Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’ve waited a month, so it may be time to do another Geekly Casting. Today’s subject is Apex Legends. Respawn/EA has been teasing an Apex Legends show or movie for years. The franchise came out of the gates hot. It’s since cooled in the past few years, but a show or film could reignite Apex Legends.

We decided to keep casting simple and go with the original eight Apex Legends’ characters, the first four characters released after the originals, and Blisk. We needed to cast Blisk. He’s the one who ties Apex Legends to the greater Titanfall universe and assembles the Legends for the Apex Games. I’m going to cast Apex Legends with modern actors, and our movie geek Skye will be casting the film with actors from all of Hollywood history. My picks are up first. Let’s see who made our Apex Legends cast.

Kyra’s Picks

Blisk: Sharlto Copley

Canonically, Blisk is from South Africa. Unlike other characters from the Titanfall/Apex Legends universe, Blisk doesn’t hail from a planet with an accent, which sounds like one we’d find on planet Earth. Blisk is literally from South Africa. District 9’s Sharlto Copley is also South African. He’s no stranger to Sci-Fi/Action films either. Allow him to grow a sculpted beard, and he’s a dead ringer for Blisk. I can see Sharlto Copley as the man reinstating the Apex Games for selfish and dubious means. Copley does a great job portraying morally gray characters.

Wraith: Sophie Thatcher

Sophie Thatcher makes for a younger Wraith. This could help because if the Apex Legends movie/show follows the video game, Wraith will receive ample flashback scenes. Thatcher has plenty of experience with flashback scenes as a younger Natalie in Yellowjackets. But it’s Sophie Thatcher’s turn as a sexual partner android in Companion that proves she can pull off Wraith. Thatcher struck a careful balance between innocence and calculation, and found a combination of coldness and warmth. Thatcher has what it takes to portray Wraith, and it doesn’t hurt that she looks the part.

Bloodhound: Emma Corrin

Emma Corrin is an amazing actor. They were excellent as Cassandra Nova in Deadpool and Wolverine. Corrin’s small frame can be a blessing for Bloodhound. Most of Bloodhound’s bulk comes from their gear; underneath that gear, Bloodhound also has a small frame. I can see Corrin entering Beast of the Hunt. Corrin claims they haven’t met an accent they can’t pull off. Let’s see how they bathe in the bloth. And it doesn’t hurt that Emma Corrin is non-binary, just like Bloodhound, and Bloodhound’s gender identity plays a huge role in their backstory.

Bangalore: Danai Gurira

Danai Gurira has a history of playing strong warrior women: Michonne from The Walking Dead and Okoye from the MCU. Gurira as Bangalore is a no-brainer. She can pop a chimney with the best of them while bringing the Rolling Thunder. And Gurira can easily rock Bangalore’s signature look. She was meant to play Bangalore.

Lifeline: Halle Bailey

Yep. Disney’s live-action Ariel from The Little Mermaid is a dead ringer for Lifeline. Her turn as the titular mermaid means Halle Bailey is no stranger to red hair. She just needs to wear it in a double bun. It also helps that Bailey has musical training and could pull off Lifeline’s penchant for drumming on her D.O.C. Heal Drone. Halle Bailey has the effervescent personality for Ajay Che. I can’t see anyone else playing the character.

Pathfinder: Chris Edgerly

Pathfinder will be CGI anyway. Why not retain his voice actor, Chris Edgerly, in the role? Next.

Gibraltar: Cooper Andrews

As Jerry from The Walking Dead, Cooper Andrews portrayed a character who can see the bright side in the darkest of any situation. I see that in Apex Legends’ Gibraltar. Anyone who portrays Gibraltar and the next character on this list needs to tower over most of the cast. Andrews has that part down. He also has the charisma to pull off Gibby. Cooper Andrews can easily pull off a line like, “I’m here to watch your back, brudda” without a hint of irony.

I would also like to see fan favorite and Gibraltar voice actor, Branscombe Richmond, make an appearance. Even at 70 years old, he could still pull off a live-action Gibraltar if he wanted.

Caustic: David Harbour

David Harbour may have gotten his big break as small-town cop Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, but he’s had a varied acting career, which spans decades. Lately, Harbour has been typecast as a lovable screwball. He plays a character similar to Hopper (in some ways) in the MCU as Red Guardian. Caustic could show a different side of Harbour. He’s menacing. Of the original eight Apex Legends characters, Caustic is the most villainous. It would be nice to see Harbour turn full villain.

Mirage: Andy Samberg

A lot of people fan-cast Ryan Reynolds as Mirage. I don’t see it. Reynolds is funny, but he isn’t Mirage funny. Reynolds is sarcastic. Whoever portrays Mirage needs sincerity (the opposite of sarcasm) and to be comfortable with self-deprecating humor. Mirage has talent and intelligence, while being several layers of goofball. Andy Samberg is Mirage funny. Heck, he allowed himself to get beaten up by Ryan Reynolds in a Lonely Island music video, “I Threw It On the Ground.” That’s Mirage. I can see Samberg struggle to find the right words and spewing, “You got bamboozled.” I can also see Samberg pulling off a convincing stutter. “This match is gonna be extra-vagah…extr..ext, extravagant! That’s the word.”

Samberg’s Jake Peralta (from Brooklyn-99) is a cop version of Mirage: sincere, goofy, and full of self-deprecating humor. My only reservation with casting Samberg as Mirage is his age. Respawn hints at a romantic relationship between Wraith (whom I cast with Sophie Thatcher) and Mirage. But when has Hollywood shied away from a relationship between people who are fifteen to twenty years apart in age?

Octane: Anthony Ramos

Anthony Ramos got his big break as Philip Hamilton in the musical Hamilton. Ramos is the fourth or fifth potential cast member with musical roots. Should Apex Legends be a musical? Anyway, Ramos has the perkiness and energy to pull off Octavio Silva. He’s also close enough in age to Halle Bailey (whom I cast as Lifeline) for them to convincingly be childhood friends. Can’t you see Ramos saying, “Scootin’ and lootin’, amigo?”

Wattson: Chloe Hayden

Chloe Hayden made as splash as Quinni in Heartbreak High. The role marked one of the few times in Australian TV that an autistic actor portrayed an autistic character. And Hayden was brilliant in that role. She’s uniquely qualified to play the resident autistic Legend Wattson in Apex Legends. I can see her giving extra weight to lines like “Electricity, I get. People, I don’t” and laugh at her own bad dad jokes. Hayden definitely has the goofiness, earnestness, and playfulness to pull off Natalie Paquette. Trust me. Before Rampart was released, I was a Wattson main. Hayden is my top choice for the character. It’d be great to see autistic representation in Apex Legends.

Honorable Mention: Kauda Pharaon.

Pharaon is a relative unknown in Hollywood. She’s starred in the award-winning horror short Delirium Fantasy and has predominantly featured in numerous French films like Pour la France. But Pharaon’s energy on her YouTube vlog, KaudaTV, convinced me she’d be make a good Natalie Paquette (Wattson) if Apex Legends wanted to stay true to Natalie’s French roots.

Crypto: Seo Kang-Joon

While Crypto’s voice actor, Johnny Young, could portray Crypto in the show/film, we may need to go younger with Crypto’s live-action portrayal, since Wattson crushes on him. Note: I would be okay with Johnny Young; I love his portrayal as Crypto, even though I can’t play Crypto for crap on Apex Legends. Seo Kang-Joon has starred in numerous K-Dramas: Cheese in the Trap, Are You Human?, Watcher, When the Weather is Fine, and Grid. Kang-Joon’s training from Dong Seoul University (a Julliard of Korea) will serve him well, while portraying the nuanced character, Tae Joon Park (Crypto). Second Note: I love Crypto as a character, and Seo Kang-Joon would nail this character.

Revenant: Alan Tudyk

Alan Tudyk has the look to pull off Revenant before he turns into a simulacrum. The picture above is a younger Tudyk, but nothing says you can’t have an older Kaleb Cross (Revenant) before he gets transformed into Revenant. Revenant is supposed to be a seasoned assassin. It may make more sense for Cross to be an older, paid assassin. I also wanted to play into the meme where Alan Tudyk portrays a lot of androids and robots. Tudyk needs to add a simulacrum to his repertoire.

But in case Tudyk can’t do the voice (which is unlikely), we can always go with Revenant’s voice actor, Darin De Paul. I love De Paul’s rendition of the character. He’s so good. I love him in so many other video game voice acting roles like Overwatch’s Reinhardt and Sony Spider-Man’s J. Jonah Jameson. You know what? I may change my answer to Tudyk portraying Revenant before he gets turned into a simulacrum, and then have De Paul voice the simulacrum.

That’s my cast for Apex Legends. Let’s see who Skye picks for these roles through Hollywood history.

Skye’s Picks

Blisk: Arnold Vosloo

Respawn has a tradition of creating diverse characters and casting diverse actors to play them. I took my picks for this list seriously. When searching for an ideal actor for the role of Blisk, I suddenly remembered Arnold Vosloo. Most folks are familiar with his role as Imhotep in the 1999 Mummy reboot and subsequent sequel, The Mummy Returns, which is also where I know him. Given his experience playing an evil role like that, it’s not hard for me to imagine him as Blisk. Also, it’s been a minute since I’ve seen Vosloo in any major roles, so it would be great to see him make a big comeback.

Wraith: Aubrey Plaza

When thinking of an actor to play Wraith, I couldn’t get Aubrey Plaza out of my head. While she’s well-known for her comedic roles, I chose her for personality. She has a way of playing deadpan and oddball characters that I think would match Wraith, and it would be great to see her express her acting prowess in a more serious role. Ever since the spotlight faded on her popularity from Parks and Recreation, I’ve been wanting to see her in more mainstream roles as well. Also, just look at the comparison. I shouldn’t have to explain myself on that one.

Bloodhound: Emma D’Arcy

I’m not dead set on this pick. While I think Emma D’Arcy would be a good fit for the Bloodhound role, they aren’t the only ones who could portray Bloodhound. Kyra mentioned Emma Corrin for their Bloodhound pick, and I find them to be an equally valid choice. I decided to mention Emma D’Arcy to highlight another non-binary actor. We have a criminally small amount of them, and they need to get the recognition they deserve. It also brings non-binary identities to the forefront as Bloodhound’s gender plays a large part in shaping their background and is explicitly addressed in their story. Whether it’s Emma D’Arcy or Emma Corrin, I’d enjoy watching their depiction of Bloodhound.

Bangalore: Whoopi Goldberg (Young)

This is where things get interesting. It’s been a long time since Whoopi Goldberg has received a major role in a mainstream project, and she’d be great as Bangalore. She’d have to be younger but still. We’ve all gotten to know Whoopi as a prominent couch speaker on The View over the years, but people forget how versatile and dedicated an actress she is. With decades of experience across a wide variety of roles and even training under world-renowned actress Uta Hagen, her talent as an actor cannot be underestimated. I’m gushing, but I don’t get to gush about Whoopi Goldberg often. Let me have this, okay.

Lifeline: Naomie Harris

If you’re familiar with Naomie Harris, my casting her as Lifeline shouldn’t come as a surprise. She’s another highly skilled actress with a resume a mile long. What I like most about Lifeline is her upbeat and playful demeanor, which is a role Harris doesn’t often get to play. I’ve been picking a lot of actors who have fallen out of the public eye in recent years. Harris is certainly one of them and one I’d love to see reenter mainstream again. What better way to do it than with one of Apex’s most likable characters? She’s got the attitude, she’s got the look, she’s got the experience. What more can I say?

Pathfinder: Richard Kind

Despite the fact Richard Kind isn’t the actor most folks would expect for a role like Pathfinder, I couldn’t help but imagine him in the role. Why is that? Well, most people recognize Richard Kind by his distinct voice (me included), and that voice is often associated with positivity and, dare I say, kindness. That is undeniably Pathfinder. However, I totally understand someone who may be distracted by Kind’s voice in the role. If you’re on the fence about my choice, I have an exercise for you. Read this in Kind’s voice: “Who’s ready to fly on a zipline? I am!” If that doesn’t convince you, nothing will.

Gibraltar: Cooper Andrews

Yeah, you nailed this one, Kyra. While I tried to find another actor with Pacific Islander ancestry to offset Kyra’s choice, I couldn’t get Cooper Andrews’ smile out of my head. Be honest, that smile is trademark Gibraltar. Then, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. He’s also got the look and the feel down to a T. If Cooper Andrews plays Gibraltar, he wouldn’t just play him, he’d be him. You got it, bruddah!

Caustic: Ethan Hawke

After seeing Ethan Hawke’s most recent roles, I felt like him as Caustic might make too much sense. If you haven’t been to the movie theatre in recent years, you may not have noticed that Ethan Hawke has been taking on more villainous roles. Most notable is his role as The Grabber in the Black Phone franchise. While I had some outlying issues with those films, Hawke’s performance was easily one of my favorite parts. Given that, it wouldn’t be too big a stretch to see him as Caustic in the Apex universe. At this point, just give him the goggles and gas canisters, and he’ll pull it off no problem.

Mirage: Andy Samberg

Another great pick from Kyra that I couldn’t pass up. Again, I really tried to find someone else who could realistically fill the role of Mirage, but Andy Samberg just fits too well. There honestly isn’t much to say about it that Kyra hasn’t already said, so I won’t go into too much detail. Either way, I can easily see Samberg saying, “You got bamboozled!”

Octane: Diego Amozurrutia

Octane was one of my favorite roles to cast. I ended up combing through a lot of well-established telenovela actors who could potentially fill Octane’s robotic legs when I came across Diego Amozurrutia. Given Amozurrutia’s experience across several telenovelas starting in the late 2000s, he’s certainly been around the block a few times. Even though his primary acting experience is in dramatic roles, it would be nice to see him take on the role of a reckless adrenaline junkie to show off his versatility. I also knew I wanted to cast a prominent telenovela actor since it’s rare for popular Mexican entertainers crossover into mainstream American media. Since that’s something I’ve long been waiting for, I’d love to see Diego Amozurrutia’s interpretation of Octane.

Wattson: Kayla Cromer

Wattson is another character I had fun casting. A few years ago, I watched Everything’s Gonna Be Okay for the first time and thought it was good. My favorite thing about the show was easily the actors and their on-screen charisma. Ever since then, I’ve been wanting to see them have a breakout mainstream role, and Wattson seems like a great fit for Kayla Cromer. One of the biggest achievements of Everything’s Gonna Be Okay was the overwhelming number of cast and crew who were on the spectrum. Cromer is among them. Due to this and her previous acting experience, I have faith that Cromer would be able to create a convincing Wattson. She’ll just need some dialect training.

Crypto: Choi Woo-sik

Since I just mentioned my feelings surrounding the actors from Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, it’s worth mentioning that I had similar feelings about the actors from Parasite. Ever since I watched that film, I was dying to see more of those actors in other roles. Among the cast of Parasite, Choi Woo-sik, who portrayed the lower-class family’s son/brother Ki Woo, would be the best fit for Crypto. Considering he and the rest of the cast have already been recognized by the American Academy Awards, it shouldn’t be that difficult to get him connected with Hollywood. To that same end, I’d also like to acknowledge Kyra’s pick. Between the two actors, both would make an interesting Crypto.

Revenant: Ron Perlman

To be real, I’ve been meaning to cast Ron Perlman in one of these for a while. Lucky for me, I finally found a great role for him. If you’re familiar with Perlman’s filmography, I shouldn’t have to explain myself. Perlman has an identifiable deep voice, which is already a great fit for Revenant, but he’s also had many roles as quiet badass types. Sure, this is probably a typecast, but you can’t say he doesn’t play this type well. Due to his increasing age, you would only need him to provide the voice of Revenant. Thanks, Kyra, for mentioning Alan Tudyk. I believe Tudyk could also make a good Revenant, but he’d be especially good at providing Revenant’s physicality and his old human form during flashbacks.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those were Skye’s and my picks to portray a live-action Apex Legends movie or show. Who would you cast? Let us know in the comments. If you made it this far, you’re awesome. We all know it. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.