Forget robbing trains or shooting up towns, the only crime around here is Rockstar dragging its feet with a live-action Red Dead Redemption II. The sequel (serving as a prequel) to John Marston’s 2010 adventure turns five years old in October, but neither Rockstar nor the likes of Universal, Paramount, HBO, or even ABC have considered reimagining the Red Dead universe. Although it was 2010’s breakout title that reeled in a massive audience, Red Dead Redemption II broke several records, even enjoying the second-biggest launch in the history of entertainment, generating $725 million in revenue from its opening weekend and exceeding the lifetime sales of Red Dead Redemption in just two weeks. Ever since, the Red Dead community has been campaigning for a live-action adaptation worthy of doing justice to such rich storytelling material — even more so with the recent success of HBO’s The Last of Us series.
Red Dead Redemption II is a prime example of video games as an art form, undoubtedly earning a spot among the greatest video games ever made. Considering around 2,000 employees at Rockstar Studios helped conceive RDR2, the least these corporations can do is return the favor with a faithful retelling of a timeless tale. Here at WGTC, we’ve compiled our picks for the main cast, excluding a few members of the van der Linde gang as well as side characters (otherwise, we’d be here all day). Whenever Rockstar wants to talk, we’ll be waiting.
Arthur Morgan (Tom Hardy)
Who else but Eddie Brock himself to breathe life into Arthur Morgan, our man of the hour? As the backbone of the prequel, the actor chosen to portray Arthur is imperative to the success of the production, setting an example that all the other cast members — regardless of significance within the narrative — should follow. If it isn’t his turn in Venom that you know Hardy from, it might be Mad Max: Fury Road or even Peaky Blinders. He certainly resembles Roger Clark, but Hardy’s reputation alone speaks volumes as to his credibility.
Dutch van der Linde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)
There’s absolutely no one else who we’d even consider to be Dutch if not for Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He’s already proven himself as an unhinged sociopath with his run as Negan in The Walking Dead, and that isn’t far removed from Dutch’s persona, either. Not only does he have a look in his eyes that spells trouble, but a filmography including unforgettable roles in Supernatural and Grey’s Anatomy certainly boosts his chances of snagging an audition. Arthur Morgan’s counterpart and moral opposite, Dutch’s casting could make or break a live-action RDR2, but Morgan could get the job done.
Sadie Adler (Laurie Holden)
Images via Rockstar and Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Although Laurie Holden portrayed Andrea Harrison in The Walking Dead, she left the show in 2013, never getting to meet Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan in the season six finale. She’s much more than her short-lived ABC role, however, as she’s also appeared in Silent Hill, The X-Files, and The Boys. She might be a bombshell in her own right, but roughen her around the edges and she’ll resemble Sadie Adler to a T, we guarantee it. Whether or not she can replicate Alex McKenna’s deep, raspy voice remains to be seen, but we have faith in her — more than we have in Dutch.
Hosea Matthews (Willem Dafoe)
Cast Willem Dafoe in anything and it’s certain to be a hit. There’s nothing the Norman Osborn/Green Goblin actor can do wrong. If he were cast as Hosea, the role would require a lot less stunt work than his Spider-Man: No Way Home reprisal, which he’d be relieved to hear considering he’s a few years shy of 70. Dafoe needs no further explanation; he has the Hosea charm about him, the uncanny looks, and experience in American Psycho, The Lighthouse, and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. What more proof could one need?
John Marston (Norman Reedus)
Besides the fact that there are really only two individuals who remotely resemble John Marston (those being John’s voice actor/mo-cap performer Rob Wiethoff and Norman Reedus), there wasn’t any competition for casting the Red Dead Redemption protagonist. If you stare at Reedus for too long, he starts morphing into John Marston. No, seriously, it’s an optical illusion. Another The Walking Dead alum, we couldn’t ask for a better Dutch/John pairing than Jeffrey and Norman. He’s had several run-ins with Negan as Daryl Dixon, so that lays the groundwork for John to turn on Dutch later on.
Javier Escuella (Avan Jogia)
He was the heartthrob of Victorious, the incomparable Avan Jogia, who nowadays isn’t known as Beck Oliver, but rather Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. We’re awarding bonus points to Jogia for starring in a video game adaptation already, especially one as formidable as Resident Evil. Although Welcome to Raccoon City bombed (someone had to say it), we’re confident that Jogia could add his own spin on Javier Escuella, the dark horse of Red Dead Redemption II who’s actually an underrated fan favorite. That’s big shoes to fill, but he can do it.
Bill Williamson (David Harbour)
Need we say anything more than Stranger Things? David Harbour won over a lot of fans with his role as Jim Hopper, but since then, he’s climbed the ranks to star as the Red Guardian in Black Widow and even Saint Nick himself in Violent Night. We’d gladly compare Bill Williamson to a grumpy, alcoholic Santa Claus, so Harbour’s at an advantage already. He was also Dexter Tolliver in 2016’s Suicide Squad, but we don’t talk about that movie. Maybe he should take a break from the superhero scene and find better luck in the Western world of Red Dead Redemption II. Bill also sides with Dutch during the confrontation with Arthur and John, so Jeffrey Dean Morgan and David Harbour… interacting? Yes, yes, and more yes.
Uncle (John Goodman)
If you don’t look at Uncle and immediately see John Goodman, you might be a bit of a harsh critic when it comes to casting Red Dead Redemption II, and we wouldn’t blame you — it’s important to get it right. That being said, we couldn’t imagine anyone besides Goodman taking the job. He’d have to grow back his luscious beard, but that shouldn’t be too hard. We can’t have a baby-faced Uncle, now can we? If Goodman’s acting roles in The Big Lebowski and 10 Cloverfield Lane or voice performances in The Emperor’s New Groove and Monsters Inc. are any indication, he’d put in the work to make Uncle memorable — even with terminal lumbago.
Micah Bell (Woody Harrelson)
Has there ever been a more perfect casting? This is another essential choice, especially considering Micah’s hand in the downfall of the van der Linde gang. In many ways, Micah’s antics are the foundations on which Red Dead Redemption II‘s story is built, so we’ll eagerly hand that responsibility to Woody Harrelson, whose natural mustache is eerily similar to Micah’s without trying. We’ll use Zombieland as Harrelson’s portfolio, considering how the franchise earned significant attention due to his and Jesse Eisenberg’s joint effort. Besides the obvious reasons, Harrelson is also a Texan born and bred, so a Southern accent and a hill-country twang shouldn’t be too difficult to conjure.
Charles Smith (Adam Beach)
He had a rather embarrassingly short cameo in Suicide Squad as Slipknot, but Adam Beach found fame in other genres, namely action and drama flicks. He even starred in the leading role as Charles Eastman in the Western drama Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, so he’s dabbled in the Wild West era of filmmaking. Otherwise, he’s the spitting image of Charles and that likeness wouldn’t go amiss in an audition. Beach hasn’t gotten nearly enough recognition for his talent, so this could be just the role he needs to propel his career and get his name out there.
Sean MacGuire (Domhnall Gleeson)
If you’re thinking to yourself “You just chose an Irish actor and cast him as Sean,” you’d be partly right. While it’s appropriate to cast characters according to their ethnicity, Domhnall Gleeson has a lot more going for him than just a resemblance to Sean MacGuire. Many will recognize him instantly from About Time, where he co-starred with Rachel McAdams. He’s also appeared in The Patient, Ex Machina, and even Goodbye Christopher Robin. Like Beach, he isn’t nearly appreciated as much as he should be. Additionally, Sean is a dearly beloved character in the game, so having the audience on your side never hurts, does it? Gleeson is a born and bred Irishman, so he’s more alike to Sean than we could ever hope for.
Lenny Summers (Shameik Moore)
Oh, Lenny. Although he’s tragically underused in Red Dead Redemption II, Arthur’s side mission to take Lenny to the saloon and help him unwind is hands-down the most hilarious 20 minutes of the whole game. We’re not sure whether it’s Roger Clark drunkenly screaming “LENNY!” or mistaking every single stranger in the saloon for his friend that makes this so iconic, but either way, that portion of gameplay would need to be done justice. Think of it as a love letter to the fans, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone besides Miles Morales himself, Shameik Moore, who’s up to the task.
Josiah Trelawny (Benedict Cumberbatch)
Admittedly, this was the one and only character that we struggled to cast. Josiah Trelawny isn’t as pivotal to the overarching story as some of the others, but he’s the hidden gem of the main cast. Whether you love him or hate him, he’s guaranteed to tip you off about a train robbery or assist you in relieving some unsuspecting townsfolk of their belongings. Unlike some other characters, there’s more flexibility with Trelawny. We considered Tom Hiddleston, Robert Downey Jr., and even Andrew Scott, but ultimately, none jumped out at us quite like Benedict Cumberbatch, BBC’s own Sherlock Holmes, who’s mastered the accent of a stand-up British gentleman.
Abigail Roberts (Lauren Cohan)
Ask anyone in the Red Dead Redemption fanbase and they’ll tell you that no one else could ever be considered for Abigail Roberts/Marston other than Lauren Cohan. Not only is her resemblance to Abigail somewhat… scary, but she’s another ideal candidate due to her history on The Walking Dead. She played Maggie Greene, the partner of Glenn Rhee, whom Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan kills off. Eventually, however, Negan and Maggie make amends and work together in the future. Lauren Cohan’s Abigail and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Dutch? Could we ask for any better bickering?