There’s been some chatter online about the new The Legend of Zelda movie, and I must admit that I need to talk about it. When it comes to upcoming video game adaptations, there are several notable casting choices to point to. Sometimes it’s great, other times it’s not. But we can’t really have a say in it, so usually, we move on.
However, I feel like that hasn’t been the case with The Legend of Zelda. At least for a little bit, online, I’ve seen some people complaining about the new casting for the two main characters – Zelda and Link. While I know a part of us would love to see our faves, I’m here to tell you why the people they cast in this movie are a good thing.
The Legend Of Zelda Itself Is A Huge Franchise To Live Up To
First of all, let’s just put this out here really quickly – I don’t think anyone who was picked was going to please everyone. This fandom is massive. I’m sure there are thousands of fancasts out there with fans envisioning who they believe would play the best Zelda and Link.
The Legend of Zelda is closely associated with the rise of video games. It became one of the biggest franchises in the 1980s and has spawned an entire world market decades later. Some of the biggest games on the Nintendo Switch are Zelda releases – The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom.
Because this series is so beloved, there was really no way to cast the perfect version, because we all have different ideas of who. Honestly, the same thing goes for many upcoming book-to-screen adaptations. Most people never really know who to cast because everyone has different ideas of who that person looks like, but no matter what, no one is ever entirely pleased with whomever is eventually cast. It’s a catch-22.
Casting Unknown Actors Opens Up To A Proper Adaptation And Less Time Spent On Budgeting For Stars
However, there are numerous compelling reasons why this is a significant development. Let me introduce you to these actors – according to Nintendo Director Shigeru Miyamoto, on X, Zelda and Link will be portrayed by Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth. I’m sure not many of you know those names, and you shouldn’t, because they haven’t really done much to gain fame, hence the reason I refer to them as “unknowns.”
They’ve done a few shows here and there, some big, some not so big (Ainsworth was in The Haunting of Bly Manor, which is fantastic). But to most of the world, these are relatively unknown leads. And this is honestly awesome.
I’m not the biggest fan of casting entire star-studded casts for a film. Sure, it’s fun to see all the names in the trailers leading up to the film and possibly hearing their voices when you go see the movie. However, there’s also the fact that sometimes, casting these big names can lead to other, unknown actors who might have been even better not getting the chance to perform.
For example, this occurs frequently in animated films. There are voice actors for a reason, but when you see these giant franchises with huge names attached to them, sometimes it feels like they’re just there for the paycheck and not because they genuinely love voice-acting.
These two actors being cast are perfect because it really opens up a lot of budget to ensure that the film gets done right, without spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these stars. Don’t get me wrong, I do think they should be rightfully compensated, but you know how some of these actors are – they get paychecks that could be for several houses sometimes.
Having unknowns leads to a better work environment, where the proper budget can be allocated for the right sets, costumes, and more to make this world come alive. And that’s great.
The Nintendo Director Himself Supports The Cast
This is another major thing – the Director of Nintendo himself, Shigeru Miyamoto, supports these two. He was the one who made the announcement, which is significant.
When the creator of a franchise steps away from the live-action product, sometimes it means they disagree with the direction it is taking. That happened with the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, even if I loved it.
Shigeru Miyamoto is the co-creator of The Legend of Zelda. If he did not support these two young actors to bring the tale to the big screen, I fully believe he would step away from this. I don’t think he would willingly participate in the film unless he agreed. The fact that he was the one who told the world speaks volumes.
Unknown Actors Cast In Huge Things Tend To Do Really Well – Like The Harry Potter Franchise
There is another significant benefit: casting unknown actors, or child actors who haven’t had as much experience, often leads to great results. I have to point out the Harry Potter franchise. As someone who has spent her entire life loving the Harry Potter movies, I really think it was because I got to watch the actors grow up with the timelines and the story.
Before they became the iconic Harry Potter cast, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint were unknown names. They were new kids to the world of film, and everyone had their eyes on them. They killed it. It’s the same with the latest trio of Harry Potter kids for the new TV show, and I think they’re going to rock it too.
I’m not saying that all relatively young actors are the best pick all the time, but in history, when it comes to adaptations like this, I think it’s the key. And I really do believe that a big corporation like Nintendo is aware of this.
Their Ages Canonically Link Up To How The Characters Should Be
The biggest issue I had with some of the fan casting for the characters is that many of the actors fans had picked out were already in their late twenties/thirties. That’s fine and all, but it’s not the proper casting for this kind of film.
An example of a fancast Zelda is the actress Hunter Schafer from the Euphoria cast. She’s great, but she’s pushing 27 later this year in December, and Zelda has never been that old in the franchise. This isn’t The CW. We don’t need our teenagers to look like fully grown adults. I think the only case where she’s really that much older would be in Tears of the Kingdom, but even then, she’s, like, twenty, and I doubt they’re adapting that story.
The same goes for some people believing that Tom Holland should have been Link. He just turned 29 in June. Link is not even close to that age. Sure, he’s still playing a relatively young kid in Marvel, but you really need that younger-kid energy when it comes to The Legend of Zelda. That’s always how Link has been, as brave a knight as he is. I don’t think having someone nearly thirty playing him would have worked out well.
Honestly, these two cast picks are great. It aligns with the ages of the characters, provides room for growth in the story, allows for proper budgeting, and the director supports it – what more could you want?
While The Legend of Zelda film won’t be released until 2027, I will undoubtedly be in the theaters to support it when it does, no matter who plays who. Now, the real question – who are they going to cast as Ganandorf?
