ThunderCats: Heroes

The Heroes:

 

Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, Rescue Dawn) as CLAUDUS: He is Lion-O's father and the previous Lord of the ThunderCats, who ruled Thundera before its destruction.  In a previous battle with the mutants of Plun-Darr, he lost his sight.  His wife died while giving birth to Lion-O.  He sent Panthro and Grune to find the Book of Omens.  After Grune and Panthro fought bravely for the promotion to general, Claudus told them that he had already given the job to Lynx-O. 

Additional suggestions: Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind).

 

 

Michael Fassbender (X-Men, Prometheus) as JAGA: He is also known as "Jaga the Wise" and is basically the Obi-Wan Kenobi of the series.  It was Jaga who gathered the nobles of the Thundercats to escort Lion-O and the Eye of Thundera to safety, but did not survive the trip to Third Earth as he volunteered to pilot the damaged ship while the others slept.  Because of this, Jaga died of old age.  However, Jaga does reappear on Third Earth as a ghost (seen only by Lion-O at first) to guide him in his lessons and adventures.  He is critical in the development of Lion-O as an adult and leader to the surviving Thundercats. 

Additional suggestions: Liam Neeson (Taken, The Grey); or Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, The Upside).

 

 

Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim) as LION-O: He is the leader and the hereditary Lord of the Thundercats.  He wields the legendary Sword of Omens, which is able to fire bolts of energy and allows Lion-O to see across great distances with its power of "Sight Beyond Sight."  As well as the Claw Shield, a gauntlet that launches grappling lines from its claws.  A mere child of twelve years old at the time of Thundera's destruction, Lion-O aged to adulthood during the trip to Third Earth when his suspension capsule failed.  Although cunning and skillful, he is truly a child in a man's body, and throughout the series, must learn what it takes to become a true leader and gain true maturity. 

Additional suggestions: Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Extraction); Liam Hemsworth (Hunger Games); or Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Immortals).

 

 

Vin Diesel (Fast & Furious, Pitch Black) as PANTHRO: He is a great warrior and loyal soldier to King Claudus.  Physically the strongest Thundercat, but also the chief mechanic/engineer and pilot.  With Tygra's help, he builds all of the vehicles that the ThunderCats use on Third Earth.  Panthro is a stone-cold warrior that lives by the ThunderCat code, but he also has a fear of bats.  In combat, he uses a pair of nunchucks.  The spikes on his chest bands can be used as projectile weapons or as rappelling lines.  On the field of battle, he is cool, calm, and collected.  Because of this, Panthro has gained respect both from friends and enemies alike.  However, due to his warrior personality, he is known to lose his patience with the other ThunderCats. 

Additional suggestions: Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy); Terry Crews (White Chicks, The Longest Yard); Henry Simmons (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.); or Common (Wanted, John Wick).

 

 

Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash, Black Sails) as CHEETARA: She is the last remaining warrior from Thundera's Order of Clerics.  She is as lovely as she is brave and caring.  Often a voice of reason; she is also the bearer of a budding "sixth sense," detecting when something is unsafe or if evil is near.  She has incredible speed, once clocked at 120 mph on a morning jog.  She can maintain this speed only for brief periods, but with it, she is very fast in combat.  Her weapon of choice is a baton that expands into a bo that can grow or shrink to variable lengths.  When not in use, it is attached to her left armband.  She is the only adult female ThunderCat, until the later appearance of Pumyra. 

Additional suggestions: Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy); Blake Lively (The Town, Green Lantern); or Q’oriankin Kilcher (Yellowstone, The New World).

 

 

Garrett Hedlund (Country Strong, Tron Legacy) as TYGRA: As a baby, he was sent to Thundera by his biological father Javan to be raised by Claudus and his wife.  When his foster mother died while giving birth to Lion-O, a deep animosity was created and evolved into a life-long sibling rivalry.  He is like a big brother to Lion-O and officially second-in-command to the leader.  When Lion-O is in doubt, the level-headed Tygra offers wisdom and counsel.  Patient, analytic, and calm, he considers every part of the problem before making a decision.  Known as an architect and a scientist, he designs all the vehicles/structures that Panthro builds for the Thundercats.  In battle, he uses a whip-like bola and can render himself invisible to the naked eye.  His weakness is that he cannot swim.

Additional suggestions: Steven Yeun (Walking Dead, Minari); Sterling K. Brown (American Crime Story, This Is Us); or Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Lion).

 

 

Jack Black (Nacho Libre, Kung Fu Panda) as SNARF: The Snarfs are a race of intelligent cat-like creatures that are plump, fuzzy, and kind.  Snarfs are native to Thundera; living in the Valley of Snarfs.  Many of their numbers act as servants to Thunderean nobility; happily working as cooks, nursemaids, squires, and so forth.  As a boy, Lion-O is given a Snarf by his father Claudus to serve as his nursemaid and protector.  He is an elderly Snarf that is officially named Osbert; which he hates.  After Lion-O grew up, Snarf found that Lion-O did not want to have him "mothering" or protecting him.  However, Snarf remained loyal to his promise to protect Lion-O and, a few times, has come through in a pinch to save his friends.  He has the ability to communicate with other animals on Third Earth and will enlist their help with his tasks.  Due to his age, he is a constant worrier and complainer.  His catch-phrase is “SNARF-SNARF.”

Additional suggestions: Simon Helberg (Big Bang Theory); Danny DeVito (Twins, The Lorax); or Bill Murray (Ghostbusters, Garfield).

 

 

Evan Alex (Us) as WILYKAT: The youngest members of the Thundercats team are the twins, who are commonly referred to as the “Thunderkittens.”  Kat is the older brother and Kit the younger sister.  When their spaceship left Thundera, they were about the same age as Lion-O.  Since their suspension capsules didn't malfunction, they stayed as children.  Due to their age, they are naturally the mischief-makers and often learn their own lessons alongside Lion-O.  Wilykat tends to be the more cautious of the two.

Additional suggestions: Philip Zhao (Ready Player One); Bryce Gheisar (Wonder, A Dog’s Purpose); or Iain Armitage (Young Sheldon).

 

 

Faithe Herman (Shazam!, HBO's Watchmen) as WILYKIT: As twin siblings, Wilykit has a tomboy personality and Wilykat is the more mature half of the duo.  Their agility is often displayed when they ride their "space boards;" specially designed surfboards that can carry them long distances.  Each uses special capsules, balls and other gimmick weapons carried in pouches and on their belts.  They sometimes use slingshots to fire these at the Mutants or other foes.  They also carry trick lariats, with which they can either tangle and ensnare foes, or use to pull themselves out of danger.  Like any adolescents, they’re always getting themselves into trouble while looking for things to do around Third Earth.

Additional suggestions: Raegan Revord (Young Sheldon); McKenna Grace (Gifted, Captain Marvel); or Makenzie Moss (The Unicorn).

 

 

Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy) as LYNX-O: He was a general under Claudus.  As the planet Thundera was dying, he was trying to get to the Thundercats flagship, with Pumyra and Bengali.  Unfortunately, they were too late.  By a cruel twist of fate, Lynx-O was spared the sight of his homeworld’s destruction when a blast of intense heat and fire blinded him moments before he and his two younger companions were rescued by a pair of Berbils.  Their ship was damaged in the explosion and it eventually crashed on Third Earth; a deserted island, where they made their new home.  Because of his blindness, Lynx-O had to adapt to survive on Third Earth and honed his other senses to super-human levels.  His sense of touch, smell, taste, and hearing are far above those of the other ThunderCats.

Additional suggestions: Ice Cube (Ride Along, Boyz N the Hood); Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, Finding Nemo); or Jason Sudeikis (We’re the Millers, Colossal).

 

 

Alexandra Daddario (Percy Jackson, Baywatch) as PUMYRA: She is a healer, who uses her knowledge of Thunderian medicine, combined with the wide range of medical supplies found on Third Earth, to keep her fellow ThunderCats healthy.  Her compassionate nature leads her to search for ways of solving problems or conflict without fighting.  In combat, she uses a special whipcord, which resembles a "cat's tail," that can launch special pellets and spheres like an ancient sling.

Additional suggestions: Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things); Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones, X-Men); or Scarlett Johansson (Avengers, Jojo Rabbit).

 

 

Jake Gyllenhaal (Source Code, Southpaw) as BENGALI: He comes from a long line of blacksmiths; which proved valuable when the Sword of Omens was broken.  In combat, Bengali wields a weapon called the Hammer of Thundera (which he also uses when doing blacksmith-related work).  It can shoot energy blasts and carries smoke pellets in its handle; which causes confusion and provides cover when withdrawing from a fight.

Additional suggestions: Ben Hardy (X-Men, Only the Brave); Tye Sheridan (X-Men, Ready Player One); or Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies, About a Boy).

 

 

To be continued . . .