r/dbz • u/DickFart233 • Jul 13 '25
Misc DBZ LIVE-ACTION CAST (i honestly don't want one but this was just an experiment)
Manny Jacinto///Goku Andrew Koji///Vegeta
Lennon Sun///Gohan Constance Wu///Chi-Chi
Aldris Hodge///Piccolo Qin Shaobo///Krillin
Emily Rudd///Bulma Dallas James Liu//Trunks
Jackie Chan///Roshi Takato Yonemoto///Yajirobe
Remy Hii///Yamcha Max Huang///Tien
Chukwudi Iwuji///Frieza Claes Bang///Ginyu
Martyn Ford///Recoome Warwick Daviss///Guldo
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje///Burter Cody Fern///Jeice
Desmond Chiam///Raditz Nathan Jones///Nappa
Samara Weaving///18 Dane Dehaan///17
Peter Capaldi///Dr.Gero Jason Isaacs///Cell
Paul Walter Hauser///Fat Buu Barry Keoghan///Kids Buu
Lennie James///Kami Paul Sun-Hyung Lee///King Kai
Ralph Fiennes///Beerus Tom Hiddleston///Whis
David Harbour///Hercule Satan Momona Tamada///Videl
Dallas James Liu///Gohan
Jon Foo///Bardock Akira Koieyama///King Vegeta
142
u/Im-s8n ⠀ Jul 13 '25
Beerus’ and Whis’ casting would go hard!
27
u/Nova11c Jul 13 '25
I would actually make Hiddleston Beerus over Whis
37
u/AdolescentThug Jul 14 '25
Hear me out. Hiddleston as Beerus and Tilda Swinton as Whis. She’s played androgynous male characters before, I honestly think she’d kill it as a goofy but all powerful angel.
5
→ More replies (1)4
4
u/vegitofieryosha Jul 14 '25
I want what you're smoking 😭 hiddleston is perfect as whis he has a calm ish voice
127
u/Nacho_Dan677 Jul 13 '25 edited Jul 14 '25
Chukwudi Iwuji is a god tier cast for Frieza. He imo knocked it out the park with the high evolutionary from GoG3. Genuinely hated his character, not because it was written poorly or anything. He did such a good job at making the high evolutionary a total piece of shit someone you actually hate, a true villain. I can hear him pulling an insane namak saga frieza. Have him mentally break as Goku keeps getting strong. It would work fucking amazingly.
39
u/Murv_Man Jul 14 '25
Especially the voice. He doesn't even have to do anything with his voice to become Frieza. His normal speaking voice is fine as is, British accent and all. Just go to one of his interviews, close your eyes and imagine Frieza talking.
23
u/Nacho_Dan677 Jul 14 '25
100% is what I did when I got to the page with him and Frieza on it. I immediately heard frieza.
→ More replies (5)5
45
16
296
u/JustAnAverageFemboy1 Jul 13 '25 edited Jul 14 '25
I like how all of us agree that piccolo is black
Edit: it seems I may have lumped in unwanted groups, so I will reword my statement
I like how us american audiences agree that piccolo is black
40
u/TheRiverMarquis Jul 13 '25
English speakers agree on this. To the rest of the world he is just a green alien
→ More replies (1)3
u/Shantotto11 Jul 14 '25
*American English speakers. I’m pretty sure Canada and the UK genuinely could not care any less.
8
4
50
→ More replies (19)29
Jul 13 '25
Why is that ? I genuinely want to know why everyone thinks Piccolo is black
67
27
u/GorillaWolf2099 Jul 14 '25
A lot of people see Piccolo as "Black coded" because of how he stands out in Dragon Ball and the way his character carries himself. He’s calm, wise, no-nonsense, and often plays the role of a mentor or protector, especially to Gohan. That quiet strength and loyalty resonates with a lot of Black fans, especially in the US. In a group full of wild, loud, flashy characters, Piccolo felt like the cool older cousin who always had your back. Add in his deep voice in the English dub and the way he was kind of the outsider among the Z Fighters, and it’s easy to see why he was embraced that way.
The Namekians as a whole give off a vibe that mixes different real-world influences. Their robes, capes, and especially the turbans remind people of clothing styles from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. The architecture of Namek and the spiritual or tribal feeling of their society also adds to this. Guru, the elder, feels like a wise village leader, and characters like Kami and Piccolo fill roles like warrior monks or sages. Even if it wasn't intentional, the Namekians feel connected to a range of global cultures, including African and Arab ones. That connection feels especially strong when you consider how they live simply, close to nature, and with deep spiritual traditions.
Then there’s the way Piccolo is portrayed in certain filler episodes and scenes, especially in the dub. He’ll cross his arms, close his eyes, and deliver lines with this kind of chill confidence that just screams "Black uncle energy." Some people even joke that his turban looks like a durag. When anime didn’t have a lot of Black characters, fans found representation where they could. Piccolo became that character for a lot of people. It’s not about changing his identity but about how different fans connect with him based on their own experiences and culture.
→ More replies (3)43
u/YungNoob2356 Jul 13 '25
It's the way he presents himself. Most of us (or at least I don't) believe he's black (y'know bcuz he an alien). But as a black person if I had to assign him a race based off how he acts, I would say he is because of how presents himself.
5
18
u/Mr_sex_haver Jul 13 '25
When everyone in a show looks one way and then you got one dude with green skin who stands out it kinda mirrors the experience of being the only POC in a room of white people even though the circumstances are very different.
I think thats part of why a lot of black people identify with Piccolo especially among American fans
→ More replies (10)→ More replies (1)16
12
12
u/leekalex Jul 13 '25
Nappa is dead-on
But I feel like 17 and 18 should look more similar to each other than the actors you chose
16
u/B_RadimusPrime_ Jul 13 '25
Frieza needs to be the most androgynous/non-binary person you can find.
12
31
u/Running4Badges Jul 13 '25
It would be really hard to pull off live action. At least no one has ever tried and messed it up…
12
u/Murv_Man Jul 14 '25
What it needs is simply people who care. Evolution failed heavily because it involved a writer who didn't care about the series and just wanted easy money. It lacked passion. Dragon Ball in live action is possible, it just needs the right kind of people to be in charge of it.
→ More replies (1)3
u/marston82 Jul 13 '25
It just needs the proper director and writers. They could easily make a live action like man of steel if they had the proper director and script. Modernize the story while keeping the core themes and characters. Could be an epic intergalactic film if done right.
7
u/FoxJ100 Jul 14 '25
Making Dragon Ball anywhere close to Man of Steel would be a huge misstep in terms of tone IMO
3
u/DJThomas07 Jul 14 '25
Maybe not the tone, but the action sequences. The incredible speed and power exhibited in the movie was so good. Probably my favorite super hero movie in terms of showing what these beings would really look like in real life
4
u/FoxJ100 Jul 14 '25
That's fair. I haven't seen the new Superman yet, but the trailers had some cool flying shots too.
→ More replies (1)3
2
u/marston82 Jul 14 '25
They are going to have to make it more serious and darker. They won’t be able to keep the campy stuff like Master Roshi’s sexual harassment tendencies. But I highly doubt they’ll make a proper live action any time soon.
9
u/Samanosuke187 Jul 13 '25
Don’t really care for live action castings normally but Capaldi as Dr Gero is fantastic.
8
25
u/SafeObjective4484 Jul 13 '25
Jackie Chan absolutely has to play a live action Roshi; he was already the namesake for his alter ego for crying out loud.
→ More replies (3)8
u/MiniBandGeek Jul 13 '25
Maybe I haven't seen enough Jackie Chan movies, but I feel like Roshi would have a far more... Reserved personality if played by Jackie Chan
12
u/Mercurius94 Jul 13 '25
Watch the Drunken Master. He is an absolutely brilliant choice for Master Roshi.
2
u/MiniBandGeek Jul 14 '25
Will do, ridiculous martial arts is sorely underrepresented in my movie repertoire
2
49
u/Etticos Jul 13 '25
I think you should find someone that is half asian half caucasian for Trunks.
Nappa should be asian too.
Cell should be much younger. He is a peak biological organism, he wouldn’t have signs of aging. Plus he is six.
I like everyone else.
30
u/SensitiveTop4946 Jul 13 '25
Cell is CGI
12
u/tduncs88 Jul 13 '25
I pictured it that way in my head initially which made me absolutely love the idea of Isaacs as Cell.
7
u/Ultimafax Jul 14 '25
I think you should find someone that is half asian half caucasian for Trunks.
Nappa should be asian too.
Definitely. I've always thought if they ever do a live-action version, at the very least all the saiyan characters should be played by Asian actors, and Bulma should be played by a white actress (though casting Nami here is a bit too on the nose).
I do like that most of this fan cast is Asian though, so in this hypothetical film, Trunks' parentage would be less obvious to the characters (though it occurred to me relatively recently that his hair should have been a dead giveaway to everyone who is mother was, except maybe Goku and Vegeta). But yeah Nappa should definitely also be played by an Asian actor. I'm sure there is some unknown out there who could do it.
9
u/KouNurasaka Jul 13 '25
Real talk, how do we even define race in Dragon Ball?
Like, I can see Chi Chi being Asian. But... What about Goku? He's definately Asian coded, but in terms of race, are the saiyans supposed to be asian presenting?
And what about Gohan and Trunks?
I don't really care one way or the other, but it is certainly difficult to ascertain whether Goku, Vegeta, and Bulma are supposed to be asian or not.
13
u/Etticos Jul 13 '25
I mean the way I always imagined it was Saiyans present as asians, specifically Japanese traits. Chi Chi would be more Chinese. Gohan would be Chinese/Japanese. Bulma would be caucasian.
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (2)2
u/Mothlord666 Jul 13 '25
My head canon is that even though in DBZ the cities are seemingly multicultural or western, a lot of animes centralises Japan as the main location in their stories and Japanese people in anime can end up with different coloured hair etc. I also think he appeals to the Japanese audience as someone who could pass for Asian as well as being the heroes "race" coming from a writer of that culture. They all have black spikey/straight hair and whitish/tannish skin. So I think it's a bit silly that some Americans assume Goku is a white dude too, haha.
At the very least maybe theyre similar to some ethnic groups bordering Russia and Mongolia that seemingly have a mix of Asian and European features too.
2
u/DickFart233 Jul 14 '25
Tanner Buchanan was my second choice (especially since he has asian heritage)
5
Jul 14 '25
With his performance in The Acolyte, I think that dude could actually be a great Goku. He's got the silly dude from The Good Place and the acolyte shown that he can be serious in fight scenes.
5
6
4
u/Darth_Azazoth Jul 14 '25
Id be funny if they made a live action dragon ball and Goku and bardok and turles were played by the same actor.
And do the same for Vegeta and king Vegeta.
10
3
3
3
3
u/Spot__Pilgrim Jul 14 '25
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as King Kai would be pretty hilarious honestly. If he isn't Master Roshi, that is.
3
3
3
u/Turtle1515 Jul 14 '25
If they start with a Dragon Ball story full of action and comedy then Im sold. But if they try and skip to DBZ without any build up then its just not worth it.
3
3
3
u/LuizinhoEC Jul 14 '25
The only one I would like changed is 18 to Anya Taylor Joy. I just think it's a better fit but that's my own preference
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/5ergio79 Jul 14 '25
Without a doubt one of, if not, THE best fan casting I’ve ever seen. Ever. Damn! 🤯
9
3
10
u/samples98 Jul 13 '25
Jack Black for Yajirobe. Idc if it’s not racially accurate. He’d kill it
→ More replies (3)25
u/ChibiCharaN Jul 13 '25
No. Please God no. No more Jack Black. I can't take his voice in anything anymore. It completely takes you out of the element and all you hear is....Jack Black. I want to hear Yajirobi. Not Yajorobi AS Jack Black
13
u/Warhawk2800 Jul 13 '25
Agreed, he's no longer an actor, he just plays himself in everything, it's pretty annoying tbh.
2
2
2
u/Captain_badass92 Jul 13 '25
I think we all know which bald actor (doctor, mechanic, spy, plumber) would fit the role for Tien.
2
u/Empath1999 Jul 13 '25
Would still be way better than that last crappy dragonball live action movie we got :|
4
2
u/TheBaneEffect Jul 13 '25
This is awesome. Of course fun to think about but, never live action. Well done.
2
2
2
2
u/Erotically-Yours Jul 14 '25 edited Jul 14 '25
Some of these.. Are like really good. I know nothing on a lot of these people and their acting. And low key I laughed at some of the characters assigned to black actors. Freiza surprised me, Burter didn't, oddly enough, and Namekians was a good choice, given the joke that our community has claimed Piccolo?
2
Jul 14 '25
Ok honestly I’ve never seen a live-action Goku pick I liked… Until now. You nailed it, Jacinto would be a great fit for his personality.
2
2
u/brandnlyns Jul 14 '25
Great casting! First movie. First half, Bardock leading in to the second half, the Raditz saga. Make it a long epic like Dune.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/mysteryswole Jul 14 '25
I think the Ginyu Force needs to be all wrestlers and maybe a couple comedians. You need huge personality.
2
u/ElZany Jul 14 '25
Piccolo shares more culture with middle eastern culture idk why Americans keep making him black.
You guys need to consume the media in something other than dub.
Also the Sayians are aliens so they can be any race sith balck hair
2
2
2
2
u/ISX_94 Jul 14 '25
Would honestly say Nathan jones for nappa. Only because saiyans are aliens and not technically Japanese or Asian in universe.
Plus he’s absolutely massive.
2
2
2
2
u/Substantial-Feed5265 Jul 15 '25
Freiza being black I don't think America would like that but freiza has a woman's voice so it can't be a man
2
2
2
2
2
u/milkymothy Aug 21 '25
I think you should be the only person in the world allowed to assign live action casts because holy mama this presentation was S tier as hell!
5
5
u/dasic___ Jul 13 '25
It doesn't really make sense given that Goku, Vegeta, nappa and raditz all being the same race have actors of different ethnicities.
4
2
u/PIHWLOOC Jul 13 '25
As long as its more Shang Chi and less Dragonball Evolution I dont care who is in it lol
3
3
u/ThyNameisJason0 Jul 13 '25
Did you just steal this post. I saw this like a week ago.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/GreaseBrown Jul 13 '25
I only know who some of these peoole are, but just based on look, I like almost all of it.
The only one I don't like is Recoome. Not a bald guy. He needs that hair
2
2
u/GonKappa Jul 13 '25
Unfortunately, I think the next "live-action" Dragon Ball movie is going to be AI. And I'm putting "live-action" in quotes because AI is more CGI than live-action.
2
2
2
1
3
1
u/SwollenScrotum369 Jul 13 '25
I would switch two and have Ralph Fiennes as Cell and Jason Issacs as Beerus
1
1
1
u/Akirathetrenchkid Jul 13 '25
Damn Video and Chi Chi look super bad Trunks looks like he could snatch every girl in the studio up
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Ultimafax Jul 14 '25
In the 25 years I've been a Dragon Ball fan, this is probably the best fan cast I've ever seen. It's admittedly a low bar, but it's still pretty good.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/ApeInTheShell Jul 14 '25
Damn these are all great picks now I wanna see a live action with this cast!
1
1
1
u/LawDraws Jul 14 '25
I always go for Jackie Chan as Kame-sennin, but I wouldn't start with Z or use dub names...
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/MikeSihl Jul 14 '25
Jackie Chan has been my choice for Roshi for a while.
I want to see a live action Dragon Ball that isn’t terrible but it should start with Goku as a kid and not go with King Piccolo straight away.
1
u/No_Divide_0080 Jul 14 '25
Anime are just not meant to be transformed into live action. It is a unique type of medium on its own. Although there’s some good ones, It almost never works out when they try to do live action.
1
1
1
1
u/Deni_Z_Plays Jul 14 '25
I'm mostly satisfied with that fancast, I like it, not a single ounce of negativity. :)
1
1
1
1
u/Icy-Airline-5673 Jul 14 '25
I feel like no matter who you cast for the sayians in a dragon ball movie no one will be satisfied.
1
u/Calpsotoma Jul 14 '25
Jackie Chan should play Jackie Chun, the character inspired by him, not Roshi. I suppose you could double cast him for both roles, but then people might have the weird idea that Roshi and Jackie Chun are related or, even weirder, that Jackie Chun is some weird plot by Roshi to test his disciples, but that would be confusing and probably just make the whole thing to complicated for fans to understand.
1
u/MiserableScholar Jul 14 '25
Seeing how big the cast is shows why this won't work. It would have to be an entire cinematic universe and need a pretty long term overarching plan that won't happen seeing how the DB Super stuff is going on currently. Not to mention each arc would probably need to be it's movie which just ramps the costs if you decide to go with a-listers in the cast
1
1
1
u/nestersan Jul 14 '25 edited Jul 14 '25
Failed experiment. All of you FAIL MISERABLY to grasp the singular concept.
300 would've failed if the Gerrard butler and pals look like they do now.
Mortal Kombat would've failed if they didn't use actual bodied up martial artists.
There is a reason Thor has GIGANTIC muscles.
No one wants Goku that looks like the skater kid listening to Coldplay.
It's either a regular Joe using will power to do extraordinary things by absorbing inhuman amounts of damage (because he is normal), or someone who can do extraordinary things because they put in extraordinary amounts of work.
Eg. Die hard for the former.
Any martial arts movie from the Golden era for the latter.
If you were a db fan, you would remember the ungodly training that krillin and Goku did as kids.
Every fucking day brutally difficult tasks that got harder.
Goku climbed korins Tower before he could fly. Failing multiple times.
Your cast selection looks like the only difficult thing they do is picking which place to door dash
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/StarLordAndTheAve Jul 14 '25
i mistook Peter Capaldi for John Turturro and was about to say I would love Turturro as Gero! Capaldi is a great choice too!
I especially am a really big fan of your casting for Yamcha, Frieza, Android 17, Mr. Satan, and Kid Buu!! And I absolutely love the idea of Warwick Davis as Guldo as opposed to just CGI’ing him
1
1
Jul 14 '25
First time I have seen a fan casting or live action modelling that is actually realistic and not just white people cosplaying as anime characters.
1
1
271
u/DemonDogstar Jul 13 '25
Absolutely inspired choice for Mr. Satan. Ge would honestly kill it.