My Hero Academia is one of the latest animes to be getting the live-action makeover from Netflix, and choosing the right cast couldn’t be more important for getting this smash hit series right. Netflix has made a habit of taking beloved anime series and adapting them to live action to varying degrees of success. From the abysmal Death Note remake in 2017 to the recent One Piece adaptation, Netflix appears to be learning from their mistakes and putting out live action anime worth watching.
Unlike many of the other Netflix adaptations, the My Hero Academia movie will be faced with a unique challenge around casting thanks to the enormous cast of characters that are central to the anime series. While animated shows benefit from being able to cast one person to voice multiple characters, the list of prominent characters that need to be a part of the series will require a lot of time and effort to fill. MHA‘s school setting with multiple classes, staff and heroes outside the academy mean that Izuku Midoriya, the main protagonist has a wealth of characters to interact with and help him on his journey to becoming the number one hero. Fortunately, there are plenty of talented young actors who could bring these characters to life.
13 Izuku Midoriya (Deku) – Jack Dylan Grazer
Deku may start his My Hero Academia journey without a powerful quirk, but that doesn’t stop him from being the most hopeful, enthusiastic and determined character in MHA. Jack Dylan Grazer of Shazam! and It fame is the perfect fit for a young man with unyielding hope and bravery despite his slightly smaller stature. Grazer’s previous roles and his physical appearance make him the perfect Izuku Midoriya to climb the leaderboard and train as the successor to the legendary All Might.
12 Katsuki Bakugo – Jacob Tremblay
Katsuki may have grown up with Izuku, but when his powers came in, he knew that it was his destiny to become the greatest hero the world has ever seen, at any cost. Determined to forge a path alone and train harder than anyone else, Katsuki is full of a fiery rage that keeps him laser-focused on his goal. Tremblay has appeared in a number of films where he plays a hopeful and happy young man despite his surroundings. From the thriller films like Room, to horror such as Doctor Sleep, and Before I Wake, Tremblay has experience with darker subject matter. Playing Katsuki could give him the perfect opportunity to explore the darker side of his characters and fight back.
11 Ochaco Uraraka – Lana Condor
Ochaco is brave, smart and hopelessly crushing on the single-minded Izuku. She is also a tactical hero capable of pulling of some impressive moves in a fight. Lana Condor has played the hopeless, and occasionally very clumsy romantic in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before as well as portraying a character who is comfortable jumping into the action in movies like Alita: Battle Angel. With the capacity to pull off both clumsy and goofy, as well as confident and composed, Lana would be the perfect Ochaco.
10 Tenya Ida – Iko Uwais
Tenya Ida is the class president for Class 1A, and while he does his best to keep control of the class, he sometimes struggles to keep everyone on task. When the class goes running headfirst into a fight, Tenya Ida uses his quirk to launch straight into the action alongside his classmates and display his impressive martial art skills. Iko Uwais is also a talented martial artist who could show off Tenya’s skills in combat and be a calming voice when needed.
9 Shoto Todoroki – Tony Jaa
Shoto possesses a dual quirk that allows him to manipulate both fire and ice. This duality is also reflected in his personality as he is both a quiet, mysterious and reserved young man, until he lifts the lid on his powers and lets his incredible powers and anger flow through him. Tony Jaa could easily portray the quiet and mysterious Shoto before unleashing his incredible skills in combat. Having been compared to great martial artists like Bruce Lee, Jaa certainly has the quiet power, all that remains to be seen is if he can let his anger flow.
8 Eijiro Kirishima – Jacob Bertrand
Eijiro is wild, strong and a little crazy, not unlike Bertrand’s character Hawk in Cobra Kai. A hero with the ability to harden their skin like stone, Eijiro relies on his combat abilities to take his powers from purely defensive to an absolute weapon. Bertrand is already comfortable playing a spiky-haired, macho, competitive martial artist and could easily make this role his own.
7 Tsuyu Asui – Bella Ramsey
Tsuyu’s quirk grants them a number of abilities in common with frogs, from jumping great distances, to an extendable tongue and more. Tsuyu is also very intelligent and can be relied on to make a plan and protect her friends, as well as a little odd. Bella has shown their ability to play both an intelligent and quick-witted character in The Last of Us as well as showing off their quirkier side in roles such as the voice for Hilda and Catherine Called Birdy.
6 Momo Yaoyorozu – Zendaya
Momo is confident, strong, a natural leader and known for her good looks. Zendaya has repeatedly shown her ability to play confident, strong leading woman in films like Dune and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Zendaya would absolutely take control as Momo and bring new dimensions to the character for live action, thanks to her commanding presence and unyielding confidence.
5 Mina Ashido – Halle Bailey
Mina is incredibly bubbly and friendly, but she also struggles with being left out or feeling alone. The sadness and yearning for friendship and to be seen as shown in Halle’s role in The Little Mermaid make her a great fit for this role. Displaying a friendly and outgoing personality with a strong loyalty to her friends, Mina needs a strong personality, and Halle’s experience as a leading lady can set her up to give Mina a solid arc for MHA.
4 Kyoka Jiro – Jenna Ortega
Kyoka is comfortable in her own skin and enjoys her alone time listening to music. Full of confidence and another highly intelligent character, Ortega displayed her ability to play the strong silent type in Wednesday as well as an ability to open up in You. Ortega’s performance as Wednesday made her a particularly strong candidate to play the Kyoka and bring out her character from the solo act into a team player.
3 Enji Todoroki (Endeavor) – Dave Bautista
Endeavor is ranked as the official second most powerful hero in the series. He is big, hot-headed and angry. Bautista’s history as a wrestler and his experience acting in several meathead roles mean he could really bring Endeavor to life complete with the rippling muscles and wild aggression. Beyond that, Bautista’s ability to bring real heart and emotion to a role would give Endeavor layers in My Hero Academia that another actor of his physical stature might lack.
2 Toshinori Yagi (All Might) – Ryan Reynolds
All Might is the champion and number one hero in the series. Strong, confident, humorous and a little goofy, he also transforms between his powered-up hero persona and an extremely skinny character when he needs to recover. Reynolds has the physique to play a powerful hero as seen in Deadpool as well as the comic chops to laugh off danger and keep positive even in his weakest form.
1 Tomura Shigaraki – James McAvoy
Shigaraki is the main antagonist in My Hero Academia, full of anger, hatred and a determination to wrestle power away from others. McAvoy’s ability to play a villain as seen in Split and Glass with an aspect of unpredictability and a touch of madness make him perfect for inhabiting the power-hungry villain. In addition, McAvoy’s experience in a variety of heroic roles such as Professor X in X-Men: First Class and Wesley in Wanted mean he could provide Shigaraki with a meaningful arc from hero to villain if given the chance.
