Colin Farrell as Rictor, Plus 11 Other Fantasy Superhero Casting Choices

With the upcoming release of Warner Bros.’ The Green Lantern this Friday, I think it’s fair to say the comic book movie has become almost annoyingly ubiquitous over the past few years – not surprising given the sub-genre’s mostly sturdy record at the box-office.

Even so, it’ll probably be a long, long time before we ever see a big-budget Hollywood film depicting the exploits of a gay superhero – a fact that of course can’t stop us from thinking about it. Following from that, below I’ve put together a list of twelve queer crusaders who I’d like to see fighting the forces of evil on the big screen, along with my fantasy casting choices for each.

Obsidian (DC)

Fantasy Casting: Luke Macfarlane

Speaking of the Green Lantern, DC’s famed superhero actually has a lesser-known crime-fighting son named Todd Rice, who goes by the superhero alias Obsidian, and who also just so happens to be playing for our team. Able to both control shadows and transform himself into one – which allows him to do things like pass through walls and float through the air – he also possesses telepathic abilities that can be used to drive his enemies insane.

Though he’s normally viewed in his “shadow” form, which makes his features impossible to make out, when out of superhero mode he’s quite the handsome devil, with dark hair, a chiseled jawline, and a muscular physique to die for.

I’d say openly gay actor Luke Macfarlane, best known as brother Scotty Wandell on ABC’s recently-cancelled Brothers & Sisters, would make an excellent choice to play the tortured hero (and besides, his schedule is wide open now!). As for Obsidian’s long-term civilian love interest Damon Matthews, might I suggest Wentworth Miller for the part? (Kidding!)

Wiccan/Hulkling (Marvel)

Fantasy Casting: Harry Shum Jr. (Wiccan)/Hunter Parrish (Hulkling)

Wiccan and Hulkling, two members of Marvel’s teenage superhero team the Young Avengers, were revealed as being in a romantic relationship with one another only a few issues into the series, a development that led to the title winning a GLAAD Award in 2006. To the writer’s credit, the revelation was played out in a refreshingly matter-of-fact manner, skirting easy melodrama to present them as a more or less “ordinary” couple who just so happened to be gay.

The thing of it is, the two young heroes still haven’t shared an on-panel kiss in the 5+ years since their coming-out, a disservice to the book’s gay readers that would surely need to be rectified in a hypothetical film version of the comic. Two young actors I’d like to see take on the challenge are Glee’s Harry Shum Jr. as Wiccan, and blonde dreamboat Hunter Parrish from Weeds as Hulkling (who would look fantastic painted green, in my opinion).

Not only do they more or less physically resemble the characters (hey, Wiccan could pass for Asian!), the names of their TV shows even sorta rhyme! A match made in gay fanboy heaven.

Hero Cruz (DC)

Fantasy Casting: Darryl Stephens

Ok, so not many people probably remember “Superboy and the Ravers” – a short-lived DC superhero team whose exploits were set against the backdrop of an exclusive intergalactic rave (seriously) – but included on the roster was a muscle-bound hottie named Hero Cruz, who was able to morph into several different superheroes using a strange and powerful device known as the “H-Dial” (don’t ask). Oh yeah, he also had a canine sidekick known as “Rex the Wonder Dog,” which, if I can be blunt for a moment, is just about the gayest thing I’ve ever heard.

Anyway, as lame as the series sounds, were an adaptation to be green-lit today, I’d like to see openly-gay Noah’s Arc star Darryl Stephens playing the part of Cruz. Not only does he have the right look for the part, but he’d no doubt look damn fine sporting a shaved head.