Horror comedy Renfield did a good job capturing the imagination of Universal Monsters fans, which brings into question who could play the rest of the iconic Universal Monsters should there ever be a Dark Universe reboot. With Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula and Nicholas Hoult as Renfield, the two bring a modern spin to these classic characters. While Universal Pictures has in recent years tried to reboot the classic characters with such films like Dracula Untold in 2014 and The Mummy in 2017, they were both massive critical failures, causing Universal to scrap plans for its Dark Universe. After The Mummy flopped, Universal decided to movie away from a shared universe to focus on individual stories.
In 2020, The Invisible Man was a commercial and critical success, which served as a relaunch of the Universal Monsters. While The Invisible Man focuses significantly on Elizabeth Moss’ Cecilia and not the Invisible Man as the 1933 film did, it showed Universal that these characters were marketable. Renfield took a similar approach as The Invisible Man, choosing to focus on a supporting character instead of the horror icon. Whether Universal Pictures will reboot any of the following characters remains a mystery, but that doesn’t stop fans from speculating about the perfect choice for the famous figures.
5 Mads Mikkelsen – Frankenstein
Mads Mikkelsen is mostly known for his iconic role as Hannibal Lecter in Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal TV series. With his towering physique and stoic disposition, Mads Mikkelsen can play a pretty intimidating villain, such as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale and Kaecillus in Doctor Strange. However, Mikkelsen is also a skilled dramatic actor who can play sympathetic roles, as seen in films like Rogue One (2016) and The Hunt (2012). Mikkelsen’s talent can help bring the perfect balance to bring to Frankenstein.
As a character, Frankenstein must be both terrifying and sympathetic to honor Mary Shelley’s creation. Mikkelsen is an actor who can be vulnerable on screens in ways that many actors cannot. This is partly why Mikkelsen is such a popular actor, despite his continual typecasting as a villain in mainstream media. Mikkelsen would be able to make audiences feel sorry for Frankenstein, but also fear him when the moment is right.
4 David Harbour – The Wolfman
David Harbour is a versatile actor whose talents range from comedic to dramatic. In Netflix’s mega-hit Stranger Things, David Harbour is given a chance to truly shine as Hopper, which naturally made him a fan favorite of the series. Harbour has also played characters in heavy make-up, such as Hellboy (2019). This means Harbour would have experience sitting in the make-up chair for hours and could likely handle the grueling process for the Wolfman’s special effects.
Additionally, with Harbour’s natural comedic talent, he could run with a campy version of The Wolfman while also having the physicality for a more feral role. A campy Wolfman film could mirror Renfield’s tone, which would be a welcome break from some serious and dreary Universal Monster adaptations. However, if Universal chooses a dramatic route or a middle ground, Harbour could balance this as The Wolfman. Harbour would be able to garner sympathy in his human form, but he can also unleash brutality as shown in Violent Night. With Harbour’s ever-rising popularity, he would also bring people to the theater.
3 Florence Pugh – Bride of Frankenstein
Florence Pugh is one of the best actresses of her generation. Proving her range with roles such as Dani in Midsommar and Amy in Little Women, Pugh can take a source and turn the character into her own. Bride of Frankenstein is a character who is in desperate need of a reboot. While Elsa Lanchester’s Bride of Frankenstein has an iconic look, she is only in the film for about five minutes before her death. Not only is the Bride the only female Universal Monster, she is definitely the monster with the least amount of screen time and most in need of development.
Pugh would be able to take the torch from Lanchester to create a fully fleshed-out Bride. The Bride is known for her screech once she realizes her husband-to-be and similarly, Florence Pugh’s screams haunt the frames of Midsommar. Additionally, Pugh’s experience in period pieces can be taken to her role as The Bride before she is transformed into the classic monster. Pugh would provide depth to The Bride and revitalize her for a new generation hungry for strong female characters.
2 Doug Jones – The Creature from the Black Lagoon
From his frequent collaborations with Guillermo del Toro to his creepy characters on television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Outer Limits, Doug Jones is not a stranger to playing a creature. Most notably, Doug Jones played The Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water, which was based on the Gill-man from The Creature of the Black Lagoon. Originally The Shape of Water idea came from The Creature of the Black Lagoon reboot that del Toro wanted to create for Universal, but the studio executives rejected his concept of the Creature ending up with the girl.
While one can argue that another The Creature of the Black Lagoon adaptation is unnecessary because of de Toro’s groundbreaking fairytale, that doesn’t mean there will never be another adaptation of the classic film. Plus, it’s been over five years since The Shape of Water was released, which means there is room for a re-imagining. Doug Jones is a champion of creature make-up and would no doubt play an incredible Creature. After all, Jones was able to bring humanity to The Amphibian Man in an Academy Award-winning drama. He could definitely play a fish man again with ease.
1 Rami Malek – The Mummy
Rami Malek is an American actor from Egyptian immigrant parents who first gained popularity for his role in Mr. Robot. Malek later transitioned to a successful mainstream actor in box office hits, such as Bohemian Rhapsody and No Time to Die. As a Bond villain, Malek made audiences uncomfortable, which is massively different from his sympathetic portrayal of Freddie Mercury. With Malek’s vulnerability and range, he would be a perfect choice to play The Mummy.
Instead of reusing the female Mummy design from the 2017 film, a new Mummy film could take cues from the 1932 Universal classic film and focus on the ancient Egyptian mummy as a character. In the original film, the Mummy disguises himself as a modern Egyptian historian to search for his reincarnated lover. This could give Malek the opportunity to make the character more modern and likable. With a focus on the human element, a Mummy reboot could be an entirely different film where Malek would undeniably bring his charm and talent to the tomb. Malek and the above four actors would make perfect casting choices for a Universal Monsters reboot.
