Warner Bros. Can't Decide On Akira's Second Lead Actor

Deadline reports another reason Warner Bros. has put Akira on hold is that they can't figure out who should play Tetsuo and the actors are free to walk from the project if they want to. The two actors in question are Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire, The Dreamers) and Dane DeHaan (In Treatment, True Blood, Chronicle) their testing options have expired so they are currently free to go after other projects.

The character is basically the meatiest role of the picture as Tetsuo goes from nerdy gangland biker to a psychotic villain with overwhelming superpowers. Yet, I'm unsure what bastardized version of Tetsuo we'll end up seeing in the film since Kaneda is now a bartender/bar owner instead of a punk biker. Out of the two I have to go with Pitt as he's been wonderful on the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire. However, Dane DeHaan's upcoming superpower film Chronicle is gathering a lot of buzz.

Ezra Miller & Alden Eherenreich Up For Tetsuo In Akira

HollywoodReporter says that Warner Bros. has two actors in mind to play Tetsuo in Akira. Previously there had been names mentioned like James McAvoy, Andrew Garfield, Robert Pattinson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Yet, two new actors are testing for the role they are Ezra Miller and Alden Eherenreich. Both are relatively unknown but are gathering quite an amount of cinema geek-cred. Miller is currently getting rave reviews for his performance in the thriller We Need To Talk About Kevin. Alden is best known for working with Francis Ford Coppola (Godfather) in films like Tetro and Twixt. He was also in the running to play the new Peter Park in Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man.

I think Ezra Miller might be the best of the two choices since his brooding Kevin is very similar to the latter stages of Tetsuo's descent into power-driven madness. Other names that have been circling the project include Garrett Hedlund, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter and Keira Knightley.

CAST EM'!: Albert Hughes' Akira

With the recent online campaign calling out Warner Bros. for whitewashing casting of Akira. I've decided to choose two solid Japanese actors that could be cast in the two main lead roles of Kaneda and Tetsuo. As I call bullshit on the studio for not being able to be faithful to the original source material.

There are plenty of amazing Japanese actors that have been involved with films like Battle Royale, 13 Assassins and Outrage that could be perfect for this genre epic.

Ryō Kase as Tetsuo:  If Warner Bros. truly wanted Joesph Gordon-Levitt for the Tetsuo role, Kase is who they should be looking at. He's the Japanese JGL and has been involved with Eastwood's Iwo Jima. Also the amazing Yakuza epic Outrage which he is a major standout. Throwing out a few flawless lines in English I might add. He would bring the perfect balance of good and evil needed for the role. (Outrage, Letters From Iwo Jima) 

Yûsuke Iseya as Kaneda: Yûsuke is more of an action star doing some impressive stunts in 13 Assassins and Sukiyaki Western seemingly perfect for the heroic role of Kaneda. (13 Assassins, Sukiyaki Western)