When I find myself with a bit of time on my hands I like to expand on random thoughts or daydreams I've had and try to post them up here. The last super-massive post I did was over a year ago and was based on a dream I had which I called the "what's the best fantasy army you could build" and it took me freakin ages to create!
I've also done posts on recasting, and just simple casting, for Avengers Assemble, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Justice League movies. This time I was watching some Star Trek on TV and wondered if anyone had posted up on the internet their own fantasy recasting choices for the TV franchise. What I found was outdated and to be honest a little weak and was almost all from when J.J. Abrams started his Star Trek movie reboot back in 2009 and I just felt I had the time and the ability to do it myself.
OK, so yeah it was difficult in some cases and I've had almost impossible choices for others (hence the double or triple selections you'll see on some characters which I'll allow to to like or dislike to your hearts content) but I've given it a go and I'm pretty happy with the results. You'll see some obvious ones and a few complete opposites which you may think are crazy, but I'm a super-Trekker and I believe my choices are sound. See what you think! And I've not specified TV or movie on purpose...
Enjoy!
The Next Generation
So we're starting off with a controversial recasting choice here but my brain won't let this one go. Jean Luc Picard, considered the best captain from the Star Trek series', needs to be a super strong character that the crew follow and would die for without a second thought, someone whose presence, both stage and physically, is palpable. He has "gravitas" in spades. Idris Elba embodies these traits in everything he does from Luther on TV to movies like Pacific Rim and Thor 1 & 2. Yes you could say he's best suited for Captain Sisko, but I honestly believe his portrayal of Picard would be stunning...
Special mention - Mark Strong. Simply to give you another option. Strong in name, strong in on screen presence yet again. An excellent second choice.
My brain had fixated on Nathan Fillion for the role of Commander Will Riker for some reason, but then I remembered my love of a show called "Chuck" and the super-tall and often bearded Zachary Levi. Riker is big, suave, doesn't mind the odd tussle, a ladies man, and always comes out with the one liners. Levi, for me, is spot on.
Counsellor Deanna Troi was always thought of as the "hottie" of TNG, closely followed by the red headed beauty that was Doctor Crusher (yes of course I liked them both!). Although the age balance might be slightly off I'm an obsessive nut about Percy Jackson's Alexandra Daddario and therefore I can't wilfully place anyone else in this role. Swap the brown eyes of Marina Sirtis for Alexandra's piercing pools of radiance and you have your resident Betazoid empath!
Having been pleasantly surprised by Michael Ealy in the new sci-fi series "Almost Human" he was my number 1 choice for Geordi La Forge. He has a calm onscreen swagger and presence that I think would suit Geordie down to a T!
Now this one was a bugger. Data is a primarily non-emotional android who provides a lot of the humour in TNG. But original actor Brent Spiner also pulled off a brilliant evil brother Lore as well as some crazy moments when his emotion chip was installed. My money is first and foremost with Firefly and I-Robot alumni Alan Tudyk. He's a great actor, an excellent voice actor, and his robotic voice portrayal of Sonny from the aforementioned I-Robot was fantastic.
Special mention - Homeland's Damien Lewis, in the same league as Tudyk but pipped to the post.
Special mention - The popular choice for Loki fans (yes ladies that means you) Tom Hiddleston could pull off a great movie version of Data. There are even fan-made pics on line representing this choice!
There are a few men who could portray the ominous yet honourable Klingon on board the Enterprise but for me it just has to be Spawn himself; Michael Jai White. This Man mountain has the size, body, voice and experience in action movies and martial arts to pull off an awesome Worf. Imagine him with a Bat'leth!
Doctor Beverly Crusher is a tough one. My first thought went straight to Lost and V veteran Elizabeth Mitchell, but there are a few actresses I think could also pull this role off. Mitchell has the age (taking into account the relative age of her son Wesley) and the skills to be a great Doc, but then she's blonde and wouldn't pull off the red hair well. If you needed the red hair of course, which I don't. Still my first and strongest choice.
Special mention - Bryce Dallas Howard. I saw this choice on line and I have to admit that she's the spitting image of a young Gates McFadden... Maybe if it was the movie version. Hmmmm...
For Miles O'Brien I really wanted a real Irish lad and for some reason I thought he should be younger than Colm Meaney was when he first played the role. Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers fits the bill with his natural accent and would probably be the first choice for looks (good looks not Colm Meaney looks!) out of any Irish choices I've found, and I've matched him with an equally suitable Keiko below too.
Special mention - Merlin's Colin Morgan. Maybe too young...
Only one actress came straight to mind when thinking of the tough security officer Tasha Yar and that was Battlestar Galactica's Kara Thrace; Katee Sackhoff. A little biased here considering she's stunning and a favourite of mine, but perfect for Yar nonetheless. Also imagine her as Tasha's alternate universe half Romulan daughter Sela!
Young Wesley Crusher doesn't really have a present day counterpart actor that I can find but my first choice, and it seems everyone else's too, is Chandler Riggs from The Walking Dead. Cut and style his hair, stick him in the old red and black, and there's your Wesley.
Special mention - I love Will Poulter's acting in the few films I've seen him in (most recently "We're the Millers") but he's more of a numpty/clutz in those. Playing it straight he could possibly nail the role, but not really the look, of Wesley.
For me there is no one on Earth who should portray Guinan other than Whoopi Goldberg but I had to try. So I give you the heavily underrated Angela Bassett (who should have played Storm in the X-Men movies!) as the next best choice. Calm and loving and an eternally old soul who everyone can come to for advice in Ten Forward.
Special mention - Django Unchained's beautiful Kerry Washington. The younger choice.
My first and only choice for Keiko since seeing "The Wolverine" is the stunning Tao Okamoto (Mariko). A good match up with her on screen husband Jonathan Rhys Meyers. I like the fact that she's a less Americanised version of Keiko as well.
Another difficult recasting choice is the omnipotent and mischievous member of the Q continuum "Q"! Finding someone who is naturally crazy enough to pull off a naughty schoolboy alien who causes some of the funniest and yet most dangerous challenges for the Enterprise crew was hard, until the legend that is Robin Williams came to mind. Who better than Mork himself???
Special mention - Next in line for Q would be the charismatic, talented, and unbelievably intelligent man of many voices; Seth McFarlane. Tall, funny, and mischievous to the max...
Deep Space Nine
My first choice for the warrior captain and slightly unstable member of the DS9 crew is Arrow's Colin Salmon. Also seen in Resident Evil and a couple of Bond movies this exceptionally posh sounding British actor would be great. Avery Brooks was great and memorable Sisko and his emotionally charged rages and breakdown's would be difficult to replicate (especially considering Mr. Brooks seems slightly mental now in real life *see - The Captains*!) but I feel Colin could do this perfectly. A super commanding presence too.
Special mention - Chiwetel Ejiofor. An excellent actor who could also pull off Sisko and his mood swings very well. I almost put him first...
Kira Nerys is another difficult one for me as I was searching for a strong, short, cropped haired woman who looked pretty yet could break you in half with a stare. Dredd's Judge Anderson; Olivia Thirlby is going to be my first choice here. Beautiful yet kick-ass and handy with a gun. Young, but Bajoran/Cardassian slave camps breed young warriors!
Special mention - Kim Rhodes from Supernatural (Sheriff Jody Mills). The older choice yet very good looking with short hair and she kicks ass!
Special mention - The amazing Claudia Black from Farscape and Stargate: SG-1 needs to be in another sci-fi franchise and if she shed her lengthy locks she could be a formidable Kira! If only I could see her playing a straighter, less comedic role!
Jadzia Dax is my favourite sci-fi lady of all time, period. Terry Farrell has always been my favourite Star Trek actress and my crush on her was apocalyptic. To recast her is sacrilegious (screw you Ezri Dax!!!) but if anyone is as beautiful as Terry Farrell to me it's Avengers Assemble's Maria Hill; Cobie Smulders. No more to be said, she'd rock it.
Special mention - TV series version of Flash Gordon had a feline-like brunette beauty; Karen Cliche. Search Google and fall in love...
In my eyes Doctor Julian Bashir can only be played by one other actor; Battlestar Galactica's James Callis. Not only is he a dead ringer for Alexander Siddig but he also exudes the intelligence and charisma needed to play the genetically engineered doctor.
The recasting choices for Odo are surprisingly vast and impressive but only one man stands out amongst the rest, the man who can literally portray any alien or mutation Hollywood throws at him... Doug Jones. Chances are you've seen Mr. Jones in a sci-fi or horror TV show or movie and haven't even realised it's him. From Pan's Labyrinth to Hellboy, through to Falling Skies and Legion, this character actor has done it all. Odo would be in great hands and he's already used to all the makeup!
Short in height, mighty in sarcasm, and mischievous to a fault. This sums up Quark, the Ferengi bartender on DS9. Qualities I can only see in one actor who I would relish seeing in this role; Seth Green. Robot Chicken's mastermind and Buffy, Family Guy, and Austin Powers alumni supreme.
Wharf... We've covered him above, move along.
O'Brien... Also covered, keep scrolling.
For sheer lack of knowledge pertaining to young black actors and an actual admiration for his acting skills (but certainly not his off-screen personality) I've chosen Jaden Smith for Jake Sisko. Jake was a lover not a fighter, more at home with a pen and paper in his hand than a phaser, but if Smith took the role I'd want to see him enter a bit of battle with his father and kick some Dominion butt...
Fringe's John Noble is my perfect choice for Elim Garak. An older version of course, and one that could be lovable yet sinister as the character always was. I'm a true admirer of John's work and I met him once too. Nice man! Great at portraying the good and evil side to a character.
Hard arse Avatar and Terra Nova star Stephen Lang is my perfect choice for the evil, then good, then evil Gul Dukat. An aura that screams military and a gravitas to match, he'd be a spot on choice for a TV or movie version of the previous commander of Terok Nor!
Voyager
I've seen so many recasting choices online for Captain Kathryn Janeway including Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet but for me there is only one hardcore mother figure out there and it's the awesome Lena Headey. She's played dozens of kick-ass roles including Sarah Connor in the Terminator TV series, Ma-Ma in Dredd, Queen Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones and Queen Gorgo in 300 and yet she can also portray lovely and kind. Not only the perfect Ripley in any Aliens remake but certainly the heart and soul of the starship Voyager.
Who better to stand at the captain's side than Khal Drogo himself; Jason Momoa. OK so he's Hawaiian and not Native American, but that's besides the point. This 6' 4" man mountain who was also a fan-favourite from Stargate: Atlantis playing Ronon Dex would be great as Chakotay, the former Marquis rebel turned Voyager's second in command. A brawler with a strong faith and a fierce sense of loyalty.
Special mention - Adam Beach, an actual Native American actor from stuff like Law and Order, Big Love, Windtalkers, and Cowboys and Aliens. Need a Native American actor? Meet Adam Beach. Visually more like Chakotay than Momoa, but I'll stick with my first choice.
Tom Paris the lovable rogue. Always hitting on the ladies and getting into trouble, yet always there to pilot the ship out of trouble and help best friend Harry Kim with his love life. Destined to marry B'elanna (or Kes if it's an alternate timeline!). Tru Blood's Ryan Kwanten seems to fit the bill for me.
There is no greater match for me when it comes to B'elanna Torres than the visually stunning and physically rock solid actress from Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol; Paula Patton. Imagine her with the half-Klingon head ridges getting in a temper and you have your feisty Chief Engineer!
You'd be forgiven for thinking any Asian actor could pull off the role of Ensign Harry Kim, the timid and often child-like conscience of Voyager and her crew, but that's not so. Kim is a pivotal role on the original show and visualises for the audience the growth and pain the crew go through during their seven seasons. For me this is another "Picard played by Idris Elba" moment but instead of race we're swapping gender. The extremely cute and talented American-born Korean actress Jamie Chung (Once Upon a Time, Sucker Punch, Samurai Girl) would be my essential choice. Imagine Tom Paris with a female best buddy. Imagine that one extra female on a female captained bridge, it would work.
Special mention - Masi Oka from Heroes. C'mon, you can see that working too!
Fringe's Lance Reddick is my first best choice for the stoic and uncompromising Tuvok. The teacher, protector, and captain's confidant aboard Voyager. Smooth and easy in the role of a Vulcan.
Special mention - Being a Stargate: SG-1 fanatic I would love to see Christopher Judge back on screen again in a role not unlike Teal'c, a character he was born to play and one that brought many a tear of sadness and joy over 10 seasons and two movies.
OK so he's not bald but Neil Patrick Harris (How I met your Mother) is an excellent choice for the holographic renaissance man that is the Doctor. Dry wit, sarcasm, pompousness, and frustration wrapped up in one little package (and not chosen just because he used to play Doogie Howser M.D.!). Also the Doctor is probably my favourite character from Voyager too.
The reason male sci-fi fans took a renewed interest in the flailing Voyager in season 4 was almost solely down to the introduction of one of Star Trek's most beautiful and obviously sexual characters; Seven of Nine. She's a favourite of mine of course (I have a life-size signed statue of Seven in my man-cave here!) so I have to go with another favourite actress/character of mine... Deborah Ann Wall aka Jessica Hamby from Tru Blood. A stunning red-headed beauty (although naturally blonde!) who would flourish on screen as the emotionally stunted ex Borg.
Special mention - Smallville's Supergirl and V's alien princess; Laura Vandervoort. Has the facial features, the body shape, and the general Seven of Nine look right of the bag. A close second.
Granted this may seem like just a bit of fun but I really like the idea of Rupert Grint (Harry Potter's Ron Weasley) as the resident Talaxian and Chief Morale Officer Neelix. Yes he's possibly too young but I'd love to see this nonetheless!
I believe I've had crushes on way too many sci-fi ladies in the past and this is a double whammy here. Smallville's Chloe (the lovely Alison Mack) would be my choice to play the adorable (if somewhat annoying) Kes. She's the innocent Ocampan with a measly 9 year life-span and possibility of major evolutionary changes in her short term future, and Mack would be great.
So there you go, almost a whole day choosing actors and actresses, splicing photos together, and writing reasons for choosing each one. What a waste of time... :P Hopefully you read this post and maybe you enjoyed it, maybe you disagree. Feel free to comment her or on the Facebook page on the right! Thank you and goodnight!
Oh and Enterprise wasn't forgotten, that'll be next time!!!
