, he’s a great meme!
Asa Butterfield
You could make the argument that despite his participation in a number of high-profile roles, Butterfield has yet to show his true potential. In terms of physical characteristics, Butterfield has the ability to morph himself into any character he’s playing.
Since his breakout role in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, he’s been steadily increasing his cache. He would make a convincing Link and has the acting ability to back it up.
