After the controversial casting of Chris Pratt as the voice of Mario in an animated Super Mario Brothers movie was announced, news had broke that Pratt has also been cast as the voice of the iconic comic-strip cat character, Garfield. As to be expected, some people were not thrilled by this decision either.
Fans of the character can agree that Pratt is an extremely talented performer, but some feel that his upbeat attitude and energetic voice don't match Garfield's grumpy and lazy "I hate Mondays" attitude. Many dissenting voices have recently taken to Reddit to express some ideas for potential replacements.
Brett Gelman
Known for his roles on the Adult Swim series Eagleheart and BBC's Fleabag, Brett Gelman has also gained a new level of fame after recently being promoted to a main cast member as Murray Bauman on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Reddit Johnthebaddist named Brian Tyree Henry and Rob Huebel before settling on Gelman, while visionaryredditor agreed in a reply, calling it "an amazing suggestion."
Gelman has played many jerk-like characters before, so he seems perfectly equipped to handle a role like Garfield. His monotone speaking voice could also be considered a major plus for such a character.
Steven Wright
While not exactly known for his film work or his acting work in general, stand-up comedian Steven Wright is known for emotionless, deadpan comedy. Just based on the sound of his voice alone, BKupvoter seems to think he'd be a better fit, saying "Think of his voice, now picture Garfield."
While the sound of Wright's voice may be more suitable than Pratt's, with his lethargic and slow-moving delivery, the one thing that keeps this choice out of the realm of possibility is his lack of star power. Wright is well-known and beloved amongst fans of stand-up comedy, but less so to casual mainstream moviegoers. Wright's not exactly a leading man type either, and the choice of putting him as the main star of a movie probably won't do much to help its box office numbers and draw in audiences.
Keanu Reeves
In recent years, the film career of Keanu Reeves has experienced quite a renaissance. From the the funny internet memes of Reeves, moviegoers have found a new love for his more relaxed approach to acting and the undeniable charm that comes with it.
name Batmanlover1 argues how the character of Garfield "has never been particularly expressive," unlike Pratt, and they've named Reeves as their top choice to replace him. With Reeve's laid-back manner of speaking, he could very easily channel that into Garfield's lazy, nonchalant, couldn't-care-less attitude.
Paul Rudd
He may have recently been voted "Sexiest Man Alive" by Ant-Man, he's known mostly for his roles in comedies, and Reddit coolhandk seems to think that Rudd "would have made a great Garfield."
His role as Danny in the classic 2008 comedy Role Models proves just how well he can handle cynical and jaded characters. If he could also find a way to channel energy similar to his performance as the lazy and incompetent Andy from Wet Hot American Summer to behind the microphone, his take on Garfield might end up being a pleasant surprise.
Dave Bautista
Former WWE champion turned blockbuster film star Dave Bautista may seem like an unusual preferred choice for the overweight cat. However, name Guardian's of the Galaxy costar "would have given a better Garfield performance."
His timid and gruff baritone speaking voice may be an off-putting quality to give a character like Garfield, but if Bautista can turn in a good enough performance, that could be easily overlooked. He's proven time and time again how strong his comedic sensibilities are, and his role in the MCU is a great example, with his performance as Drax having some of the funniest moments in both Guardians films.
Danny DeVito
In a similar way to how he was the fan-favorite choice for the voice of 2018's Detective Pikachu before Ryan Reynolds was cast, Danny DeVito was mentioned by ChrisTuckerAvenue as their choice to replace Pratt, claiming "I'd kill for a Danny DeVito Garfield."
Given DeVito's gruff voice and acting style, he might have to tone it down a little bit in order to match Garfield's more mellow and careless persona. He's become such a meme in recent years, especially with all of the "WTF moments" he's had on Always Sunny, that it's possible that this idea is meant as just a way of trying to satisfy the internet, but it's still an interesting bit of casting nonetheless.
Benedict Cumberbatch
One of the biggest actors in the world and a fellow MCU cast member, Benedict Cumberbatch was mentioned by CalvinFragilistic as his choice, saying "If they wanted someone from the MCU, I'd rather hear Benedict Cumberbatch's take." Given the unbelievable range that Cumberbatch has, it's difficult to imagine him of all people not being able to pull off Garfield.
He's displayed his talents for voice acting before, having portrayed a similar, yet far more cynical character as the titular Grinch in the 2018 Illumination film based on the Dr. Seuss classic. He's also shown that he's more than capable of doing a convincing American accent, both as the Grinch and in his appearances as Doctor Strange.
H. Jon Benjamin
Those that are unfamiliar with the name H. Jon Benjamin might be much more familiar with his voice. Over the last decade, the comedian has been the voice behind Bob Belcher and Sterling Archer on the highly successful animated television shows Bob's Burgers and Archer, respectively.
It's easy to see why afternoon_sun_robot "was hoping for H. Jon Benjamin" to be the voice coming out of Garfield. Not only is he an accomplished voice actor, but his speaking voice's natural deadpan and somewhat smart-aleck tone would be an ideal match.
Bill Murray (Again)
Bill Murray had previously voiced the character in two live-action adaptations from 2004 to 2006. Since the news of Pratt's casting broke, several Reddit s have called for Murray to take another shot at the role, with Solidplasticmonkey responding to the initial announcement with one simple sentence: "No, bring back Bill Murray."
The two live-action films were panned by critics, and Murray himself considers them to be two of the worst films of his career. Despite the overall negative reputation carried by the duology and the unlikelihood that Murray would consider reprising the role, it's agreed by several Redditors that his voice was a spot-on fit for the character.
Nick Offerman
name Parks and Recreation co-star Nick Offerman would "be a perfect Garfield." Out of all the comments on the threads related to the subject, Offerman's name was one of the only a few to be mentioned more than once.
If his time as Ron Swanson has taught the world anything, it's that he's fully capable of doing a lot more than just ing character roles, and one of the great comic actors of his time. With his on-point comedic timing, deadpan style of delivery and prior experience in voice acting, Offerman certainly feels like the ideal choice for the role of a slovenly and gluttonous cat with a glazed look in the eye.
