Never Compromise, Not Even in the Face of Armageddon: Who Would Be the Perfect Cast for HBO's Watchmen?

Rumors have been buzzing lately that HBO is developing a Watchmen series, and since the Zack Snyder movie had the absolute perfect cast, this possible series would have to be able to match that. It doesn't get much better than Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jackie Earle Haley in their respective roles, but I can't help but wonder what cast could possibly live up to such a high standard. Well, I think I've come up with the second best cast to fill out The Watchmen, and I hope you agree!

The Comedian: Joe Manganiello

Watchmen begins and ends with The Comedian, and many would argue that he's the most important character in the movie (if you haven't noticed yet, I'm comparing the way this TV series should be to the movie and only the movie, considering it was the perfect on screen interpretation of the comics). While the bar was set extremely high by Morgan, who pretty much is The Comedian, I think that Manganiello could be the second best possible choice. He's played both extreme action roles that required a lot of seriousness, and many roles that were nothing but comedy and, well, stripping. Besides his experienced record, he also has the proper salt and pepper look for the role, and certainly has the size to pull it off. JDM is 6'2" and in the movie it was said that The Comedian is the size of a linebacker, as well as 6'4" (which Morgan is not). Manganiello is 6'5", and is much more muscular than Morgan was in the role. He has the perfect experience and physical attributes to play the role, and I think he would make a fitting start for the series.

Dr. Manhattan: Michael Ealy

Yes, yes, another race bender superhero casting, but does it really matter? Dr. Manhattan is blue and his initial race doesn't matter much for the character, get over it. Michael Ealy, however, has the terrific body that is needed considering Dr. Manhattan is shirtless all the time, and enough acting charisma to nail the role. He plays smart characters extremely well, and could be dark and solemn enough to play the unenthused Dr. Manhattan. I'm fairly certain that Ealy could live up to Billy Crudup's portrayal of the character, and could possibly even be better in the role.

Nite Owl (2): Jared Padalecki

This is a stranger option, I know, but I think that Padalecki actually has a lot of characteristics that qualify him for this role. Nite Owl has much more of a conscience than any of the other characters in The Watchmen, and I feel that the kind of person Sam Winchester is perfectly exemplifies this quality. Not to mention, Padalecki has been in superhero shape ever since he started Supernatural roughly 11 years ago. He has the body and the acting skills for this role, so I see no reason why he couldn't play Nite Owl.

Rorschach: Aaron Paul

This is another strange choice that a lot of people may not agree with, but Aaron Paul has a lot more qualities in common with Rorschach than you may think. For one he has the body stature, being short and on the skinnier side, and I think that he has enough grit to bring the character to life. He has a gruff voice that could easily be turned into that of Rorschach's, and he's a terrific actor that I would love to see in more action roles. He can't be Jesse Pinkman forever, and I think that this could be the next role he's known for being terrific in.

Silk Spectre (2): Jennifer Carpenter

Jennifer Carpenter is most used to playing roles like secret agents or detectives, but I still believe she has enough range to play this character. She's played a badass, she's played the love interest, and she's played characters that are heroes in their own ways. She's perfectly exemplified internal conflicts in several of her roles, and I think that she could use that as Silk Spectre. Besides that, she has the look for the character, and is in terrific shape for a physically demanding role.

Ozymandias: Matt Bomer

Matt Bomer is the perfect person to take over this role because he has such a screen presence and so much acting charisma that he could very well play the smartest man in the world. It wouldn't be difficult for Bomer at all to play the mastermind behind the entire Watchmen story, and he has the look for the character too. Despite having dark hair, Bomer has the body (being a Magic Mike co-star alongside Joe Manganiello) and a facial structure that complements Matthew Goode. If he were to dye his hair blonde, then he would be the absolute perfect Ozymandias.