Top 5 – Actors That Could Play J Jonah Jameson
It was announced yesterday that Oscar winner J.K. Simmons will be playing Commissioner Gordon in The Justice League (2017). While this is great news for DC and The Justice League, this does sadden me a bit. This ultimately means that Simmons will be unable to reprise his role as J. Jonah Jameson in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, scheduled to come out in 2017. Simmons portrayal of Jameson is iconic and arguably the best part of the Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man films. So who should take the reigns from Simmons to take on the role he made bigger and better than anyone thought possible? Here are 5 actors I could see or would like to see play J. Jonah Jameson.
5 – LEONARDO DICAPRIO
This has literally no chance of happening, but how awesome would it be? Having just won the Oscar this year for The Revenant, DiCaprio can stop trying to win an Oscar and do something fun. After films like The Revenant, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and Django Unchained (2012), DiCaprio needs a break from the grueling, intense shoots and should do something light and easy. Playing J. Jonah Jameson would be perfect because it doesn’t require a full commitment, which would allow him to do other projects, it’s a great character that DiCaprio would smash, and we would see him in a different light. I figure this would be similar to Tom Cruise’s legendary performance in Tropic Thunder (2008). Probably won’t happen, but it would be pretty great if it did.
4 – KEVIN BACON
Kevin Bacon is one of the most consistent actors working today, yet never gets the love he deserves. He’s always second or third fiddle in films like A Few Good Men (1992) Apollo 13 (1995), and Mystic River (2003), yet he always gives a great performance. We know he can rock flat top and a mustache while being an authoritative figure from A Few Good Men and Cop Car (2015), which are three qualifications needed to be Jameson. He also has comic book credentials in X-Men: First Class (2011), where he was a blast to watch as the villain in the film, Sebastian Shaw. This would be a great boost for Bacon and role he would be really great for.
3 – JOHN C. MCGINLEY
McGinley is probably the least known on this list, but you’ve probably seen him in a movie or a T.V. show. Whether it’s as one of Bob’s from Office Space (1999) or as Dr. Perry Cox on Scrubs (2001 – 2010), McGinley has been perfect in everything he’s done. With his dry sarcasm and intimidating look and yell, he plays a terrible boss perfectly. The one performance that really seals the deal for me is his role as F.B.I agent Ben Harp in Point Break (1991), where he was funny without trying and yelled at Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) more than anyone else has in any movie. He might not be the biggest name, but he would be absolutely perfect.
2 – GARY OLDMAN
Gary Oldman can literally do anything. He can be a cop, drug dealer, spy, a Russian terrorist, and even Dracula. He is one of the best actors we have today, so there is no doubt in my mind that he would kill it as Jameson. Oldman can wear many faces, so he wouldn’t have a problem rocking the mustache and flat top. He can also change is voice to whatever accent he wants and nail the yelling and screaming that makes Jameson so great. And what would be cooler than to see essentially a Marvel and D.C. trade and have the former Commissioner Gordon play the new J. Jonah Jameson and have the former J. Jonah Jameson play the new Commissioner Gordon. Sounds pretty great to me.
1 – BRYAN CRANSTON
This was the first choice that came to mind. After fanboys went bonkers when he wasn’t cast as Lex Luther in Batman v. Superman, this would be a perfect role for the great actor to break into the comic book genre without heavy commitment. He would be a big enough name to get people excited, yet not too big, since his cinematic career is still rather new. He would also be similar to Simmons and be a scene stealer, but wouldn’t take away from the entire movie. He looks the part and has the voice that would make him intimidating, but not scary. Cranston would be a great addition to the MCU and would kill it as J. Jonah Jameson.
Who do you think should play J. Jonah Jameson in the upcoming Spider-Man movie? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix with your choices. And don’t forget to like Kevflix on Facebook by clicking right here.