Originally published September 8, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
Anghus Houvouras thinks Zac Efron should play Booster Gold…
DC Comics cinematic adaptations continue to be a wild ride that has polarized fans. There are those of us who are enjoying the garish monstrosities being created using our favorite DC Icons, and others who are one step away from declaring that Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. are taking a flamethrower to their comic book loving childhood.
The recent crop of DC movies have been a success in my eyes because they have tried to be something different. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a carefully constructed, well-engineered and well executed series of interconnected four quadrant films that deliver a crowd pleasing experience. However, there are very few surprises to the Marvel movies. Almost ten years later they’ve become formulaic to a fault. That’s not to say there isn’t fun to be had. However, I think I know exactly what I’m getting every time I buy a ticket. The DC Extended Universe still has the ability to surprise us.
I mean, were you expecting Superman to level Metropolis in Man of Steel in a battle that made the words ‘collateral damage’ feel like an afterthought? Were you expecting to see Batman use a gun and give felons a death sentence by branding them? Were you surprised when you found out most of Wonder Woman takes place during World War One?
Though you can argue the quality of the films until you’re blue in the face, I would argue that most would agree the films based on DC Comics is still riskier creative territory with potential for the unexpected. Which is why the idea of a Booster Gold film is so exciting.
Booster Gold is a character with immense potential. Of all the DC projects in development, it’s the lightest in tone (You might think ‘Shazam‘, but Black Adam’s origins are pretty dark). A well-intentioned glory seeker travels back in time to become famous superhero using various high-tech gadgets. It’s a role that requires a delicate balance of believability and seriousness. Someone you root for even though they’re a smug, pretentious insecure ball of neurosis desperate to be loved by an adoring public.
The character feels perfectly suited for this day and age where so many people are famous for nothing. The idea of a superhero who wants to be a celebrity was hardly a grand leap back when the character debuted in 1986. These days it feels like it would be an absolute certainty: A superhero with his own reality show and corporate sponsorships whoring it up with the Kardashians before appearing on Dancing With the Stars. This could be a fantastic bit of social satire in the right hands.
But who should play Booster Gold? Which actor has the right personality and a deep well of charisma to pull off the part? Wait. Why am I trying to make this suspenseful. I gave it away in the headline:
Zac Efron.
Yes. Zac Efron should play Booster Bold. He’s the perfect actor for the role. A guy comfortable with being idolized and who possesses the proper comedy chops to do the character justice. Just watch Efron in Neighbors or Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates, and you can see the balance between earnestness and buffoonery that a guy playing Booster Gold would need. The fact that he can play a likable lug so effectively makes him the perfect fit.
Now, if you’re keeping track, I was the guy who said Benedict Cumberbatch should be Doctor Strange long before he was cast. Then again, I also said Christoph Waltz should play Lex Luthor. Maybe Warner Bros. should have listened to me on that one.
Warner Bros.: get this Booster Gold movie going and put Zac Efron in the lead. It’s a hit waiting to happen.
Anghus Houvouras
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