Although it’s been a while since the lastupdate on Wes Ball’sThe Legend of Zeldamovie, the movie is still set for production and aims to bring the beloved Nintendo game series to the big screen in live-action. There haven’t been any casting announcements yet, which has allowed fans of the original games to wildly speculate about which popular actresses could be suitable candidates for the titular role. Unsurprisingly,Princess Zelda plays an enormous role in the games(and likely the movie), so it’s important that her actress is somebody with a strong physical and behavioral resemblance.
Following the enormous success of theSuper Mario Bros. Movie, there’s finally reason to believe thatThe Legend of Zeldacan overcome the video game movie curse. The subgenre has famously failed time and time again, with countless directors not managing to capture the magic of video games on the big screen. ButThe Super Mario Bros.movie proved that it’s possible, and much of that came down to its hugely entertaining cast. IfThe Legend of Zeldawants to find the same success,it has to get the casting right.
10Saoirse Ronan
Known For: Lady Bird, Little Women
Saoirse Ronan’s name has been associated with Princess Zelda fancasts since long before the project was announced, and while she’s now older than the character in the original video games, she’d still be an excellent candidate for the job.The actress has appeared in countless beloved movies, from Wes Anderson’sThe Grand Budapest Hotelto Greta Gerwig’sLittle Women, displaying a huge range that would undoubtedly come in handy forThe Legend of Zelda.
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Ronan has been acting since her early years, so it would be a very full-circle moment to see her play the character that she’s been fancast as since she was much younger. It would also mark a huge change for the actress, asshe’s not usually associated with big-budget franchisesor studio movies like this. She more frequently devotes her time to smaller indie movies, butThe Legend of Zeldaseems like a fitting project to break the mold.
9Elle Fanning
Known For: The Great, Maleficent
Elle Fanning also began her career as a child actress with projects such asDaddy Day CareandBabel, getting her real “big break” in J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi adventureSuper 8. The actress has been frequently cited among the top choices to play Princess Zelda, likely because of their similar physical appearances, but also becauseFanning has plenty of experience working on big-budget studio filmslikeMaleficent, where she also played a beloved princess in Aurora.
Fanning’s work as Aurora was likely the biggest contributor to her name getting thrown in the ring forThe Legend of Zelda, as the two characters have fairly similar personalities and serve much the same roles in their respective stories. While Zelda is more independent and fierce than Aurora,Fanning’s performance inMaleficenthints that she could bring these qualitiesto the character. The only obstacle to her involvement inThe Legend of ZeldaisFanning’s commitment to appearing inBadlands, which could overlap with the production stage.
8McKenna Grace
Known For: Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Young Sheldon
IfThe Legend of Zeldamovie wants to stay more accurate to the video games and cast somebody younger to play Zelda, McKenna Grace would be an excellent choice for the character.The actress is best known for her work in the recentGhostbusterlegacy sequels,where she played Phoebe. Her character easily stood out in those movies, as she was such a strong figure that she held her own alongside the original cast and helped make the films stand out for a new generation.
The character’s youth brings a whole new level of danger to the adventures that she has with Link, and that aspect of the story might not land as strongly with an older, more recognizable fact at the helm of the story.
Casting an older actress could be a smart way of subverting expectations for the live-action adaptation, but a younger actress like Grace would be more faithful to the spirit of the games. The character’s youth brings a whole new level of danger to the adventures that she has with Link, and that aspect of the story might not land as strongly with an older, more recognizable fact at the helm of the story. If theLegend of Zeldamovie decides to adaptOcarina of Time, as many fans are hoping, Zelda’s character will play an even larger role than expected.
7Anya Taylor-Joy
Known For: The Queen’s Gambit, Furiosa
Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the biggest names that fans have placed in contention for Princess Zelda, and much of that comes from her work as Princess Peach inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie. Although the two characters are very different, they have certain similarities that would make the actress a perfect choice for this role.Zelda is typically more experienced and independent than Peach, which are qualities that Taylor-Joy has continually proved herself capable of capturing. Her work inFuriosawas a perfect example of this.
While it would undeniably be fun to see a lesser-known actress inThe Legend of Zelda’s lead role, Anya Taylor-Joy’s name has been in the discussion for this character since the very first whispers of a live-action movie.Not only does the actress look very similar to Zelda’s original character design, but she also has the sharp sense of humor and self-assured strength that are crucial to getting this character right and avoiding the typical Princess stereotypes.
6Thomasin McKenzie
Known For: Jojo Rabbit, Last Night In Soho
Thomasin McKenzie is another example of a younger actress who could perfectly capture the brash naivety of Zelda’s character without her seeming too vulnerable or careless. The actress first rose to fame in Taika Waititi’sJojo Rabbit, where she played a young girl named Elsa who was hiding from the Nazis. From there,McKenzie has continually chosen interesting rolesthat give her plenty of material to work with, such as Sherre in Netflix’sLost Girlsand Eloise in Edgar Wright’sLast Night In Soho.
Thomasin McKenzie may not be the boldest or riskiest choice, but she’s guaranteed to bring a much-needed strength and individuality to the character that audiences can bank on.
The Legend of Zeldamovie faces countless challengesin trying to adapt the beloved video games, and casting the lead characters is the first huge obstacle that it needs to overcome.Thomasin McKenzie may not be the boldest or riskiest choice, but she’s guaranteed to bring a much-needed strength and individuality to the character that audiences can bank on. She’s the perfect age for the role, and her experience working on big-budget productions likeJojo RabbitandOldshould cement her as a safe choice.
5Milly Alcock
Known For: House Of The Dragon, Superman: Legacy
While Milly Alcock doesn’t have as many projects under her belt as other actresses whose names have been put forward for Princess Zelda, that doesn’t make her any less deserving of the role.The Australian actress rose to fame as Princess Rhaenyra in HBO’sHouse of the Dragonseries, which gave her all the experience she could possibly need to play Nintendo’s surprisingly similar royal hero. She’s young enough to capture Zelda’s innocence while also having the sharp humor and fortitude to subvert the stereotypes associated with video game princesses.
Milly Alcock will also be making an appearance as Supergirl in James Gunn’s upcomingSupermanfilm, which kicks off the new era of the DC movie universe. This could damage her chances of landingThe Legend of Zelda, as her character will likely be committed to multiple films. It’s no secret that big-budget superhero movies can take up lots of time for all actors involved, so it may be too much of a commitment for Alcock to take onThe Legend of Zeldatoo.
4Grace Van Dien
Known For: Stranger Things, Greenhouse Academy
Though she’s appeared in several other projects before it, Grace Van Dien’s big break came in Season 4 of Netflix’sStranger Things, where she played the character of Chrissy. While the character died fairly quickly into the story, she left a major impression on audiences, and her name was soon added to the ever-growing pool of Zelda candidates. Chrissy was the perfect blend of charming innocence and self-assured confidence that Zelda is known for, and the physical resemblance is certainly there.
It’sunlikely that Chrissy will return toStranger Things,and Van Dien hasn’t appeared in anything of the same magnitude since then - butThe Legend of Zeldacould easily be the project that thrusts her back into the spotlight. She’s slightly older than most of the actresses in contention, but she convincingly played a high school student inStranger Things,so that wouldn’t be much of an issue.
3Bella Ramsey
Known For: Game Of Thrones, The Last Of Us
Bella Ramsey’s name isn’t one that’s often thrown around in discussions aboutThe Legend of Zelda, but they would be a fascinating choice for the role nevertheless. The actor has a history of playing complex, non-traditional roles that refuse to conform to stereotypes - just like Princess Zelda.They first appeared as Lyanna Mormont in HBO’sGame of Thrones, before taking on the lead role of Ellie inThe Last of Us.Both characters are strong, fierce young girls who stand up for themselves in the face of danger.
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Casting Ramsey as Princess Zelda definitely wouldn’t be the obvious choice, as the physical resemblance isn’t immediately there, but it would be a subversive and unexpected one all the same. It would prove thatThe Legend of Zeldais trying to do something different, rather than sticking too closely to the often formulaic “damsel in distress” tropes of the video games.
2Cailee Spaeny
Known For: Priscilla, Civil War
Cailee Spaeny is another example of an actress who’s never been afraid to break the mold and adopt roles that clearly push against the traditional tropes of female characters. Her work inAlien: RomulusandCivil Warimmediately cemented her as a fierce screen presence who can adapt herself to any genre, and whileThe Legend of Zeldawould be completely different from both of those projects, it would require the same skills.
It’s easy to imagine Spaeny wielding the classic weapons and gadgets fromThe Legend of Zeldavideo games, giving the character a dynamic edge that’s missing from other Nintendo princesses like Peach or Daisy.
It’s easy to imagine Spaeny wielding theclassic weapons and gadgets fromThe Legend of Zeldavideo games, giving the character a dynamic edge that’s missing from other Nintendo princesses like Peach or Daisy. She’s much more independent and willing to fight alongside Link instead of relying on him to save her, which is something that fits neatly into Spaeny’s wheelhouse.
1Hunter Schafer
Known For: Euphoria, Kinds Of Kindness
When it was announced thatThe Legend of Zeldawould be made into a live-action movie, Hunter Schafer was among the first names that was thrown into the ring for the lead female role. The actress rose to fame after playing Jules inEuphoria, who was among the show’s most complex and interesting characters. From there,Schafer has made a habit of choosing strong, non-stereotypical rolessuch as Anna inKinds of Kindnessand Gretchen inCuckoo.
Schafer is no stranger to the world of franchise filmmaking either, appearing as Tigris Snow inThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and soon having a starring role in the upcomingBlade Runner 2099miniseries, which marks her transition into the action genre for the first time.The Legend of Zeldawould be another notch in her belt, giving her the opportunity to develop this character in fascinating new ways.
