Casting a Soul Calibur Movie

credit: SoulCalibur

Talking to anyone, or trying to, about SoulCalibur is bound to earn a confused look as many people don’t know enough about this fighting game to care or even realize how great the story could be if the right director could grab hold of it and run with the original tale. The original story, Soul Blade, features several core characters that would hopefully be included in the initial movie if more than one managed to be made. As a series, it might even be fun since there’s a lot to this story and a lot of room to add on if the desire ever arose to see more. This story has gained a lot more traction overseas than in America, but it has also run afoul of the same problem that many video games have. It’s added in several other characters over the course of its existence, as it’s included characters from Tekken,  Star Wars, and even The Witcher. But casting would likely be a bit of an issue since there are plenty of talented individuals that could fit the bill for several roles. 

Here are a few individuals that might be able to help round out the cast of SoulCalibur. 

Siegfried-Alexander Ludwig

credit: SoulCalibur VI

As one of the original characters from Soul Blade, Siegried is a rather troubled young man who accidentally killed his father when he was younger and then went off the rails as he ventured to find the legendary sword known as Soul Edge, a blade that was said to have incredible power. Alexander Ludwig has played several forceful characters over the course of his career, and his time in Vikings as Bjorn Ironside, the son of Ragnar Lothbrok, makes it clear that he would be able to step into this role and make it his in a way that might be very convincing. Plus, his slightly off-kilter character, Ace, from Heels, makes it apparent that he can play an emotionally damaged individual. 

Mitsurugi-Lee Byung-hun

credit: SoulCalibur VI

Fan casting has often picked another individual for this role, the same man who has played a samurai a couple of times and is quite an accomplished actor. But seeing as how he’s starting to get a bit old, perhaps Lee might take on this role and do it a bit of justice. His time as a sword-wielding warrior in the G.I. Joe movies makes one feel confident that he could take on the role of a wandering mercenary on the trail of a sword that could grant the bearer great power. Mitsurugi’s story is fairly simple. He’s out to find a sword that can help him take down a rival and help him to regain his honor.  

Taki-Kelly Hu

credit: SoulCalibur IV

It’s kind of uncertain if this could happen since Kelly Hu is now in her 50s, but it would be a great look for this character since Hu is the right type of actress that could fit the role and make it work. Some would say that Lucy Liu would be a great choice, but the only downside is that she’s the most obvious choice at this time. Maggie Q. might even be able to take on this role, but it would be a toss-up between her and others. Taki is a fairly simple character, as she’s out to rid the world of the evil sword’s influence, but her loyalties do tend to shift during the course of the story, even if she’s not an evil character. If anything, she’s just practical. 

Sophitia-AnnaSophia Robb

credit: SoulCalibur

A divine warrior of Hephaestus, Sophitia is one of the many characters that gives this story a great deal of sex appeal since she has been dressed up in skimpy outfits since the game first came out. But her backstory and her role in the game have always been that of a warrior that is sent by the gods to destroy Soul Edge. And unlike many of the characters in this tale, she’s actually managed to damage the cursed sword in a way that pushed the story forward and kept her around as an integral part of the story that can’t be easily removed. There are a lot of young women that could take on this role, but AnnaSophia Robb has been one of those who has fit multiple roles thus far in her career. 

Cervantes-Liam Neeson

credit: SoulCalibur

Sure, Neeson doesn’t have the same build as Cervantes, and he’s not quite as fearsome, but with a bit of makeup, practical effects, and even a hint of CGI it’s very possible that Neeson could become the bad guy that has the maniacal look and laugh. There are a few others that might fit the bill, but the fact that Neeson has taken on action roles before, particularly with swordplay, is enough to make one feel that he would be capable of taking on this character. Cervantes is actually one of the original villains in this series, as his corruption by Soul Edge is so great that even after being brought back from death, he can’t be apart from the sword forever. 

Seong Mi-Na-Jamie Chung

credit: SoulCalibur

As one of my personal favorites, Seong Mi-Na is one of the originals and also someone that’s been involved in nearly every game to some degree. Her backstory that she went off to find the Sword of Salvation, another name for Soul Edge, is simple enough since she and her father’s pupil, Hwang, both fought their way toward Soul Edge but ended up returning home without much luck. Jamie Chung could take on this role with a bit of training and the right costume, and she could end up being one of the more bubbly characters in the bunch. 

This movie really needs to happen.