Dexter: Origins is set to take us into the past to get a look at the early years of Dexter Morgan before the events of the original show, which will see him first join the Miami Police Department and take out his first victims. With Michael C. Hall now in his 50s, it is unlikely that we will see him reprise his role as the sadistic serial killer, although at least not on screen as Dexter.
With Hall likely not appearing on screen in the upcoming show, is there an actor out there with the ability to take on such an iconic role? With the entertainment landscape today, there are plenty of talented actors to choose from. Here are 5 actors we think that could do a great job if cast as a young Dexter in the upcoming Dexter: Origins.
1. Freddie Highmore
When it came to thinking about which young actors could portray Dexter in his early years as a killer, one stood out immediately, Freddie Highmore. Best known to viewers as Norman Bates in Bates Motel and Dr. Shaun Murphy in The Good Doctor, Highmore has the ability to portray a socially awkward Dexter that is able to portray what he feels he needs to be to the rest of the world while also harboring his Dark Passenger. The similarities between Bates Motel and Dexter are striking, too, with Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) nurturing a killer in the making, even if she perhaps wasn’t aware of her fate. In contrast, Dexter’s father, Harry (James Remar), nurtured him into the killer he would eventually become.
2. Ross Lynch
An actor like Evan Peters is an amazing choice due to his incredible work in American Horror Story and most recently playing Jeffrey Dahmer in the smash-hit Netflix series Dahmer. However, with him being older than Hall was when the Dexter show began, he might not be the best choice for an actor to play the character over a decade in the past. However, that thought led at another fantastic actor that has also taken on the role of Dahmer, and that is Ross Lynch, who portrayed the legendary serial killer in the biopic film My Friend Dahmer.
My Friend Dahmer takes place in the years before Dahmer committed his first murder, with a focus on him as a person rather than his future crimes. This is similar to the premise of Dexter: Origins. Although the show will cover kills too, the show will focus more about his early years in the Miami Police Department and Dexter morphing into the seasoned killer that we get to know in the original series.
3. Cameron Monaghan
Cameron Monaghan already has a great portfolio behind him, with roles in Malcolm in the Middle, Shameless, and as the lead character in the Star Wars: Jedi series of games. But, it is his role as both Jerome Valeska and Jeremiah Valeska in Gotham which makes him a great candidate to be cast as young Dexter in Dexter: Origins. The twin brothers embody different characteristics of The Joker, with Jerome being more of an anarchist, whereas Jeremiah is more cunning.
If an actor can convincingly pull off such a complex character as The Joker, who is mentally disturbed and a menace to society, then they fit the bill to play a character who would be the most prolific serial killer of all time. Monaghan did a fantastic job as the Valeska twins, so it will be exciting to see what he could bring to the table if cast as a young Dexter Morgan in Dexter: Origins.
4. Noah Schnapp
Although Noah Schnapp is younger than how old Dexter will be in Dexter: Origins, he has what it takes to embody the killer. Schnapp is known to viewers as Will Byers in Stranger Things, which has catapulted him to stardom in the past few years. The character of Byers is shy, artistic, and likes to surround himself with a few special friends in his life, which is similar to Dexter with him struggling to exist in the world and only trusting a select number of people in his life. With Stranger Things wrapping up next season, Schnapp will be looking for his first major role as an adult, and getting cast as young Dexter in Dexter: Origins could provide that role.
5. Nick Robinson
Nick Robinson spent 5 years in a main role on Melissa and Joey, but since then has largely been a supporting cast member or starring in smaller mini-series. However, he is most notable for his titular role in Love, Simon. When it comes to a defining role that showcases that Robinson could be the actor for the job, it has to be his leading role as Ross Ulbricht in the Silk Road movie, which told the story of the dark web criminal marketplace.
Ulbricht was a person that hid in plain sight, running the largest illegal marketplace for drugs, weapons, hitmen services, and many other illegal activities, all while living a perfectly normal life on the surface. This sounds a lot like the fictional Dexter Morgan, who lived a normal life for all intents and purposes, having friends, relationships, and even a child, all while murdering over 100 people and becoming the prolific Bay Harbor Butcher.
Notable Mention: Michael C. Hall
After spending a lot of time fantasy casting many great actors into the role of a young Dexter, the thought occure…why not just cast Michael C. Hall himself? It goes without saying that Hall is Dexter, and it will be incredibly weird to see anyone else take on the role of the iconic serial killer. A younger Dexter was shown in the original Dexter series during flashback scenes, with Hall sporting a rather bad wig to show he was younger.
Although Hall is now in his 50s, technology has advanced a lot since the original Dexter series was on the air. In recent years we have seen a young Mark Hamill deep faked into The Mandalorian as a young Return of the Jedi era Luke Skywalker and the results are fairly realistic. The creators of Dexter could use de-aging technology to help make Hall look in his 20s and go for a wig that looks more like his style from the original show.
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