With the announcement that Shaliene Woodley has been cast in the lead role in the upcoming dystopian “Divergent“, as well as Kate Winslet being in talks for an unknown role, this adaptation of the YA novel just got a little more real. Naturally, the next course of action will be to seek out other young individuals (well-known or perhaps not) to fill out the rest of the roles of Tris’ friends and foes alike. It’s no surprise that among Tris’ circle of friends is a love interest, and yes, it’s time to play the casting game again.
After Woodley’s negotiations became public knowledge last year, names were thrown into the casting mix for the pivotal role of “Four”, Tris’ mentor-turned-love interest. Alexander Ludwig (Cato of “The Hunger Games“) tweeted that he had a meeting with Lionsgate about the role. Not too long after, “Teen Wolf” star Colton Haynes caused much speculation among fans when he announced his departure from the MTV show and soon after followed Veronica Roth, author of “Divergent” on twitter while tweeting that he had some “news” to share soon. Related instances? Who knows. They were, however, perhaps meaningless ones as earlier this month, Alex Pettyfer, Lucas Till and Jeremy Irvine were reported to have auditioned for the role. The search is definitely on, but nothing and no one has been confirmed as of yet.
Of the names who have been thrown into the pool, there are some that we at Up and Comers could see as Four – but then there are also some that we think should stay far, far away from this adaptation lest they just turn him into another lacking portrayal of a character with so much to work with. In the words of our Tris Prior herself, “This character needs to be extremely masculine, and his eyes need to scream vulnerability and sensitivity.” We agree, Shailene. And so here are five actors that we think would be great as Tris’ mentor and eventual love interest.
Max Irons
Max already has one book-to-film adaption under his belt, with Andrew Niccol’s “The Host,” based on the sci-fi novel by Stephenie Meyer, set for release this March. Irons plays Jared, a human lovelorn over his girlfriend’s body being taken over by aliens. Definitely no stranger to playing a love interest (“Red Riding Hood” opposite Amanda Seyfried, for example), he can pull of the serious and the swoony with a touch of romantic.
Steven R. McQueen
Most well known as the supernaturally influenced human Jeremy Gilbert on CW’s “The Vampire Diaries,” McQueen definitely has the whole brooding, tortured teenager thing down. Four may make YA book fans squee with delight, but it isn’t by being charming or delightful. In fact, he’s a pretty reserved guy who most of the Dauntless initiates are intimidated by. Before you let McQueen’s current attachment to the CW realm deter you, let’s remember that before the 2012 Oscar’s season, Woodley was most well-known for her role in ABC’s teen drama “The Secret Life of The American Teenager.”
Jeremy Irvine
Irvine already has two huge films under his wing with the Academy Award nominated “War Horse” and last November’s “Great Expectations” which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Don’t let his baby face fool you; in both of those films, Irvine exuded an unending boldness with an underlying sensitivity. Hello, Four? (Seriously, just watch both of those films and you’ll see the light.)
Kit Harington
Oh, Jon Snow. As the poor bastard child of Winterfell, Harington’s role in “Games of Thrones” requires him to be brooding and sad, yet also strong and determined. He was shortlisted for a role in “The Host” (eventually it went to the aforementioned Irons above) and although he’s already established himself on the small screen as a man of the Night’s Watch in HBO’s “Game of Thrones“, playing Four in “Divergent” could open up even more doors to him just like it as to other actors in the same situation. Four is definitely the strong and silent type, and Harington has that down. Also, it would be cool to see Harington out of his fur capes wielding something other than a sword.
Alex Russell
Australian born-Alex Russell is perhaps the least known of the bunch here as he’s a relatively new face and name to the screen. His most notable role to date is last year’s “Chronicle,” the found-footage-style film in which he displayed that he could wield great supernatural powers, but remain responsible. Members of each Faction in “Divergent” may not have super powers, but they’ve got specific qualities that distinguish themselves. Spoiler alert: There’s more to Four than just his “dauntlessness,” so whoever plays Four needs to be more than just brave. That’s pretty much what Russell’s role required of him in “Chronicle.”
These are merely a handful of actors who we think could bring Four to the screen. Despite reports that certain actors have already landed the role, it’s pretty much still a giant question mark at this point. Let’s hope that we find out soon because the anticipation is horrendous and resulting in major flashbacks of those oh, so stressful Gale and Peeta casting days.
“Divergent” is set to hit theatres on March 21, 2014.
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