Runaways: The Dream Cast

By Teresa Jusino

Marvel Studios has announced that a big-screen version of the comic Runaways is headed our way, penned by series creator, Brian K. Vaughan. Apparently their slate is full through 2011, but there’s no set timetable for Runaways yet.

I’ve been a huge fan of the series since I started reading it last year. It’s a wonderful, original story, as well as an interesting look into what it’s like to be a teenager these days. Except…you know…with super powers. News of the big-screen adaptation got me thinking about who would play these kids. The more I think about it, the more I realize that there are a lot of great kid and teen actors out there at the moment. Here are some of my picks! However, I realize that by the time they get around to actually making this movie, most of the kids on this list will probably be too old. But that hasn’t stopped Hollywood before…

KAROLINA – Dakota Fanning

This lovely talent is 14 years old now, and will be 17 in 2011. She will be out of braces, and can most certainly look the part, and she’s got the acting chops to work wonders with this role – that of a young girl who discovers she’s an alien with super powers. Oh, and also a lesbian.

ALEX – Malcolm David Kelley

He looks sooo much the part (imagine him in nerdy glasses), and can do sullen and rebellious like nobody’s business. Perfect for the role of the nerdy genius who turns on his friends. However, he’s 16 now, and already looks like he’s old enough to have a wife and kids. (not really, but…) In 2011, he’ll be downright ancient at 19! Then again, they cast 30-year-olds as teenagers on Smallville, so…

GERT – Alia Shawkat

Put some glasses on her, cut her hair and dye it purple, and we’ve got a killer Gert on our hands. This girl can do intelligent, snarky, and vulnerable. However, I would demand that she put on weight for the role. Gert is not skinny, and the actress playing her should respect that. (as should the film’s casting directors) Again, at 19 now, she “maybe” too old if she doesn’t play the role, like, tomorrow.

MOLLY – Abigail Breslin

At 12, she’s exactly the right age, the right look, and has the right amount of talent to play Molly, the Runaways youngest, mutant member, right NOW. Somebody hurry up and make this film!

CHASE – Jeremy Sumpter

He played Peter Pan in the 2003 remake, and now at 19 is pushing the upper age range of possibility already. However, as Chase is supposed to be the oldest member of the Runaways, him looking older than, say, Dakota Fanning or Abigail Breslin, isn’t exactly a bad thing. It would also work if Alia Shawkat played Gert, as they’re about the same age, so it wouldn’t be skeevy to watch them play a couple.

VICTOR – Adrian Alonso

Now, here’s someone else who can grow into his Runaways role. Victor is a Mexican-American teenager who discovers that he is actually half man-half machine. Alonso will be 17 in 2011, and as evidenced in “Under the Same Moon”, could do wonders with a complex role.

NICO – Miranda Cosgrove

iCarly as Nico Minoru? Goth her up a bit, and I think she’d be a good fit for the role of the Runaways’ leader when she turns 17 in 2011. Now, ideally, the role should go to someone who’s actually Japanese…but I like Cosgrove. She’s got sweetness and snark. She isn’t Asian, but when I Google-searched her online, there seemed to be a lot of discussion and wondering about it. When I first saw her, I thought she was at least biracial. So, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to have her play Japanese. Not if Marisa Tomei can play Hispanic in Mi Familia.

Thoughts?

Well, whoever plays these roles is going to be lucky, indeed. Runaways is a great, complex story that would be an amazing opportunity for any young actor.

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TERESA JUSINO was born on the same day that Skylab fell. Coincidence? She doesn’t think so. As a writer, her work has appeared in Elmont Life newspaper, and on the sadly defunct website, CentralBooking.com. She is currently at work on a collection of short stories. As a geek, Teresa loves Star Trek, Lost, comics, and anything Joss Whedon ever touched. Also, she has a fangirl *squee-ing* crush on Brian K. Vaughan, which is now being rivaled by her burgeoning crush on Robert Downey Jr. in his Iron Man suit.

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