Nathan Drake is one of the most beloved characters in the entire history of video games. Heck, Nathan Drake makes Pac-Man look like a farting orangutan. Much discussion has taken place over who should play Nathan Drake should a movie version of the "Uncharted" video game series ever be adapted. Some have ranged from the ridiculous to the insane while others are of a more sublimely realistic augmentation. Let's look at the candidates that have been tossed into the ring so far, shall we?
Johnny Knoxville
According to an IGN article, Nathan Drake is actually based, at least in part, on Johnny Knoxville. But since Drake isn't a total jackass, that just won't due. Okay, in all seriousness, I've never seen but bits of "Jackass" so I don 't know much about Knoxville. I do know that he turned in two great voice acting jobs on "King of the Hill." Most gamers don't seem convinced of the connection.
Tom Cruise
Cruise has the look of Nathan Drake. But after the outpouring of vitriol over Cruise's recent casting as a six-foot-plus character from a series of novels, even Cruise's box office mojo seems unlikely to make this casting a reality.
Mark Wahlberg
C'mon, can we keep this serious, please?
Nathan Fillion
The odds-on favorite of many fans for winning the part of his semi-namesake. Nathan Fillion made his name playing the lovably rakish captain of a spaceship on "Firefly." I actually know him better as a less than lovable fake priest with a psycho-evil foundation from "Buffy." If there is an "Uncharted" movie made in the next few years, it would almost surely star Fillion.
James Roday
My two boys have recently started watching "Psych" and are convinced that James Roday is more than qualified to play Nathan Drake. In the first place, Roday looks like Drake. In the second, Roday's offhand delivery of scripted material that sounds absolutely as though it must be ad-libbed fits in quite nicely with Drake's personality in the games. My boys are not the only ones to forward the fake psychic from "Psych" as Nathan Drake. Most of the others are "Psych" fans, however. If you haven't seen the show and you are convince that Nathan should play Nathan, the give him a chance.
If you think Marky Mark should play Nathan Drake or any role at all…get an education.
For more from Timothy Sexton, Yahoo!'s first Writer of the Year, check out:
Will Nathan Fillion Be Cast as Nathan Drake?
