Top 5 Choices for Nathan Drake Actors

At the beginning of 2014 it was announced that a live action Uncharted film adaptation would be coming to theaters in the future, and that director Seth Gordon would be taking the helm on bringing the infamous Nathan Drake to life on the big screen. Gordon is best known for directing the hit comedies Horrible Bosses and Identity Theft.

With filming to begin later in 2015, we have to ask the question of who, if anyone, can play the heroic, rugged and cunning leading man, Nathan Drake. Will they go with a A-list celebrity or find an unknown actor to fill the dirty shoes of Drake?

We have complied (in no particular order) our top 5 picks of actors we feel can do Nathan Drake’s character justice on the silver screen.

Nathan Fillion

I figured I would start with this because, for a lot of us, it’s the most obvious. The majority people I ask say Nathan Fillion would make the perfect Nathan Drake, and for good reason! He IS Nathan Drake. Uncharted creator Naughty Dog even confirmed they based Drake off of Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly.

The down side? Father time. Back in his Firefly days, Fillion was the perfect Drake in personality and size. Nowadays, the space cowboy has gained a lot of muscle and with it, weight. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Fillion could pull a Chris Pratt and slim down to Drake size, and the movie could be set after the games story line making Drake a bit older.

Bradley Cooper

Hands down the most famous actor on this list; I wouldn’t be surprised if Cooper isn’t already in talks to play Nathan Drake. It’s the best of both worlds. For the movie makers, Cooper is one of the hottest stars in Hollywood that would definitely sell tickets to people not familiar with the games. For fans of the game, Cooper has proven he can do comedy and play the charming, cocky guy you just have to love (The Hangover) and you can’t tell me that his portrayal of “Face” in the film adaptation of the A-Team wasn’t a perfect Nathan Drake. I honestly do not see any down side to this casting.

Jensen Ackles

He’s definitely not an “A-Lister” like most of these picks, but don’t count Jensen Ackles out as one of our choices to play Drake. Ackles is best knowm for his role as Dean Winchester on CW‘s Supernatural; Dean is a tough and savvy hunter who can beat up any guy (demon, or other supernatural creature) and melt a girls heart with a smile. Sound familiar? Ackles has proven himself both the tough guy and the funny man; even in ridiculous situations he can still spit out the one liners just like Drake.

Joe Flanigan

Joe Flanigan may be a lesser known actor, but that may work in the filmmakers favor of a cheaper contract. Flanigan is known for his role as John Sheppard on SyFy‘s Stargate: Atlantis where he plays a character similar to Drake; showing off his acting prowess in a range of action-filled scenes. But, he also brings a bit of comedy and emotion to the role as well, which could be perfect for Drake.

Flanigan has even expressed interest in playing Drake on social media, stating “I would love to play Nathan Drake! And I’m damn good at the game too!”

The down side with Flanigan is the same as Nathan Fillion in terms of their age, but if the filmmakers choose to use either actor, they’ll find that age is merely a number and the story could very well be set a little bit later than the games.

Sam Worthington

Since starring in James Cameron’s Avatar, Worthington’s career hit a bit of a slump. With his film Clash of Titans and its sequel not doing as well in theatres as everyone would have hoped, Worthington is looking to get back in the saddle and show you what he can do.

The down side with this choice is that we have never really seen him take on a comedic roll, or even bring much comedy to his other characters. While he nails the big action part of the Drake role, could he pull off that smart ass, cocky Nathan Drake attitude we all know and love?