
Now that the cat is out of the casting bag in regards to director Zack Snyder's
Watchmen adaptation, it seems like a good time to take a comparative look at how the actors shape up --
vis a vis how they match up to the characters from the classic Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons comic book series. From Rorschach to Ozymandias to the Comedian and beyond, how spot on are Snyder's casting choices? Let's see:
Nite Owl

Actor: Patrick Wilson
Do They Match Up? Ummm, kinda sorta? The thing is, Nite Owl is generally depicted in the comic book as being a paunchy, middle-aged former superhero (who can't get it up unless he puts on his old costume, by the way). And Wilson, lately of
Little Children as well as films like
Hard Candy and
Running with Scissors, is anything but doughy. But this raises another question regarding the
Watchmen casting, which is that Snyder has chosen to cast young even though the characters are mostly seen in their middle-aged days (though some flashbacks to their youth also figure in the film). He says he'd rather "age" or "de-age" the actors as necessary, which means Wilson may yet get his beer-belly in this film. Either way, Nite Owl's alter ego Dan Dreiberg is one of the deeper characters in the story, and Wilson is absolutely suited to pull off his angst -- and his derring-do. 60-year-old actor Stephen McHattie (
300), meanwhile, will be playing the first Nite Owl, Hollis Mason.
Does He Need a Costume Update? Absolutely, and Snyder has already said he's getting one, making the point that modern superhero films like
Spider-Man and
Batman have taken the whole notion of the comic book costume to a new level. You just can't wear tights and goggles anymore,
especially with a paunch.
Back-Up Player: As good as Wilson is, we still can't help but wonder if maybe this character would be better served by an older-looking actor, like Joaquin Phoenix for example, who was actually rumored in connection with the role at one point.
ONTD