From Garfield To Gibson: Who's Who In WWII Epic 'Hacksaw Ridge'?

Can you hear that? It's the sound of machine guns and Oscar nominations. After some *erm* discrepancies, #MelGibson is back to his Braveheart glory, directing the World War II epic #HacksawRidge. A modern day Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge follows the true story of #AndrewGarfield as Desmond Doss — a conscientious objector who went weaponless into battle at Okinawa, one of the war's bloodiest battles.

Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Truman for saving the lives of over 75 men, and this is Gibson's retelling. The phrase "all-star cast" is branded around a lot recently, but this is no Movie 43, the who's who of acting will star alongside Garfield in one of 2016's hottest-tipped films. Let's take a look at who will be heading out into battle when the film opens.

Andrew Garfield as Desmond T. Doss

Where you have seen him before: Lions for Lambs, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Never Let Me Go, The Amazing Spider-Man

He may have recently retired those Spider-senses and put on that lycra for the last time, but it appears that leaving Spider-Man behind hasn't stopped the 33-year-old from heading up Gibson's film as the titular Pvt. Doss.

Garfield started in TV thanks to 2005's lesbian drama Sugar Rush, before going on to have minor roles in the likes Doctor Who. He made his film debut in 2007's Lions for Lambs, and was soon tipped by Variety as an "actor to watch." Garfield's big break came in biopic The Social Network, where he was originally supposed to play Facebook overlord Mark Zuckerberg. He then took to the skies in 2010 when he was announced as the new Peter Parker/Spider-Man alongside Emma Stone in Marc Webb's reboot of the series. The films may not have been to everyone's taste, but Garfield was set as a Hollywood actor.

Sam Worthington as Captain Glover

Where you have seen him before: Somersault, Rogue, Avatar, Terminator Salvation, Everest

It is a pretty big honor to be the lead actor of the highest-grossing film of all time, but this is the burden that Avatar's Sam Worthington has to carry. While we (continue to) wait for James Cameron's sequels, it looks like Mr. Worthington is happy keeping himself busy.

Pre-Avatar, he gained ciritcal acclaim in Australia for his role in Somersault, and even audtioned to play James Bond in Casino Royale, losing out to the equally buff Daniel Craig. Post-Avatar, he took on the role of Persueus in both Clash and Wrath of the Titans. The actor may have come under fire for his inability to mask his Australian accent, but I dare you to say that to his face — in 2014 Worthington was arrested for punching a member of the paparazzi.

Vince Vaughn as Sergeant Howell

Where you have seen him before: Rudy, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Anchorman, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, True Detective

It appears that Vaughn is moving out of his comedy days and into a more serious line of work. The second season of True Detective may have been a commercial failure, but it at least showcased Vaughn as more than a one-trick-pony.

Vincent Vaugh rose to prominence thanks to his role in 1996 comedy Swingers, then went onto the likes of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The noughties brought a spate of comedies, and it was here that Vaughn became a household name, thanks to side-splitters like Wedding Crashers and Dodgeball. Outside of films, Vaughn is best-known for his impressive stature, or previous relationship with The Break-Up co-star Jennifer Aniston.

Hugo Weaving as Tom Doss

Where you have seen him before: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, V for Vendetta, Captain America.

Oh, it's Mr. Smith from the Matrix. Well it looks like Hugo Weaving is stepping out from both the Matrix and Middle Earth to join Gibson's world of war. One of the best known actors to star in Hacksaw Ridge, Weaving plays Doss's father, which adds war biopic to Weaving's varied career spanning everything from drag queens to super-villains.

Hugo Weaving rose to international fame for his role as Mitzi Del Bra in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, as a drag queen in search of his son across the Australian outback. Weaving then entered the Matrix for all three of the films as the walking suit and tie, Mr. Smith. Many will know him as elven Lord Elron in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy — a role he also reprised for the Hobbit prequels. However, he is also a skilled actor at hiding himself: voicing Rex the farm dog in the live-action adaptation of Babe!, Noah in Happy Feet, the masked "V" in V For Vendeta, and Nazi Red Skull in Captain America. Basically, where haven't you seen him?

Teresa Palmer as Dorothy Schutte

Where you have seen her before: 2:37, Jumper, I Am Number Four, Bedtime Stories, Warm Bodies

One of the few woman in the macho cast of Hacksaw Ridge, Teresa Palmer plays Garfield's love interest Dorothy — based on the real live Dorothy Schutte *spoiler* Doss. Starring in such an ensemble cast is a coup, considering that Palmer's debut was in (at the time) little-known Australian suicide film 2:37.

Palmer's move to Hollywood gave her small roles in Jumper and The Gudge 2. However, the story could have been a lot different if Palmer had been cast as Talia al Ghul in DC's Justice League of America — script issues and the 2007-8 writers strike cancelled the project. She was also set to star in Mad Max: Fury Road, but scheduling conflicts prevented her joining. No worries though, 2016 looks to be her year, rising to prominance as the final girl in supernatural horror #LightsOut, and now with Hacksaw Ridge.

Luke Bracey as Smitty

Where you have seen him before: Home and Away, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Point Break

Luke Bracey may not be the most recognizable member of the cast, but for fans of Summer Bay, Bracey will always be Home and Away's Trey Palmer. His stint on the show may only have been short, but Palmer leaked sex tapes, blew up a bus full of students, and was consequently arrested for murder.

Since heading stateside, Bracey has had large parts replacing Joseph Gordon Levitt in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and starring as Agent Johnny Utah in the Point Break remake. For Hacksaw he will be playing Garfield's army bully "Smitty."

Milo Gibson as Lucky Ford

Where you have seen him before: Awards ceremonies, family photos, Instragam

Following in Daddy's footsteps, Milo Gibson is the sixth eldest child of Mel Gibson's eight (nearly nine). Mel has always said he encourages his children to act, and it looks like Milo is taking his father's advice. What better way to celebrate your first role on screen than by starring in Gibson's directorial return.

We will have to wait and see if the talent runs in the family, but thankfully Mel wasn't just like "give the lead to my son." Hopefully it is good news, as Gibson will next be starring alongside Jennifer Garner in The Tribes of Palos Verdes.

So, there we have it — Spider-Man, Red Skull and Talia al Ghul, being pushed around the mud by Mad Max in the director's chair. Following on from other war epics like Pearl Harbour, Apocalypse Now, and yes, even Braveheart, the reviews are looking good for Hacksaw Ridge.