According to The Hollywood Reporter, Seth Gordon has been chosen to helm the planned film adaptation of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted. The director, best known for the Donkey Kong documentary King of Kong as well as Horrible Bosses, steps into the role after it was left vacant by Limitless director Neil Burger, who has since moved onto Divergent, the first installment in the teen franchise. He himself had inherited the role from Oscar winner David O. Russell, who left due to the fan backlash following a leaked storyline that didn’t resemble Uncharted in the slightest.
So now that the film finally has a director locked (again), the big question remains… who will fill the well-tread boots of cheeky protagonist Nathan Drake? Here is a list of ten actors we believe could do the role justice.
Chris Hemsworth
That’s right, Thor! But when he is not modelling his flowing blonde locks as Marvel’s Asgardian warrior prince, the Aussie actor sports a crop of hair not too dissimilar to that of Nathan Drake. Coupled with a fine body of work, from racing drama Rush to the titular Huntsman in Snow White and The Huntsman, Hemsworth would be a solid choice for the role.
Chris Pratt
Another actor currently touring the Marvel universe as Peter Quill (AKA Starlord) in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, Pratt is best known for his regular role as the rotund Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation. Yet the actor has shown he is more than a chubby TV star, shedding the flab for his small but memorable role in Zero Dark Thirty. With his stardom set to skyrocket thanks to Guardians as well as a starring spot in Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World, Pratt could be well placed as a contender for the Uncharted role.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper will be joining Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy, although in voice alone as the volatile Rocket Raccoon. Cooper has come a long way from playing nerdy reporter Will Tippin in J.J. Abrams Alias, breaking out into the personification of smooth in The Hangover trilogy, The A-Team, and Limitless. He has also worked with the previously attached David O. Russell twice, in Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, both of which garnered him Oscar nominations. With his dreamy blue eyes and winning smile coupled with a career most actors would kill for, Cooper should certainly be on Gordon’s silver-lined shortlist.
Chris Pine
The man who got his first role on TV’s ER is currently entangled in a number of franchises, including Star Trek as Captain James T. Kirk, and as the title character in the latest Jack Ryan film, although the latter has fared poorly at the box office. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Pine has the something brazen about him that would line up perfectly with a portrayal of Nathan Drake. Ironically, he is currently filming Horrible Bosses 2, although Gordon is not involved in the sequel.
Henry Cavill
The new Superman showed that this British thesp (actually from the island of Jersey) is the buffest person in the universe. He has the rugged, “Nathan Drake: Explorer” look down to a T, but like Pine and many others on the list, he may not be considered due to his heavy work schedule, which includes the big screen remake of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. under the direction of Guy Richie, followed by a return to the red tights to face off against Ben Affleck’s Batman.
Sullivan Stapleton
Although not as prolific as some of the other names on the list, the Australian-born Stapleton has combined roles on TV such as Strike Back with films such as Animal Kingdom and Gangster Squad. He is soon to be seen smashing and killing his way through 300: Rise of an Empire as the unpronounceable Themistocles. A slightly older choice, he would bring a dark, serious aspect to the role.
Jai Courtney
Ever since his early exit in Starz’s gore-filled Spartacus series, Courtney has been building up a strong body of work, including starring as John McClane’s son in A Good Day To Die Hard, facing off against Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher, and trying to stop Hell from literally breaking loose in I, Frankenstein. He has the physique for the part, not to mention that unforgettable jaw, but he is not a recognisable name. However, if Sony were looking for someone fresh and exciting to make the role their own, Courtney could be the ideal choice.
Jamie Dornan
After Charlie Hunnam turned down the role of billionaire S&M playboy Christian Grey (as in Fifty Shades of…), the role was gifted (or cursed) to Irishman Jamie Dornan. With just a handful of TV roles to his name, including Once Upon A Time and The Fall, playing every woman’s fantasy man is going to propel the former model’s fame into the stratosphere. If the studio was looking for someone to attract a female demographic to a very geeky film, Dornan would be a magnet.
Peter Facinelli
For his sins, he did star in the Twilight Saga, but Facinelli is a hard-working, versatile actor who certainly has the look of Nate. Beyond playing a vegan vampire, he is best known for his role as Dr. Fitch Cooper in dark comedy series Nurse Jackie, with recurring roles on the likes of Glee and Damages.
Dylan McDermott
He might be in his fifties, but the eternally youthful looking McDermott bears such an uncanny resemblance to Nathan Drake that he should be at least an outside choice. Of course, Sony is hoping that Uncharted will become as successful a film franchise as it has been among gamers, so McDermott is an unlikely choice as, by the time the threequel comes along, he would be hitting at least sixty.
So what do you think, readers? Does one of these names jump out at you? Or is there someone you think we have missed that is a better choice for Nathan Drake? I know Nathan FIllion has his fans, but he’ll always be Captain Malcolm Reynolds to me… and let’s face it, he’s not getting any younger, either.
