Growing up in the 80’s, Saturday mornings were the best days of my young life and the cartoons that occupied those hours spent drawing, playing with toys and eating copious amounts of sugary cereals were one of my early forays into fantasy, action and adventure outside of books. Those small screen fantasies were a dream for me as a kid and one of my favorites were the Thundercats.

Escaping from their dying planet of Thundera, a group of refugees including the future king of their people finds themselves crash landing on the planet Third Earth. There they not only have to make a new life for themselves, but also find themselves dealing with old enemies, the planet’s strange inhabitants and its dark ruler, Mumm-Ra the ever living.

Being a Gen X adult means seeing big and small screen live adaptations of the animated series that I grew up with. Some have been entertaining (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers) and other have been downright awful (G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe, The Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Underdog, Inspector Gadget and the list can go on). There have been rumors of a live action Thundercats movie for decades now and with the advancements in technology along with the desire for new IP, we could see a live action Thundercats film sooner than you think.

A live action He-Man and the Masters of the Universe film is coming to theaters along with a recently completed Voltron feature film so my thoughts on a live action Thundercats film are not that far-fetched. Personally, I would love a version that is based on the technology used in the Avatar films with the actors providing the voices and motion capture for the characters. This will not only make the characters more akin to their animated counterparts, but also make Third Earth look as exotic as possible on the big screen. That being said, the cast of a Thundercats film would be one of the first things the studio would need to do to get the project off the ground and here is my list of who could take on the roles of the Thundercats.

Lion-O is the leader of the Thundercats and the heir to the throne of Thundera. He starts off the story as a child whose escape pod is damaged causing him to grow into his adulthood early. The character is trapped between being the kid he was and the man he was supposed to be and it requires a performance that can deliver both earnestness and stoicism. I think Taron Egerton could take on that performance. From his work in the Kingsman films to his turn as Elton John in Rocketman, Egerton can play different characters at different stages of life and make them believable on screen.

Cheetarah is one of the best fighters on the team and infused with lightning-fast speed. She is not only a mentor to the team, but is often the voice of reason and stability that the refugee Thundercats need as they navigate their new home. I immediately thought of Alicia Vikander after seeing her in various projects including The Green Knight and The Assessment, but it was her role as Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider remake that solidified that she could take on the physicality of the character as well as the attitude.

Tygra is the smooth, analytical scientist and architect of the Thundercats. He also has the power to create illusions and become invisible. Tygra is also quick with a joke and filled with charm. I immediately thought of Dan Stevens for the role of Tygra. Stevens has impressed me not only with his performances, but also his choices. I really enjoyed his role in Downton Abbey, but he blew me away as the lead in Legion as well as his performance as the Beast in the live action Disney adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.

Panthro is not only the strongest member of the Thundercats, but also one of the smartest acting as the chief engineer, mechanic and pilot. He is also a deadly martial artist and the heart of the group. My first thought for Panthro was Aldis Hodge. I loved his performance in the series Leverage as well as The Invisible Man and One Night in Miami. His roles in Black Adam and the Alex Cross series solidified the choice for me.

Wilykat and Wilykit are the youngest members of the group. They were peers of Lion-O growing up, but their pods were undamaged so they stayed the ages they were supposed to. Often shown as troublemakers, they are actually a counterpoint to the rest of the Thundercats for Lion-O and often remind him of the child he was supposed to be before becoming the man he is. I chose Chase Dillon from his role in Haunted Mansion and Janice LeAnn Brown from her role in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place to take on the twins.  

Jaga was the protector of the Lord of the Thundercats and wielder of the Sword of Omens. He was advisor to Lion-O’s father the king and entrusted with keeping him safe when they escaped Thundera. He does not survive the trip to Third Earth, but serves as a spiritual (literally!) advisor to Lion-O. I wanted someone with gravitas and presence who could also be hiding secrets from his fellow Thundercats. I chose Jason Isaacs from his roles in the Harry Potter franchise as well as his turn as Captain Lorca in Star Trek: Discovery and his performance in White Lotus.

While she only showed up as a small part of the later seasons of the Thundercats animated series, I wanted to add the character Pumyra to the very testosterone heavy cast list and also because I have been enjoying the character’s arc in the Dynamite Comics version of the Thundercats where she has a more active role as a spy recruited by Jaga. I immediately thought of Genesis Rodriguez for the role based on her performances in series like Lioness and the recent season of The Umbrella Academy.

Those are my choices for a live action Thundercats movie. What are yours? Who would you cast as Mumm-Ra? Let me know in the comments.

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Deron Generally

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