Joel Edgerton
Yes, I know Edgerton is Australian, but I’m sick of British actors getting all these roles of iconic American characters and no one stealing their roles. It’s not like no one else in the world can do a proper British accent, and if there’s one actor who definitely could pull it off, it’s Joel Edgerton. In fact, he’s only the first of my two non-British picks, and I have no doubt that Edgerton would be excellent in the role.
Those who follow my casting lists know that Edgerton is a staple, and probably could’ve predicted he would show up again this time around. No way I was leaving him off of this one, as he’d be just about perfect as Newt. He’d be less of a wide-eyed innocent character than the rest of this list, but he’s also the only one I can picture wrestling a dragon to the ground with his bare hands, riding one across the sky without so much as a saddle, taming the most fantastic beasts imaginable.
Edgerton does have quite a busy schedule in the near future. We don’t know how soon this film is going to go into production, but if Warner Bros. did want to go with him, there could be quite a few conflicts with the other commitments he has. He’s signed on for a ton of movies in the next few years, and he’s making his directorial debut with Weirdo. Directing a film takes up a long time and most of your brainpower, so it’s not likely he’s going to want to add a ton of huge starring roles around the time he’s preparing to shoot Weirdo. But if the film is going for a 2016 or later release, then Edgerton may be clear. He’s one of the most highly demanded actors working today though, so if Warner Bros. does want him, they better nail him down as soon as possible.
