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I love Josh Holloway.  He was easily one of my favorite characters on LOST (as “Sawyer”), and he’s got a great presence about him that’s begging to be on the big screen.  Before Chris Evans was announced to be Captain America in THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA, I had frequently said to my friends in the industry that Josh Holloway would have been a terrific Cap.  Apparently the folks at Marvel are indeed seeing potential in the competent actor.  Today Collider is reporting rumors are flying around that the studio is talking to Holloway about possibly starring in an upcoming film project.  Now before you get too excited, there’s still no definitive word on which character they have in mind, though the speculation has certainly begun.  Collider thinks either Ant-Man, Hawkeye, or Dum Dum Dugan could be amongst the possible choices.  They also noted the Wikipedia entries for each character:

ANT-MAN

Henry Pym is a biochemist initially married to a Hungarian woman, Maria Trovaya, who is later killed by the Hungarian Secret Police. Shortly afterward, Pym discovers what he calls “Pym particles,” a rare group of subatomic particles from which he formulates a size-altering formula. Testing the solution on himself, Pym discovers that one type of particles shrinks objects while the other restores an object to its natural size. Pym shrinks himself to the size of an insect and has a dangerous encounter with ants from a nearby anthill. After restoring himself and undertaking an exhaustive study of ants, Pym constructs a cybernetic helmet that allows him to communicate with and control ants. Pym designs a costume and reinvents himself as the superhero Ant-Man.

Edgar Wright (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD) has been attached to the ANT-MAN movie for a while.  Though there’s been little forward motion (from what it seems), the project appears to be far from dead.  I’m not sure if Ant-Man would work on the big screen, but we’ve seen weirder.

HAWKEYE

Clint Barton was an orphan, and ran away from the orphanage as a pre-teen to join the circus as a carnival performer, where he was trained in the use of the bow and arrow by the Swordsman and Trickshot. When he discovered that his mentors were both criminals he rejected them, leading to a beating by Swordsman which left Barton badly injured and hospitalized. Years later, he saw Iron Man in action, and was inspired and decided to become a costumed hero called Hawkeye.

Jeremy Renner (THE HURT LOCKER) has been rumored for this part, even recently, but some fans feel he may not have the right look.  I think Holloway could certainly pull it off.  I like Renner, and wouldn’t mind seeing him as Hawkeye, but I can honestly say I’d be a little more excited to see what Josh could do with it..

DUM DUM DUGAN

Dugan was born in Boston, Massachusetts. During World War II, while working as a circus strongman, Dugan helps Nick Fury and Sam “Happy” Sawyer escape the Nazis during a mission recounted in issue 34. Dugan later joins the British Army, and when Sawyer is charged with creating Fury’s First Attack Squad, also known as the Howling Commandos, Sawyer invites Dugan to become second in command. His exceptional strength saves the day in several of his adventures in the Sgt. Fury comic books.

Now this is interesting.  With talk of a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie on the way, and with Dugan being Nick Fury’s right-hand man, I’d love to see Holloway play off of Samuel L. Jackson on the big screen.  He’d have to have the mustache though, no doubt about it.  Dugan without it would be like a clean-shaven Tom Selleck – it just wouldn’t look right.

While we’re playing the wishful thinking game, let me throw out a few other possible characters we could see Josh Holloway take on.

Daredevil – there’s already been talk that Marvel wants to revamp Daredevil with a new movie. I can totally see Josh Holloway at Matt Murdock. Just throw some sunglasses on him and you’re done. This would also be a “bigger” starring role for the guy, as opposed to playing a supporting character in another movie based on a team. While I always thought Matt Damon was the obvious choice for this role, it seems more and more like that’s not going to happen. Why not give Holloway a shot at playing The Man Without Fear?

From Wikipedia: Living in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, Matt Murdock is blinded by a radioactive substance that falls from an oncoming vehicle. Despite not being able to see anymore, the radioactive exposure heightens his remaining senses beyond normal human ability. His father, a boxer named Jack Murdock, supports him as he grows up, though he is later killed by gangsters after refusing to throw a fight. After donning a yellow and black, and later a dark red costume, Matt seeks out revenge against his father’s killers as the superhero Daredevil, fighting against his many enemies including Bullseye and the Kingpin. Daredevil’s nickname is “the Man Without Fear”

Rick Jones/Captain Mar-Vell – A character that started out as a best friend to The Hulk, moved on to work with Captain America, and eventually became Captain Marvel. There’s a lot to work with here. There’s also still no word on what role if any Hulk will play in the Avengers movie. This could be a character the works its way into the story nicely, and gives Holloway plenty to do.

From Wikipedia: Rick Jones was born in Scarsdale, Arizona. He lost his parents at a young age and grew up at an orphanage. He gains notoriety when he accepts a dare to drive out to a bomb testing ground in New Mexico. As luck would have it, the gamma bomb designed by Dr. Bruce Banner is being tested. Dr. Banner pushes Rick into a protective trench, saving his life but absorbing the gamma rays that first transform him into the Hulk. Rick then becomes the sole confidant of the Hulk’s true identity. Rick’s guilt over causing the incident (and lack of any other place to go) leads him to stay close to Dr. Banner and his alter ego, spending some time as the Hulk’s sidekick. For a time, he even gains mental control over the Hulk. Eventually the dangerous unpredictability of the Hulk forces Rick to keep his distance. Rick forms the Teen Brigade, a loose network of teenagers with ham radios throughout the United States. The first Teen Brigade played a role in the origin of the Avengers, because it was the tampering of a radio transmission the Brigade intended to send to the Fantastic Four that brought the original Avengers (Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, and Thor) together to fight the Hulk as part of a plan by Loki. Loki’s plan backfires and the Avengers are formed. After the Hulk’s departure from the team, Rick remains close to the Avengers, earning a position as an honorary Avenger. He became close to the recently revived Captain America although his guilt leads him to leave the Avengers and seek out Banner and the Hulk for a time. Captain America rescues Rick from one of the Hulk’s rampages, and Rick becomes Captain America’s sidekick. Rick briefly takes the title and uniform of Bucky, Cap’s long-dead partner. This was on Jones’ own insistence: Cap continues to have guilty objections, noting that others have lost partners and it was time to move on. Rick’s brief time as Bucky gave him the training to survive around superheroes to this day. Shortly after his split with Captain America, Rick joined with the Kree Captain Marvel when he finds himself drawn to the mystical Nega-Bands. Donning the Bands, he is immediately linked to Captain Marvel. Once joined, one of the two remains in a protective bubble in the Negative Zone. After either the person not in the negative zone strikes the Nega-Bands together or a certain amount of time passes, the two switch places.

Gambit – he was already at one point rumored to play this part, but the role went to Taylor Kitsch in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. However, fans weren’t exactly thrilled with his portrayal of the character, and maybe this could be a chance to make things right for Marvel. With all the X-MEN projects on the horizon, why not consider it?  Holloway certainly has the look (and the hair!) to play the part, and chances are a solo film could be a smart move for everyone involved… as long as it doesn’t turn out like ELEKTRA… yeesh.

From Wikipedia: Gambit (Remy Etienne LeBeau) possesses the ability to manipulate kinetic energy, as well as a hypnotic charm. He is also skilled in card-throwing, hand-to-hand combat, and the use of a staff. Originally a professional thief, few X-Men trusted Gambit when he first joined the group. There was consistently a source of stress between him and his on and off, although longterm, love interest Rogue. This was exacerbated when his connections to villain Mister Sinister were revealed, although some of his team members accept that Gambit honestly seeks redemption. As the X-Men’s self-described ladies’ man, Gambit has shown a more vulnerable side of himself over the years, especially when it comes to Rogue. Gambit remains fiercely proud of his Louisiana heritage, and speaks in a very thick Cajun accent.

So what about you guys? Who would you like to see Josh Holloway play on the big screen? Does the idea of him taking on a Marvel character appeal to you? Tell us in the comments below!

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