While the Justice League and Avengers are the big two teams that most comic book readers are aware of, it was Justice League International that really got me into the team concept. While that series did feature a lot of fun stories, it was the teaming of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle that had me coming back for more.
This week, the Comic Casting Couch teams Michael Carter and Ted Kord in the first real superhero buddy movie – The Blue and the Gold!
THE ELEVATOR PITCH
Buddy movies have been around for a very long time. Most tend to team the old cop with the young rookie, or mix cultures, or even mix locals. The Blue and the Gold goes a step further by teaming a modern day hero with a hero from the future! The buddy film has gone superhero, with a bit of comedy to boot!
THE TALE
Or tale opens with Ted Kord jumping from a strange looking ship he designed at Kord Industries. The wealthy industrialist has become bored with his life of luxury, and constantly seeks adventure. His ship, and the tech suit he’s created, give him the means to drop what he’s doing to fly off seeking his next adrenaline rush. As Kord plummets to Earth, we hear him scream, “This rocks!”
We then cut to the Metropolis Space Museum in the 25th Century, where we hear Michael John Carter exclaim, “This sucks!”. Carter’s life has crumbled around him, the once famous quarterback was caught up in a gambling scandal which cost him his fame and fortune, resulting in his current job as the night janitor at the museum. As the only human in the building at night, Carter has the run of the place while he cleans the disgusting toilets and waste cans of the museum. Keeping tabs on the former star is Skeets, one of the security robots at the museum. Skeets has a detailed record of all the artifacts in the museum and a fairly detailed record of historical facts from the last 700 years.
While making his rounds, Carter discovers a picture of Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, and via Skeets’ archive log, discovers Kord lead the life Michael only dreams of. The audience learns that Kord died saving the world, and holds a place of honor among the world’s greatest heroes. Skeets makes the off-handed comment that the only way Carter could ever be remembered like Kord is if he traveled back in time where no one had heard of Michael John Carter. This is all the prompting Michael needs as he steals several historical artifacts from the museum before jumping into the Space Museum’s prized exhibit – the only surviving time machine. As the time machine vanishes back to the 21st century, we see the picture change to include Michael Carter dressed as Booster Gold, while a figure approaches from the shadows.
Time has passed, we know from the picture the two have met, so viewers are lead right to one of The Blue and The Gold’s adventures. Unfortunately, Booster is more concerned about money, while Kord seeks the rush of adventure. While the two are able to perform heroic acts, the lure of making money and the next adrenaline rush, often cause more harm than good (and some funny moments as well)
Booster has been keeping his origins secret, but when Kord discovers Carter’s time machine, the allure to travel to the past is too tempting, and when the two make a quick trip to the past and return, they discover things aren’t quite the same. No one recognizes them, Kord’s fortune is wiped out, as business rivals have decimated his company, and the country has fallen into disarray.
This leads to the introduction of Rip Hunter, time traveler, who has been following Michael Charter since the beginning. He reveals that another time traveler, Per Degaton has been manipulating events in history, and Kord’s adventure to the past gave Per Degaton the one moment in time that he needed to shift the balance of power in his favor. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are going to have to discover what it really means to be heroes, as they set aside their selfish motives to finally become the true heroes the 25th century remembers, and the 21st century needs.
THE CAST
Owen Wilson as Booster Gold (Michael Carter)
Michael Carter was never the sharpest knife in the drawer, and Owen Wilson has a great record of playing just such a character. At the same time he’s got the build and look to pull off the spotlight grabbing hero, and provides just enough snark in the process. If anything, Booster Gold is very much like Lightning McQeen from Pixar’s Cars movie, and since Wilson voiced the now famous car, he understands Booster Gold’s thought process.
Seth Rogen as Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
While Ted Kord has been portrayed as a perfect specimen of physical fitness, I also liked the pudgier take on the character – someone not so perfect. Seth Rogen is no longer “That Fat Guy From Freaks and Geeks” and after seeing how slim he looks in the upcoming Green Hornet movie, I’m more convinced his comedic acting and ability to pull of some stunt work would make a perfect counter to Wilson’s Carter. Rogen may have the second best line in the movie, when things look darkest for the heroes, Blue Beetle screams, “I may die, but it isn’t going to be today!” This should reassure the audience that the death mentioned earlier in the film isn’t going to happen here.
Michael Palin as Rip Hunter (SPOILER MOMENT AHEAD)
Not much is known about Rip Hunter except what he tells the heroes in the movie. In this movie, he’s much older than the way he is portrayed in the comic books, but I think that having one older hero who doesn’t have to get into the fisticuffs works to balance the action sequences between Wilson and Rogen.
Hunter’s drive is to not only to reset the timeline, but to get Booster and Beetle to step up as heroes. It’s not until the final scene of the movie where audiences once again see the scene from the beginning of the film with Carter traveling back for the first time that it all comes together. This time, the shadowy figure is revealed to be Rip Hunter who looks at the changing picture, smiles, and says, “Good job, dad.”
As a member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Michael Palin understands comedy, but his Around the World and Pole to Pole series shows he can look inward and pull forth some serious thought. And really, how awesome would it be to have an older Palin, tripping through time with these heroes, delivering under-his-breath one-liners, having some subtle action moments, and uttering the movie’s closing line?
Timothy Dalton as Per Degaton
The evil time traveler Per Degaton doesn’t need to be an over the top villain. Instead, Per Degaton needs to be portrayed as a charming businessman, with the power to command an army of thugs and minions who will do his bidding. Timothy Dalton has played the villain many times over the years and seems just right for this role.
Selma Hayek as Beatriz Bonilla DaCosta
This movie is going to need a love interest, a heroine to get into the action, a focus point for our heroes. While the name Fire will never be used in this film, the appearance of Beatriz will be the inside joke for those in the know, while also leaving an opening for a future project. Selma Hayek as Bea… need I say more?
THAT’S A WRAP
Hancock tried to pull off a funny yet serious comic book hero, and it didn’t land quite right. The person helming The Blue and The Gold is going to need to be someone who gets comedy, can direct action, has a love of comics, and has just enough cache to pull it off. Might I suggest Kevin Smith?
I’d be more than happy to pen the first draft…
19 Comments
You lost me right off the bat with Owen Wilson. He’s a lousy actor, playing the same damned character no matter what the role calls for. I can’t stand him. The current Captain America (and former Johnny Storm), Chris Evans, would make a terrific Booster Gold, I think.
Also, as much as I love Salma, I would substitute Catalina Sandino Moreno as Beatriz (if only to rescue this very talented actress from the Twilight-verse) and add Malin Akerman as Tora/Sigrid, or go off the board and cast Elin Nordegren, which would be guaranteed publicity for the film, right?
I’m down with Kevin Smith as the writer, but he’s a lousy director, by his own admission. Jon Favreau is probably too busy with the Iron Franchise and Jason Reitman seems beyond genre filmmaking. I’m sure there’s an ideal modern comedy director out there, but nobody leaps out.
MY god man. IT’s perfect. I’m saddened it isn’t real. Is hollywood checking this site, cause you’re givin’ em gold! (and blue)
Can I get an “Aw, Hell NAW!” on Owen?
What about Josh Holloway? He’s got the looks and bod to be the Celebrity Superhero, plus Sawyer was able to pull of a few one-liners of his own.
I’m dubious on Rogen, but keeping an open mind for him on GH. Why not have tap Patrick Wilson for the original versio of his Nite-Owl character in Watchmen? or how about Paul Rudd?
Rip Hunter – again, I’m not sure of your choice of Palin, but maybe we don’t need to skew that old. Maybe we could fit Rogen in this part?
Per Degaton – we need a ginger, end of story. Chris Tallman has already played a time traveler in his “Time Belt” web series. He’s a comic and action figure geek, to boot.
Bea – no argument there.
WOW do I _ever_ agree with the Owen Wilson hate. And, like, I’ve found him amusing before, but NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. NOT for Booster “Time Cop” Gold, no matter WHAT period of his life it might be. I don’t have any better suggestions, and honestly I kinda quit reading when I saw Seth Rogen as Ted Kord, because… He just looks too much like a yutz. Ted WAS a yutz, but he was handsome and successful and so forth, just yutzy on the inside. And yeah, Degaton has to be a ginger; my out-of-left-field suggestion is the guy who plays Horatio on CSI: Miami. He looks PerDegatony. I humbly suggest, good sir Stephen, that you leave the casting couch to the young starlets from now on. ;)
You’re lucky I’m so nice or I might have a suggestion (or two) for you, as well. Don’t forget this is my list, my rules :D
Quite honestly, I think most of the people who are having a negative reaction to my selections are bringing their own perceived prejudices to the casting call – something you should NEVER do, by the way.
20 years ago, there was a movie about to be released called Batman. It was directed by a guy called Timothy Burton, whose past credits included Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and the Island of Doctor Agor. People were all over the place when that announcement was made, and many more flipped their lids when comedic actor Michael (Mr. Mom, Night Shift, and Working Stiffs) Keaton was cast as Batman. “HOW DARE YOU CAST THE GUNG-HO HACK AS BATMAN!”
But you know what? Both director and actor surprised the hell out of everyone, the movie made millions in the theater and millions more when it was released 90 days later on VHS at the then unheard of price of $29.99. All because someone took a chance and came to the venture with an open mind…
As always, your mileage may vary…
I know they’re your rules, your website, etc etc. I thought this sort of article was allowed to generate discussion and opinion? And frankly, I ain’t just trolling. Okay, so _YOU_ want Owen Wilson for those reasons, which is fine. I just won’t be watching “your movie” when it comes out and it’s nothing to do with “open minds” or not. I feel Owen Wilson looks “Farm/Surfer”, for the most part. Booster was “Jock/Metropolis-of-the-future-dweller”. Owen Wilson looks like he belongs in 1970 — not 2070. It’s a purely aesthetic opinion on my part, but movies ARE kinda based in the visual medium and I would find myself sitting there going “Owen Wilson is doing XYZ” instead of “Booster Gold is doing XYZ”. Also he’s “too big” for me to forget who he really is and buy into what character he’s playing. See: “Tom Cruise as a spy in Mission: Impossible” for more examples. So my mileage varies greatly. I get 0 m.p.g. out of a tank of Mr. Wilson in this particular role. :)
Who would voice Skeets?
That completely slipped my mind. Off the top of my head I would go with either A) Tom Selleck or B) John Hillerman.
I love the idea of a Blue/Gold movie but disagree with the Wilson/Rogan choices. Too schulby (sp?) for my taste. I like Brainlock’s suggestion of Paul Rudd as Beetle. He’s very funny but also is relatively good looking and doesn’t play the same guy all the time like Rogan does, so he’s a quality actor. For Booster, I might throw out Bradley Cooper. He has the looks (with a blone dye job) and has also done a lot of comedies. If not him, maybe James Franco. I like Owen Wilson, esp. in Wes Anderson’s movies, but Booster is supposed to be a pretty boy and Owen is rather fugly.
Then there was the time that Ted Kord was actually a schlub.
Proof here
You haters are judging Owen Wilson not as an actor but as a character in some crappy movies. As an actor he’s frkn awesome, go watch a Wes Anderson movie or something like Zoolander. The guys is brilliant just not very adept at picking scripts. Now somebody mentioned Paul Rudd as Blue Beetle. That’s the only change I’ve heard that I would probably make to Stephens choices, I really can’t come up with anything better. Good job, now FUND IT!
I _love_ Zoolander. I _loved_ “Life Aquatic”. I also enjoyed Mr. Wilson in these movies, so I’m AWARE THAT HE CAN ACT. Stop prejudging my opinion based on a few crappy opinions you’ve heard in the past. ;) He’s just… Not Booster, for me. I’m a huge Booster Gold mark/fan, and if Owen Wilson were cast in the movie I’d just kinda shrug it off. My mileage does, apparently, vary. :)
To show that in a similar regard, I used to hate Owen Wilson, but I’ve come around to him in some roles. I thought Zoolander was stupid (and Ben Stiller has played the exact same character like 15 times) and I hate everything by Wes Anderson and usually feel that they are pretentious with terrible scripts and plots and I think a lot of people are fans of that stuff simply to say they are fans of it. I felt the same way about U2 and Dave Mathews back when I was in college and I knew people like that. I’m not saying anything about anyone in here, I like things that other people will hate and/or think that I’m following the herd too. But while I’m not a fan of the idea of Owen Wilson/Seth Rogen, I’m open to see anything just to see how it’ll turn out. I’ve been very surprised before by odd people in roles that turned out awesome and I’ve seen people who should have been good in a role do terribly. (Just so everyone knows, I use my opinions simply to illustrate that point, not to rile anybody up, I like Rick Astley music and I love the Sister Act movies, just to name that I’m a big dork and my tastes aren’t intended to be better than anyone elses.)
Nice job, Stephen!
On suggestion…
Skeets: John Hodgeman
Oh, I do like that suggestions… “Hello, I’m a Skeets…”
Hodgman as Skeets?
I’ll support this only if Billy West has laryngitis or had his throat ripped open by a rabid Michael Bay.
I wouldn’t mind hearing Brent Spiner as the voice of Data, we all know he can easily create that human/computer sounding voice.
I meant Brent Spiner (Data) as the voice of Skeets.
I agree, Owen Wilson doesn’t quite look the part, at least for me. I wouldn’t be able to stop seeing “Owen Wilson”. I like the Bradley Cooper/Booster Paul Rudd/Ted Kord Billy West/Skeets scenario. I’d buy two tickets for that.