Mike Flanagan's Dark Tower Series Already Missed Its Best Casting Opportunity

Key Takeaways

Mike Flanagan’s The Dark Tower series should have an exciting ensemble cast.
Aaron Paul would have been perfect for Eddie Dean a few years ago.
Actors Alden Ehrenreich and John Boyega are potential candidates to embody Eddie’s persona these days.

Now that Mike Flanagan is finally going to make Stephen King’s The Dark Tower a reality in the form of a streaming series, it’s time to start thinking about who fans would love to see in the starring roles. Depending on how this whole show ends up, it could be one of the most exciting ensemble casts in quite some time. While Roland is the undeniable lead and star of this particular story, his traveling companions, Eddie, Jake, and Susannah, must be handled and portrayed by capable actors who can embody the fictional characters’ personalities. After all, this story is near and dear to Stephen King fans in a way so many of his other books aren’t. Those other tales are beloved, but they don’t have characters that elicit the level of loyalty that The Gunslinger and his compatriots do.

Having said that, it certainly appears that Mike Flanagan has already made his first misstep. He missed the perfect opportunity to hire the best actor for The Dark Tower series. There was a guy just sitting there who absolutely embodies Eddie Dean in a way that, had the announcement been made, every single Stephen King fan would have nodded their heads knowingly. Granted, it’s now really too late to make this hire, he doesn’t fit it as well, but 10 to 15 years ago it would have been the most perfect of casting calls.

This Stephen King Series Would Be The Perfect Prequel to The Dark Tower

Before Mike Flanagan’s The Dark Tower adaption premieres, this Stephen King series needs to be it’s prequel.

The Perfect Eddie Dean For The Dark Tower

No, Aaron Paul has probably aged out of the role of Eddie, he’s also left the kind of goofy idiot persona behind. But the Aaron Paul that was so popular in Breaking Bad? That Aaron Paul would have been perfect to take on Eddie.

Jesse Pinkman and Eddie Dean. The names almost seem like they could merge together and Aaron Paul would pop out. The actor was able to portray someone who both did quite a bit of drug and sold quite a bit of drug and yet was still seen as charismatic. It takes a unique personality for a criminal to carry that level of charisma and Paul has it.

In The Dark Tower series, Eddie is a drug addict who is transported to the lands of Roland to help The Gunslinger fight against Randall Flagg and his minions and solve the mystery of just what the importance of the tower really is to all the worlds that surround it.

Eddie is also someone who is very charismatic and funny and ends up becoming one of the consciences of the group he’s traveling with. This particular kind of personality is one that Aaron Paul has managed to show, especially in Breaking Bad. He’s someone who plays a character that might not always make the right decision, in fact he might often make the exact wrong decision, but he’s also someone who truly wants to learn from his mistakes and get better. All of those attributes were Jesse Pinkman, even if some of them were hidden. With Aaron Paul likely putting that part of his repertoire behind him, the good news is that some other actors may not be as perfect for the role as the Breaking Bad star was, but they can make it their own.

Alden Ehrenreich Offers A Sarcastic, Charismatic Take

While Han Solo obviously isn’t a drug addict trying to kick the habit, his personality and the way Elgort plays the young version of him could undoubtedly be applied to Eddie Dean. That’s especially the case when you consider most of what Han is doing in Solo is because he wants to try and win back the woman he loves.

Ehrenreich also exudes the kind of charisma that Eddie leans on to navigate the Dark Tower’s world. At this point, he’s also shown that he can be a nice, calm actor delivering important lines or get in the thick of it in action scenes.

John Boyega Brings Seriousness To The Role

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Interestingly enough, it feels like the two best choices for Eddie Dean come from the Star Wars franchise. John Boyega would definitely play a different take on Eddie than Alden would. He might be a guy who is a bit more jaded on the outside but once again, has a heart of gold once he bonds with the people he’s traveling the worlds with.

Boyega could also play someone who is a bit more reluctant to be a hero like he was in Pacific Rim: Uprising. Someone who needs to be brought along and transformed into a do-gooder. That’s certainly part of the character in the Stephen King books.

Several actors will almost certainly be given a shot at playing Eddie, Susannah, Roland, and Jake. But it is a shame that The Dark Tower did not come along sooner to see someone like Aaron Paul breathe life into an iconic character.

Stephen King

Stephen King is one of the most prolific living authors. A master of horror, King’s classic works include The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, It, and the Dark Tower series. Many of his books and short stories have been adapted to film and television, including The Shawshank Redemption, Lisey’s Story, 1408, Secret Window, and The Stand.