Zelda Movie: Who Should Play Link
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The Legend of Zelda is finally coming to movie theaters. Nintendo has announced that is developing and co-financing a live-action adaptation of its premier video game property, working with Sony Pictures and “Maze Runner” trilogy director Wes Ball. That means Hollywood’s young actors will be contending for the role of Link. But who should play the blonde-haired bearer of the Master Sword and wearer of the pointy green hat?
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If you’re partial to the original 1986 Zelda, you may recall the original quest was rather simple. Princess Zelda is kidnapped by the Dark Prince Ganon and it’s up to the player to control Link as he explores the kingdom of Hyrule and gathers treasures to free the Princess and restore the Triforce into the hands of good. As the decades rolled on and video game technology advanced, so did Link’s various quests, most recently culminating with the epic 2017 video game revamp The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its newly released sequel, Tears of the Kingdom.
The latest entries expanded the adventure franchise tenfold, enveloping the audience into the massive world of Hyrule. With players no longer constrained to strict directions and freed to explore, the massively successful titles revitalized passion for the franchise, conjuring up much whispering and even blatant pitching (“Euphoria” star Hunter Schafer said she wanted to be cast as Princess Zelda in any future films) about the possibility of a Zelda film finally being realized. Now that Nintendo has finally committed to the idea, it’s only a matter of time before the world meets its live-action Link.
Who knows what lore the filmmakers will draw from? In a world where Chris Pratt can voice an Italian plumber, anything is possible with these adaptations. Will director Ball turn to his favorite actors from the “Maze Runner” franchise, such as Thomas Brodie-Sangster, to energize the franchise? Or will we be blessed with a Jacob Tremblay versus Jacob Tremblay duel —should the story pursue a Dark Link arc. Here are some possibilities.
Jacob Tremblay
Listen, it was startling to me as well to realize that the adorable little boy from 2015’s “Room” is now a 17-year-old young man. Tremblay’s done a fair amount of voice work lately — as Luca in 2021’s “Luca,” Flounder in 2023’s “The Little Mermaid” and Robin on the Max series “Harley Quinn” — but his winning earnestness and sense of humor still shine through. If Universal and Nintendo are looking to cast a younger Link, they needn’t look any further. — Adam B. Vary
Kodi Smit-McPhee
The Aussie actor, who was so impactful and enigmatic in the 2021 western “The Power of the Dog,” has a dramatic depth that would be essential to any actor adventuring in Hyrule. From triumph to tragedy, Link has overcome countless hurdles through 20 video games, and Smit-McPhee could anchor the emotional weight needed to conquest the epic adventure. The actor has also held his own in many sweeping genre films, including 2009’s “The Road,” 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” 2018’s “Alpha” and two “X-Men” movies. “Zelda” deserves an Academy Award-nominated actor to elevate the lead role. — William Earl
Justice Smith
On the one hand, the 28-year-old Smith has already starred in a high profile video game film (playing opposite Ryan Reynold’s Pikachu in 2019’s “Pokémon Detective Pikachu”) and a high profile fantasy adaptation (playing an elfin sorcerer in 2023’s “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”). On the other hand, he was great in both projects, and as anyone who’s seen his work on the series “Generation” knows, he can swing from lighthearted humor to serious drama on a dime. Why not make him Hyrule’s greatest warrior? — ABV
Jacob Elordi
There’s no denying it — the “Euphoria” star is everywhere these days. The Australian actor made waves with his performance as an abusive, troubled high school quarterback on the HBO series, but now he’s spread his arthouse wings with roles as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” and as another sinister prettyboy in Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn.” If he’s ready for leading man status, there’s no more fitting franchise role on the horizon than the hero of Hyrule. Elordi’s stony countenance already seems like the kind of blank slate that a video game player can project onto. Plus, at an impressive 6’5”, he’ll already tower over the various actors playing wizened villagers and decrepit shopkeepers. — J. Kim Murphy
Walker Scobell
Scobell already wields a sword and shield as the son of Poseidon in the upcoming Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” so it’s not hard to imagine the 14-year-old actor embarking on fantasy adventures as Link. With his piercing blue eyes and blonde locks, along with his recent stunt training for “Percy Jackson,” Scobell could easily transform into the young humanoid with elfin features. The “Adam Project” breakout is also around the same age as the hero of Hyrule, which could lend a boyish, spirited side to the infamously quiet hero in the live-action film. — Michaela Zee
Caleb McLaughlin
The “Stranger Things” breakout knows his way around adventures and could easily translate his run-ins in the Upside Down to “The Legend of Zelda.” Filled with charisma and able to toggle between joy and heartbreak in a scene, McLaughlin deserves a breakout to make him a household name. Spearheading an epic like “Zelda” is the perfect elevation, and given his background as a gamer, McLaughlin can infuse his performance with the necessary gravitas and fun . Plus, he could be a standout in the ensemble cast “Zelda” would call for — an ability he harnessed in “Stranger Things.” — WE
Jack Champion
Champion made a splash in “Avatar: The Way of Water” with his performance as Spider, a human boy who is raised by the Na’vi. The character’s history isn’t unlike Link’s in Ocarina of Time, in which the young hero learns that he’s a human living among the secretive Kokiri forest spirits. Champion has already shown he’s a natural fit for playing virtuous, determined adventurers who are awed and taken by other cultures. At the age of 18, he’s got years ahead of him to appear in two or three of 19 more adaptations. Whether or not he should keep Spider’s dreads for the role is another conversation. — JKM
Nicholas Galitzine
The 29-year-old Brit has been everywhere lately, playing dashing princes (2022’s “Cinderella,” 2023’s “Red, White & Royal Blue”) and himbos (2022’s “Purple Hearts,” 2023’s “Bottoms”) with surprising depth and commitment. He can be dramatic and heartbreaking and playful and funny, and now he’s primed to make the leap to franchise leading man. Yes, playing the elfin Link would require a bit of a physical transformation, but the dude has got the chops — and if the script requires Link to play an instrument, he can do that, too! — ABV
Gabriel LaBelle
He’s already played the coveted role of Steven Spielbe — erh, Sammy Fabelman. Now, LaBelle can move onto another generationally important, industry-shifting avatar afflicted with a notable case of Peter Pan syndrome. In Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical best picture nominee “The Fabelmans,” the 21-year-old held his own against pros like Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Judd Hirsch, giving a sensitive, thoughtful performance that sings in its quietest moment, when the young artist’s mind races. Perhaps that type of performance will lend itself well to the determined, silent type that Link is. Filmmaking is a puzzle-solving process and the hero of Hyrule will certainly need to solve a few to save the kingdom. — JKM
William Gao
On the wonderful Netflix YA romance series “Heartstopper,” Gao plays Tao Xu, a deep dish pop culture nerd whose passion for cinema is second only to his ride-or-die devotion to his friends. The 20-year-old actor could easily translate that charming fervor to exploring dungeons, vanquishing enemies and rescuing villagers. Plus, on Season 2 of “Heartstopper,” Tao got one of the most transformative haircuts in modern television, going from geeky BFF to stunningly handsome leading man in an instant. — ABV
Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Brodie-Sangster is known for looking significantly younger than his actual age (he was 13 years old in “Love Actually”), so the 33-year-old actor could still be a top contender to portray the adolescent hero. Brodie-Sangster charmed viewers as the arrogant and intelligent Benny Watts in Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” and, fantasy-wise, left an impression after stepping into the world of “Games of Thrones” as the sensitive, reserved Jojen Reed. It also doesn’t hurt that Brodie-Sangster previously worked with director Wes Ball on “The Maze Runner” franchise, playing the sensible, fan-favorite character Newt in the dystopian sci-fi trilogy. — MZ
Josh Giddey
Now in his third season in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder small forward and shooting guard can probably look forward to a long and fruitful playing career. But if the 21-year-old somehow became overwhelmed with a desire to be a leading man, it’s hard to imagine there will be another role on the table that he’d have a better chance at nabbing than Link. He already looks the part, with his luscious locks and action-movie-physique. Plus, Giddey has already played a video game character once before, voicing himself in NBA 2K23. The Thunder roll into Los Angeles to play the Lakers and Clippers in mid-January and Sony Pictures is only a short drive from Crypto.com Arena. Perhaps he’ll take a meeting. — JKM
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