Any gamer worth their salt has heard of Metal Gear Solid, the tactical espionage masterpiece from Hideo Kojima is legendary for various reasons, not least of all its cinematic approach to gameplay and storytelling that may be commonplace in gaming now, but back in 1998, it was truly groundbreaking.
With so many movie influences running through its veins, it was only ever a matter of time before MGS received a big-screen adaptation and although the project has been hinted at for years, it has now finally been confirmed as going ahead with Jordan Vogt-Roberts taking the reigns as director and Oscar Isaac stepping into the shoes of The Legendary Soldier himself, Solid Snake.
Now it’s no secret that game to movie adaptations don’t have the best track record, considering how rich many games are with the story, character development and lore with countless hours to tell a story instead of a condensed two-hour plot threshold, christ, MGS4 had cut scenes longer than most movies! So needless to say, MGS fans might be feeling a sense of trepidation about how this iconic series is going to fare in a live-action format. While only time will tell on this one, it got us thinking, who else would we like to be cast as the iconic characters from the game, bearing in mind we are assuming the movie is set to follow the events of the first MGS as it is by far the most contained story of the bunch. Focusing purely on the core characters and not the slew of support characters, here are our picks for casting choices for the Metal Gear Solid Movie.
Liquid Snake
Oscar Isaacs (twin version) or Sebastian Stan
“We’re losing our place in a world that no longer needs us. A world that now spurns our very existence.”
Ideally, it would be great to see Isaac pull double duty and play Solids genetic twin Liquid Snake, he certainly has the acting chops to pull it off. If, however, they decide not to go down the identical twin route then Sebastian Stan is our pick for the part. Best known for his role as The Winter Soldier and was rumoured to be stepping into the shoes Luke Skywalker, he has great screen presence and has proven he can play intense characters and isn’t shy when it comes to action. Give him an over the top British accent and a blonde mullet and we have our Liquid.
Vulcan Raven
Dave Bautista
“Ravens aren’t scavengers like most people think. They’re simply returning to the natural world that, which is no longer needed.”
Good god o’mighty its Dave Bautista!!!! Big Dave has proven to be one of the most diverse actors to ever retire the spandex and head to the silver screen. From successful performances in Guardians of the Galaxy, Bladerunner 2049 and Spectre, he has become a must-watch actor and his physical presence alone absolutely sings to the Vulcan Raven casting, we can just imagine him rolling onto the battlefield in his abrams tank to give Snake a hard time.
Psycho Mantis
Michael Pitt
“From the moment we’re thrown into this world, we’re fated to bring each other nothing but pain and misery.“
Michael Pitt may seem like a “young” choice to play the tortured soul that is Psycho Mantis who has been possessing folk since the Phantom Pain incident, but anyone who has enjoyed his body of work, particularly roles in Ghost in the Shell and Hannibal, will know that these are the characters that Pitt excels at portraying. Given the heavy use of prosthetics or CGI that will likely be used in creating the look of the character, Pitt is our choice!
Adamska Shalashaska aka “Revolver Ocelot”
Kurt Russel
“We need tension…conflict. The world today has become too soft. We’re living in an age where true feelings are suppressed.”
Considering Solid Snake was inspired by the Kurt Russel character Snake Plisken from 1981’s Escape from New York, it would be rude not to include the legend in the MGS movie. His resume needs no introduction but his particular roles in Tombstone and The Hateful Eight show he is no stranger to sporting a sensational moustache in a western guise and would be more than capable of portraying the formidable Revolver Ocelot.
Sniper Wolf
Katheryn Winnick
“I was born on a battlefield. Raised on a battlefield. Gunfire, sirens, and screams… They were my lullabies”
Best known for her role in History’s Vikings, Winnick has proven that she can not only carry the weight of a popular show on her shoulders but has great screen presence to depict just about every emotional range there is a name for. Stepping into the shoes of sniper wolf, a soldier haunted by the terrors of her war-torn past and out for revenge on the world for the death of Big Boss, we can think of no one better.
Frank Jaeger aka “Grey Fox / The Cyborg Ninja”
Michael Fassbender
“Conflict is in our blood. We can’t deny it. I was born on the battlefield… And I’ll die on the battlefield”
Fassbender might just be one of the finest actors in the business today, even when he is staring in a turkey of a movie like X-Men Apocalypse, he still delivers a great performance. The broken soldier, Frank Jaeger, and snakes old friend features in one of the most dramatic scenes from the game and should be child’s play to portray on the silver screen from an actor of Fassbender’s pedigree.
Decoy Octopus
Lance Reddick
Granted, we don’t really see much of the actual Decoy Octopus, as a master of disguise in lieu of a combat specialist, he spends his time in the guise of the DARPA chief, Anderson as a ruse to fool Snake into activating Metal Gear. We are going for Lance Reddick for this one, an actor with fantastic screen presence, a commanding voice and a sure fit for a government stooge.
Roy Campbell
Liam Neeson
“If you ask me, these so-called Next-Generation Special Forces should be called “simulated soldiers”. They have no real battle experience.”
In the late nineties or even early two-thousands, Neeson would have been a good shout to play Solid Snake himself. But even though time has gone by, Neeson is no stranger to playing military roles so who better for Qui-Gon to play than Snakes most trusted ally, Roy Campbell. Let’s face it, if anything ever happened to Snake, he will find you and he will kill you.
Meryl Silverburgh
Jane Levy
“That’s the second time I’ve been able to sneak up on the legendary Solid Snake.”
Rookie soldier and strained daughter of Roy Campbell, Meryl becomes an unexpected ally for Snake during the Shadow Moses incident. We opted for Jane Levy primarily for her resemblance to the character but also for her entertaining performance in the 2013 Evil Dead remake. Considering she is gonna spend some time being possessed and mentally tortured by Phycho Mantis, the delivery should be spot on.
Dr Hal Emmerich aka “Otacon”
Cillian Muphy
“The whole reason I got into science in the first place was because I was no good with people. I was scared of them. I was scared of life.”
Cillian may be spending less time on the big screen these days but there is no denying that on looks alone, he would be an ideal candidate to play the creator of Metal Gear and Snakes future friend. Not only does Cillian look the part but he has proven to have a very diverse acting range as seen in his work in Batman, Red Lights and most recently, Peaky Blinders.
Granted this is a fair chunk of star power and there are many actors and actresses that could probably do a good job in various roles for Metal Gear Solid. Let us know what you think of our list and let us know who you would like to see cast in these iconic roles.
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TWO BEARD GAMING 