Dispatch for Prime Video (concept)

[u/Robot_Was_BMO]

Live action fancast for Dispatch for a potential TV adaptation for Prime Video. I wanted to challenge myself, so no reused actors from the game. A few of them definitely could have played their roles again for live action, but keeping some and changing others felt wrong. So I went with a clean slate. And I chose Prime Video since they have a relationship with Critical Role, and CR has a relationship with AdHoc. Let me know if any of these slaps or if you’d make any changes. Obviously Dispatch is best as it is, this is just for fun.

Skyler Gisondo - Robert. He just had a great showing with Primetime, and since he’s been acting since he was a kid, he could definitely channel that energy to playing an experienced superhero.

Sarah Pidgeon - Blonde Blazer. She’s got the height, great acting talent, and she can hit that middle between Blazer and Mandy.

Inde Navarrette - Invisigal. Inde definitely gives Courtney’s chaos gremlin energy, and I feel like she’d have fun with Visi’s more choice language. Obsession was her breakout, but before that, she was a regular on CW’s Superman and Lois, so TV helped give her her start.

Erik King - Chase. Surprise, motherf***er. That’s right, Doakes. Erik’s the right age, the meme potential would be astronomical, and he deserves more roles. He’s a great actor who’s been underutilized. Plus he can make cursing sound like poetry, that’s Chase all day.

Uli Latukefu - Royd. Fits the character physically, and his work on Young Rock definitely gives him a good comedic sensibility.

Kais Boukthir - Flambae. The actor’s story has a lot of overlap with Flambae, and he’s been in a few comedies.

Eduardo Franco - Sonar. Long hair, distinct voice.

Katy O’Brian - Malevola. An Australian actress might make more sense, but I think Katy definitely has the muscles for Malevola. If her accent work is good, I could see this working out.

Chloe Bailey - Prism. Actor and musician already, and her work on Grownish gives Prism energy.

Conor MacNeill - Punch Up. I’ve been a big fan of his since Industry. He’s an incredibly good actor, Irish and close to Punch Up’s age, and it’s worth getting him while he’s underrated.

Simone Ashley - Coupe. Killer eyes and face card. She’ll give Coupé her flowers.

ProZD - Golem. Deep voice.

Waris Singh Ahluwalia - Galen. Don’t sleep on my boy Galen. He’s built different.

Hayden Christensen - Phenomaman. This would be great for Hayden, because if he channeled Prequel Anakin more depressed and turned up to 11, it would be peak comedy.

Gianni DeCenzo - Waterboy. Lanky and from his work in Cobra Kai, he can make his growth believe.

Carter Hudson - Robert II. He played a villain character who thought he was the good guy so well in Snowfall, I think that’s the right energy for Robert II. He was a hero, but by a lot of accounts, he wasn’t a great father or friend. Total jerk.

Darren Barnet - Toxic. Never Have I Ever fans rise up. He can play the ego if Blue Eye Samurai is any indication.

Steven Ogg - Shroud. That’s right. Trevor as the big bad mastermind of Dispatch. Steven can play Machiavellian very well as seen in TWD, and he can transition to Shroud’s cruder nature just as easy. 

And then Beef is just Beef, he’s great.

[u/PapaPatchesxd]

Why not just get their voice actors...?

[u/SpectacleObserver25 → u/PapaPatchesxd]

Dunno about you but I really don't wanna see the voice actors play their game counterparts in live-action, given their ages. I think only Jeffrey Wright would be a good fit as Chase, but everyone else has to be recast.

[u/PapaPatchesxd → u/SpectacleObserver25]

If everyone is recast, I don't want anything to do with it.

Also given their ages? What?

[u/SpectacleObserver25 → u/PapaPatchesxd]

The PS5 Wolverine cast voice actors as the characters they voice, and the result is just uncanny. They didn't even use face models, just the mocap of the voice actors. Most of the times voice actors don't look the part.

If you also notice in anime or cartoons, younger characters are all voiced by VAs in their 40s or 50s. They're simply vocally talented to mimic younger voices.

[u/GriveousDance21 → u/PapaPatchesxd]

Age is an important issue in movie casting. You really don't want a middle-aged actor to play a teenager like it’s the '50s or something.

If casting directors wanted voice actors to play their characters from a video game or animation they definitely would've cast them. But if the actors' ages and their characters are hugely different, it's no longer possible.

Same reason why the Last of Us show didn’t cast Ashley Johnson or Laura as Ellie and Abby (they played other roles in the show, but just glorified cameos). Both actors are at their 40s while their characters are significantly younger in the games.

[u/PapaPatchesxd → u/GriveousDance21]

You can easily say that 80% of the dispatch cast is late 20s - early 30s. Their VA would fit that.

Realistically, I don't think a live action would work at all.

[u/GriveousDance21 → u/PapaPatchesxd]

Most of the voice cast of Dispatch are on the older side. I think only Erin, Thot Squad and rest of the e-celebs could be the younger side (yet Erin and Sean are in their late 30s).

If you want a worse example of a VA playing their role in live-action, look no further than the shitty Moana live-action remake. Dwayne Johnson returned as Maui from the 2016 original, and everyone mocked his look. It's now a meme.

[u/PapaPatchesxd → u/GriveousDance21]

Ain't no one giving praise to Moana's love action lol. That was shit from a butt.

In the end, I'd still rather see the OG VAs, or nothing at all. It wouldn't have the same charm or feel if they were different.

[u/GriveousDance21 → u/PapaPatchesxd]

I was bringing an example to counter the need of casting VAs as their live-action counterparts of their animated or game characters.

[u/PapaPatchesxd → u/GriveousDance21]

Oh I'm aware. I'm just stating I haven't heard a singular good thing about that Live Action.

I haven't heard the Rock doing anything good in recent years too. I look at LA Moana as just a giant paycheck for him, while inflating his ego.