Stone Age Casting Call: Metal Gear Solid
Welcome to the Stone Age Casting Call, a place to discuss the actors and actresses who should be cast in the next big hit adaptation. Due to the recent success of properties like Fallout, The Last of Us, Sonic, and Mario on the big and small screens it is no surprise that there are a ton of videogame properties currently in various stages of development. While a fair few of these will never see the light of day there are certain properties that seem like no brainers. So much so that Kris and I visited this very topic years ago. That however, was a different time. Submitted for your approval is the Stone Age Casting Call for Metal Gear Solid.
For those of you who have never played Metal Gear Solid, and if you haven’t you really should, the quick and dirty of the story is as follows: Solid Snake is tasked by the US government to sneak into a nuclear weapons facility and take out a renegade special forces unit known as Foxhound. Along the way Snake must rescue the hostages on site and stop the completion of the ultimate nuclear weapon, Metal Gear. (there is so much more I know but I have a word limit) The game is perfect for an 8-10 episode streaming series and could honestly cover multiple seasons given all of the games in the franchise. In my opinion starting with the first Metal Gear Solid would be the way to go.
Colonel Campbell: Denzel Washington
Campbell needs to be someone that grounds the series and gives weight to the events. There is no better choice than Washington. A highly respected, veteran actor Washington has shown the commanding presence needed to play a military commander of Campbell’s standing. And while he is getting older the role wouldn’t require any physicality and would allow Washington some outstanding opportunities to chew some scenery.
Naomi Hunter: Hayley Atwell
Hunter has a relatively shocking turn in the original Metal Gear Solid game. As such, her character needs an actor who can play the sympathetic villain realistically and Atwell is perfect. No stranger to this side of film making Atwell has the credit for a project like this along with the acting chops needed for it to be taken seriously. Hunter is a brilliant genetic scientist and plays a crucial role in the ongoing Metal Gear Solid storyline. Bonus points for her being young enough to end up in a sequel series down the line.
Mei Ling: Karen Fukuhara
Best known as the silent Kimiko from The Boys, Fukuhara is actually a talented and prolific voice actress. Playing the role of Mei Ling would allow her to show those chops in real life in addition to giving her another fan favorite notch on her belt. Ling is a positive, supportive team member during Snake’s mission and needs to fill the role of the audience’s eyes. Fukuhara could absolutely nail that mix of positivity and seriousness.
Master Miller: Joe Anderson
A friend and mentor to Snake, Master Miller is a tricky part to cast. The reveal in the game is a huge twist and is played so perfectly that the actor in this role needs to have an endearing quality that makes his betrayal that much more heartbreaking. Enter Joe Anderson, best known as Max in Across the Universe. There he plays charming but broken but charismatic to the point where you cannot help but root for him. It’s those qualities that would make him an excellent Miller in a Metal Gear Solid series.
DARPA Chief: Jeffrey Wright
A holdover from my previous list Wright is a great choice for the DARPA Chief. His scene, though brief in game, is pivotal to the bigger plot of Metal Gear Solid. It's through his interaction with Snake that we learn that there is a much bigger story going on behind the scenes. We certainly don’t get everything in one big info dump but it is nevertheless important. Wright has the perfect voice and cadence to deliver the lines that will set Snake, and by proxy the viewers, off into the deeper conspiracy.
Meryl Silverbaugh: Lily James
Meryl is a hard one because in the game she is 18 and Snake is 33. That’s a bit… gross honestly and not something I think would make it to this adaptation. Still, she needs to be a newish soldier, maybe one that started a bit later because her family didn’t want her to, and ultimately Snake’s love interest. The audience needs to fall for her as Snake does, and not just because she’s pretty. Taking all of that into account I would cast Lily James. James has shown a lot as an actress and could handle the sort of fine-line walking a role like Meryl needs.
Revolver Ocelot: Kevin Bacon
One of my favorite characters in the entire series, Ocelot is grizzled, lethal, and just a bit crazy. So Kevin Bacon. He may seem an odd choice at first but anyone who has seen his work recently knows that he is a fantastic actor and could play damn near any role. And while it would be a small part, someone like Bacon could make the most of his limited screen time.
Kenneth Baker: Michael Chiklis
Why not?
Natasha Romananko: Not in the show
Vulcan Raven: Dave Bautista
A memorable character to be sure Raven needs to be played by a big, opposing figure. And that is Dave Bautista. He looks the part, has the size, and is a pretty good actor to boot. He would certainly be a fan favorite choice.
Cyborg Ninja/Grey Fox: William Zabka
Another holdover from my previous list, I think Zabka would be an out of the box but interesting choice for Grey Fox. The fighting would be mostly stunt doubles so the only real acting would come late in the story. Zabka showed that he has a certain broken charm as Johnny Lawrence that I think works perfectly as Grey Fox.
Hal Emmerich (Otacon): Martin Starr
Best known for his comedy roles, Starr would be a great Otacon. The role requires a believable nerd and Starr has that dialed in. Otacon is nervous and unsure of himself in the original game but wants to help. Another role like Mei Ling that would be a stand in for the audience, Otacon needs to learn and grow as the series progresses.
Psycho Mantis: Matt Smith
One of the most important roles on the show would go to Matt Smith. Mantis has to be evil, creepy, weird, funny, disturbing, basically Bill Skarsgard. However, that guy is in everything and I didn’t want to go with the most obvious choice so Matt Smith. I do think he could deliver quite a memorable performance and has a voice that I think would be interesting in the role.
Sniper Wolf: Alia Shawkat
Best known as Maeby Funke on Arrested Development, Alia makes the list due to sharing her heritage with that of Sniper Wolf. The character was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and grew up surrounded by war. In a series that doesn’t always show the nationality of its characters well, this is a chance to give a great actress with a common ancestry a spot. Shawkat would crush this role.
Liquid Snake/Solid Snake: Charlie Hunnam
Playing both the good and bad side of the same coin needs an actor who has range. Being that it is a Metal Gear show, said actor also has to kick ass. That guy is Charlie Hunnam. If you’ve never seen his work you are seriously missing out. He can play the quiet Snake and the over the top Liquid equally well. He has the fighting chops down as well. He’s a little older than storyline Snake but that has never bothered Hollywood so it won’t bother me. Hunnam would absolutely steal the show and could transition perfectly to older versions of Snake as more Metal Gear Solid series were made.
But I want to know what you think. Join the Stone Age Gamer discord, or you can find me on Bluesky to let me know your thoughts. See you in two weeks.
