James Gunn recently announced an HBO Max series about the time-traveling superhero Booster Gold that will be part of the first chapter of his DC Universe. For those unfamiliar with this character, he is a lowly human from the 25th century who goes back to the present day with advanced technology and becomes a famous superhero.
Described by Gunn as the “superhero story of imposter syndrome,” Booster Gold will likely take a comedic approach to bring the underrated and unconventional character to life. And the studio still has to find an actor to play this cult comic book hero. DC will need someone with enough charm and comedic chops to play everyone’s favorite golden boy, and here are a few candidates who would be perfect playing Booster Gold.
Jack Quaid
Jack Quaid rose to fame by playing Hughie Campbell on Amazon Prime‘s superhero satire The Boys. While he may not be the first person that comes to mind to play Booster Gold, he has proven himself to be a skilled comedic actor capable of playing such a character.
It would be quite interesting to see Quaid play the kind of self-centered and deconstructive superhero that his character Hughie battles in The Boys. The latter’s journey from zero to hero and his battles with his feelings of inadequacy could translate well into playing the DC hero, who goes through a similar arc in the comics.
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris remains one of Hollywood’s most beloved and accomplished actors. Having had massive success in film, television, and theater, Harris has continued to expand his versatility as an actor. He could easily nail a performance as Booster Gold.
His natural charm and comedic timing would make him a prime candidate to play the aureate vigilante, who is basically the comic book equivalent of his iconic How I Met Your Mother character Barney Stinson. Harris has also provided the voices of many iconic superheroes, including Spider-Man, the Flash, and Nightwing, so he would fit in quite well as a live-action hero in the DCU.
Ryan Reynolds
To say DC did Ryan Reynolds dirty with Green Lantern is an understatement. His role in this panned superhero film continues to be made fun of by everyone, including Reynolds, But the Deadpool actor could redeem himself in the eyes of DC fans by trading green for gold in Gunn’s cinematic universe.
Reynolds has shined as an actor in recent years by portraying the goofy and charismatic everyman in films like Free Guy and The Adam Project. Booster Gold is another character who goes from being a regular guy to a full-fledged hero, with some comedic antics along the way, so it would be a cinch for him to play this role. Also, imagine how hilarious it would be if Reynolds played Booster Gold, only for everyone in the show to mistake him for Green Lantern.
Chris Pratt
Pratt has been mocked by countless disgruntled fans in the past few years, as he now seems to be the go-to actor to almost every Hollywood blockbuster from Jurassic World to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. But he may be chosen to dance his way into the DC Universe, as he worked with Gunn in the Guardians of the Galaxy films.
However, it should be worth noting that Booster Gold is very much DC’s version of Star-Lord. They’re both arrogant and obnoxious manchildren who long for fame and fortune, but deep down, they’re both good people who want to do the right thing. Since Pratt excelled at portraying this character, he would surely do the same playing Booster Gold. This would also come at a good time, as his run as Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be coming to an end.
Glen Powell
Glen Powell became well-known for playing Jake “Hangman” Seresin in last year’s blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick. Following his award-winning performance in this movie, his acting career is now ready to take off into bold, new horizons, and the DC Universe seems to be his next frontier.
Powell recently told Entertainment Tonight that his friends have asked if he will play Booster Gold in the DCU. He has expressed his interest in the “funny” character, and he seems to be an excellent fit to play him. Powell exuded the same arrogant confidence of Booster Gold while playing Hangman, which would make for a smooth flight into the superhero genre for him.
