Out of all the dicey questions that could possibly be asked about an actor, asking if they’re capable of being a lead is one that runs the risk of insulting a person or overestimating their abilities since the truth is that Lance Reddick is an imposing character in his own right and has proven that a couple of times over. But in terms of being a leading man, it feels as though he has a lot to prove when it comes to stepping up to such a role. He’s proven to be a great supporting actor over the years and he’s someone that, upon looking at him, can be said to be a favorite character in a lot of ways. But as far as leading man material goes it does feel that he might be able to pull it off, but it would take a certain type of role to do it. The upcoming Resident Evil series that he’s set to take part in doesn’t feel like it would be the right time or role for him to test this theory, but there are plenty of other ways that it might be possible to see him as a lead.
In fact, it might be great to see him in the MCU at one point since it does feel that he might be able to pull off a couple of characters that could spark his career in a big way if they were shown in a manner that would allow him to simply go all out and create a villain that would truly creep people out. A couple of characters come to mind in fact, those being Mr. Sinister and Mephisto. People would no doubt argue about these, but when really thinking about his act as Charon in the John Wick movies it feels as though it makes sense considering that both have been shown to be calm and controlled when they want to be and are secretive as all hell, which feels like something that Lance could do without too much trouble. There are likely other characters that he might be able to play that could be leads in various movies, but those two kind of stand out at the moment.
There are a few qualities that a leading character needs to be effective, and the look is one of them. This essentially makes people want to pay attention to them and see more of this character in the movie even when they’re not on screen. The look tends to mean someone who is relatively nice to look at or is someone that a person can’t look away from for whatever reason. Looks can take a person a long way, but they’re not the only quality that counts when it comes to a leading character. Personality and charisma are two very important qualities that a person needs to have in order to expect any shot at success. Being able to win over the audience and convince them of the veracity of one’s character is a big step in the right direction and the charisma that’s needed to convince people that even if a person doesn’t appear to fit the role, they’re still good enough to take it on and be accepted eventually. Acting ability kind of a gimme when it comes to being a lead since a person has to be able to act or they might as well not even be in show business.
But while Lance has these qualities, meaning he can act, he does have a personality, and he does have a look to him that can culminate in his bid for being a lead, it does still feel that he needs a certain role in a certain movie to make it work. Maybe if that can happen then the outlook of many people will change and it might happen that he’ll be seen in a different light that might help to expand his career just a bit more. There’s nothing to say that he can’t do it at all, especially since his acting credentials are easy to find and use to justify his role as a lead. But until that happens it does feel that it’s hard to simply say yes, he can be a leading actor.
There’s a lot of faith that this could happen and that if he does prove himself in such a way that it should happen, but the role of Albert Wesker in the upcoming Resident Evil series doesn’t feel like the right role. It’s not just that Wesker was drawn up as a white man, it’s that he was drawn up as a white man who was a vile individual that was created especially for the game and the movies. But maybe it’s time to see what Lance can do, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll surprise all of us.
Follow Us
