So, there’s been a bit o’ buzz over a possible reboot of Baylon 5, the TV series from the 1990s that was probably one of the best sci-fi TV series of the 20th Century. I don’t know for sure it will happen, but I’d love to see the show rebooted and especially if it stays true to the original as much as possible.
A friend of mine tossed this particular “what-if” at me as a challenge. Who would I cast in the reboot? Clearly, with a few of the original actors having passed and the other likely a little long in the tooth to reprise their roles, some new faces need to be considered.
So, here’s what I came up with. (Note: Character/New Cast Member/Original Actor/Actress)
Jeffrey Sinclair/Bryan Cranston (Michael O’Hare)
The character arc will be brief as Sinclair has a destiny to fulfill in the past and won’t be about much. So Cranston could fill this role perfectly. (Also, he played a minor role in the original series back in the 90s and it would be fun seeing him back in B5.)
John Sheridan/Josh Hartnett (Bruce Boxleitner)
I like Harnett. A lot. He was great as Ethan Chandler in Penny Dreadful and could play the warrior Captain with a heart as well as Boxleitner did.
Susan Ivanova/Kara Thrace (Claudia Christian)
Look, Christian played Susan so well, I don’t know if anyone could measure up. But Thrace would come as close as anyone else could. She changed my mind about Starbuck being a female fighter pilot in Battlestar Galactica.
Delenn/Lena Headey (Mira Furlan)
Headey just has what it takes to play the strong female leader that Delenn is.
Michael Garibaldi/Karl Urban (Jerry Doyle)
Yep, Doctor McCoy meets Judge Dredd. And it would work. FYI, Garibaldi was my favorite character next G’Kar. Speaking of…
G’Kar/Richard Armitage (Andreas Katsulas)
If they ever do a reboot, I pity the two actors that have to take on G’Kar and Londo. They have big shoes to fill and Katsulas and Peter Jurasik set a very high bar to clear. Speaking of the Ambassador/Emperor of Centauri…
Londo Mollari/Djimon Hounsou (Peter Jurasik)
I know, but hear me out. There would be a different take on Londo here, but I think Hounsou can pull this off. Go watch Gladiator and Guardians of the Galaxy again.
Dr. Franklin/Anthony Mackie (Richard Biggs)
They aren’t going to be doing a standalone Falcon movie in the MCU, but his early appearance in the Winter Soldier lends to his being a good onscreen Doctor, don’t you think?
Marcus Cole/Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Jason Carter)
Carter really sold Marcus as a character we would go to war with. His demise at the end of Season 4 was one of those “Oh hell no, not Marcus!!!!!” moments, even though the reason made perfect sense. Can Taylor-Johnson match that? I saw flashes of it in Age of Ultron.
Alfred Bester/Michael Sheen (Walter Koenig)
Think about it. Who else but Sheen could pull off the oily-slick “I’m an evil guy but I think I’m a Saint” air that Koenig brought to the role?
Lennier/Paul Dano (Bill Mumy)
Vir Cotto/John Hutcherson (Stephen Furst)
These last two characters were cast mostly because I was looking for younger actors who could pull off the subservient positions of their characters while still delivering when needed in the role.
Okay, I recast the major players. What do you think of my choices? Who would you cast instead?
Let me know.
