Since we're so excited about Showtime's development of Perry Moore's gay superhero adventure Hero, we figured we'd try to make the wait go faster with our picks for who we think should be cast for the lead roles. So, after scouring the cast lists of various teen dramas, here are a few thoughts on who I see as Thom Creed and pals...

Thom Creed:
Kellan Lutz or Mitch Hewer

Our hero, Thom, is a teen who should have it all (he's athletic, smart and attractive) but whose easy road to adulthood faces the hurdles of coming to terms with his gayness and figuring out how to deal with his newly awakened superpowers. Thom needs an actor with a good amount of charisma but who can underplay it with Thom's introspective and insecure side. I think I saw a bit of that potential in Twilight hottie Kellan Lutz in his guest-spots on 90210. However, I think we saw a lot of Thom's qualities — great talent mixed with a little bit of doubt — in Mitch Hewers' Skins performance.

Goran:
JD Pardo or Argiris Karras

Thom's mysterious crush requires someone who can bring the kind of brooding and sense of mystery that David Boreanaz brought to the early days of Buffy. While JD Pardo's most famous role was playing Gwen Arajuo in a Lifetime movie, I really liked him on the short-lived Drive and he certainly showed an ability to play a character with a dark side as Hidden Palms' dead teen Eddie Nolan. I also was impressed with the way Argiris Karras played up Degrassi's closeted gay jock, Riley: take out Riley's jerky side and you're getting pretty close to Goran.

As you might have noticed, adapting other countries' hit shows is the big trend these days, what with the Kath and Kims the Worst Weeks and the modern-day cops getting ready to relive the bicentennial and what-not. Sure, that road may include failures like Coupling, Teachers and Viva Laughlin, but those failures feel almost worth it when the same road leads to gems like Ugly Betty and The Office.

And now, American producers are turning their eye once more to one of the most popular British comedy series in the States: gay-fave Absolutely Fabulous.

Over a decade ago, Roseanne tried adapting AbFab for ABC and two CBS sitcoms from the era (the short-lived High Society, with Jean Smart and Mary McDonnell as well as the longer-lived Cybill with Cybill Shepherd and Christine Baranski) were thinly-veiled retreads I guess the fact that they're trying again says something about AbFab's longevity; the only other Britcom I can think of to get multiple remake attempts by American producers is Fawlty Towers (which gave us Bea Arthur and later John Laroquette as American versions of Basil Fawlty).

No matter how successful or horrific these adaptions turn out, the fun part always comes in the casting. That's the point when the series is still nothing but possibilities and every bit of news (promising or not) sparks the imagination as we try to picture certain performers in familiar roles.

Hence, it's time for another round of AfterElton Fantasy Casting!

Edina Monsoon 

After watching her play self-involved, rude, judgmental and personally unaware for years as a Daily Show correspondent, Samantha Bee jumps easily into the role of Edina Monsoon for me. She's already got Eddie's smug, annoyed glare down pat. Meanwhile, Megan Mullalley might have been more Pasty-like as Karen Walker, but I could see her putting those Karen traits into the role of Eddie and giving us a performance that's comfortably familiar but still doesn't feel like a rehash of her past role.

I could also see Reno 911!'s Wendy McLendon-Covey in the role, as her Reno police officer isn't too far from Eddy. Kathy Najimy, admittedly, is a wild card pick since she mostly plays considerate people who you wouldn't mind knowing in real life, but I think she's got the right energy level and I'd like to see her in a role that plays to the cynical sense of humor I haven't notice since days when she used to work with AbFab alum Mo Gaffney.

Patricia "Patsy" Stone

While Patsy is a character that demands more than a big personality and an ability to drop a good one-liner, it's a role that many performers that gays love could take on. Considering how much of her comedy is about alcohol and drugs, I'd love to see Margaret Cho take Patsy on. I can't forget, though, Minnie Driver's hilarious guest appearances on Will & Grace (or on AbFab, now that I think of it) and wouldn't it be fun to see her and Mullally sparring again?

I've also been thinking a bit about MadTV longtime cast member Debra Wilson and I think some of her trashier MadTV characters could inform her version of Pats nicely. However, I also like the more low-key energy Diana Scarwid displayed on Wonderfalls, I don't know if Scarwid has the physical comedy chops to fall out of a limo the way Pasty does, but the Mommie Dearest and Psycho III alum certainly can manage Patsy's presence.

Some equally fabulous supporting characters, after the break!

Over at Towleroad today Andy linked to an unconfirmed rumor that Brokeback Mountain is on its way to Broadway, and that producers have Hugh Jackman and James Marsden at the top of the list for the leads.

Andy heavily disclaimers the rumor, and probably rightly so -- this sounds more like Wolverine/Cyclops X-Men slashfic than anything else. But hey -- if Carrie can make its way to the stage, why not a powerful love story like that shared by our beloved sheep-sitters? (Try saying that five times fast.)

So let's pretend this is a possibility, which leads to two questions:

1. Is this a musical?
2. Who should play the leads?

If it's a musical, I think Cheyenne Jackson is a shoo-in for Jack. He's a triple-threat (and then some) and he's got the boyish energy the role would require. Jackman seems a bit long in the tooth for Ennis, given that he's supposed to be getting married for the first time as the film starts and would be considerably older than Jack unless he was also cast with an older actor. But he does have the chops for it (literally and figuratively). How about Patrick Wilson?

If it weren't a musical (as I have no idea if he can sing), howzabout Tony winner Billy Crudup?

What do you folks think? Musical or no, who would best play these guys on stage?