Kait Mae

I wasn’t that big into superheroes outside of Spider-Man when I graduated from college in 2019. But then, by chance while I was applying to jobs for six months straight and unemployed, I picked up Renegades at my local library. And I immediately fell in love with it. I stayed up until 3 in the morning to finish the series in less than a week. So, when I was thinking up posts for this year, I knew I’d be doing a hypothetical adaptation for the series. So, get set because this is a longer one (mostly because of the cast).

And here’s your obligatory spoiler warning because I touch on a few plot points without giving away too much.

What Is ‘Renegades’?

Renegades is a trilogy – Renegades, Archenemies, and Supernova – focused on two superpowered teens, Nova Artino and Adrian Everhart. Nova, a member of the Anarchists, infiltrates the Renegades, a heroic council that governs the city.

However, she meets Adrian and is recruited onto his team. Through their journey together, Adrian makes Nova question everything she’s believed about heroes, villains, and justice. And in the end, she has to make a choice – stick with what she’s always been taught or follow her heart?

Looking for science-fiction recs? I got you.

It Has to Be a Show

I said what I said. I can’t imagine this working properly as a movie unless big scenes were cut down or some nicer, but smaller scenes were removed. That’s why I’m going with a television show if I ever get the chance to adapt it.

In a perfect world, I would have 13 episodes per season, and each episode would be about 45 minutes long to an hour. I’d also adapt each book as its own season. I’d also love to collaborate with Meyer if she were to have other stories in the Renegades world past the final moments of this trilogy to continue the story.

Let’s Cast This Project

For our girl Nova, she is half-Filipino and half-Italian. I had a very hard time finding that, so I focused on the half-Filipino part for the sake of a fan cast. That said, I would love to have all the unknowns for our main group of teenage superheroes. Anyway, for my casting of Nova, I’m choosing Breanna Yde.

As for Adrian, our male protagonist, I’m going with Jahi Winston. I’ve only seen him in We Have a Ghost, but I knew from that movie alone, he’s perfect for Adrian.

Moving on to the rest of Adrian’s team, we have Omar, Ruby, and Danna. For each, I searched high and low for actors who felt like they could convey their personalities well.

First off, Omar. I would highlight using actors who use a cane to walk because that is a key part of Omar’s characterization. So, I won’t be choosing an actor at this time.

For Ruby, I’m going with Kristen Li. You might not recognize her from live-action roles, but I can guarantee you’ll recognize her voice if you’ve watched the latest version of Powerpuff Girls. She plays Bubbles, the blue Powerpuff.

I’d choose Mckenzie Small as Danna. I was a little on the fence, but once I saw a picture of her with her blonde curls, I was sold. I first discovered her in Backstage, and I think it’s time for another regular role in a show for her.

Moving on to Adrian’s family, I’m starting with Max. I wanted to find someone young enough to portray the character and kind of match the description. And that’s how I came across Christian Convery. You might recognize him from Sweet Tooth.

As for Hugh and Simon, I wanted more recognizable actors for them (as well as the rest of the Renegades heroes). And I also wanted to prioritize LGBTQ+ actors to fill these roles. So, I chose Cheyenne Jackson and Brian Michael Smith for Hugh and Simon, respectively.

Want more hypothetical adaptations? Try this one.

Let’s get to some villains, shall we? Just like the heroes, I wanted the well-established villains of the series to be recognizable to an extent. For Nova’s uncle Alec (Ace Anarchy), I’m choosing Vincent Spano.

Moving on to Ingrid, I went back and forth between three different actresses, but I’m going with Mekia Cox. I’ve loved her role in The Rookie, and I think it would be fun to see her play this villain.

Moving on to Winston, it was more about who could portray the emotions and creepiness of the character and less of a physical match for the character. And after seeing the range of Jonathan Rhys Meyers, I’m going with him.

On to the easiest casting of this entire post, I’m casting Elizabeth Banks as Honey. I don’t think I need to explain much, but if you’re on the fence, watch The Hunger Games again and tell me Effie and Honey aren’t perfect mirrors of each other.

Moving on to Leroy, our resident poison genius, I’m going with Fred Armisen. He doesn’t exactly match the physical description of a character to a tee, and I am very welcome to other options. That said, I feel he could portray the character well.

Lastly for our main villains, I needed to cast a recognizable yet haunting voice for Phobia. I would want to find a way to make the character seem less tangible, so I’m not casting for the physical aspect. However, for his voice, I’m fully leaning into Sam Elliott’s casting.

Let’s get back to the heroes. I’m starting with Kasumi and casting Brittany Ishibashi. I first saw her in Runaways, but she’s been killing it for years. And I think she’d do amazing as this superhero.

Moving on to Tamaya, I specifically looked for a Native American actress. I did this because of her superhero persona, Thunderbird, being rooted in Native American history and lore. So, after searching through several, I’m choosing Julia Jones, who I recognized immediately from Twilight.

Up next is Evander. For some reason, while reading the books, I thought he was black. But after revisiting the descriptions, he’s got red hair and a mustache. As soon as I read that, I immediately knew I’d love to see Domhnall Gleeson in the role.

And rounding out our Renegades Council, I’m casting the Lady Indomitable. Since she died years before the events of the series, I wanted to make sure she was a bit younger than the other heroes while still conveying the character well. And through that, I chose Kat Graham.

That’s it for my casting and hypothetical chance at adapting one of my favorite superhero series, but what would you do if you had the chance? Do you have any suggestions on series or books you want to see me do a hypothetical adaptation for? Let me know in the comments.