6 actors who should be cast in "Fifty Shades of Grey"

Who will replace Charlie Hunnam in "Fifty Shades of Grey?" Hopefully one of these people

Published October 14, 2013 11:30PM (EDT)

Charlie Hunnam has unexpectedly backed out from soft-porn epic "Fifty Shades of Grey," leaving the role of E.L. James's titular BDSM master up for grabs. The film adaptation, which is due in theaters Aug. 1, 2014, will have to scramble to find another actor as Hunnam devotes his time to filming television series "Sons of Anarchy." It's great news for Matt Bomer fans, who earlier launched an online petition to cast the "White Collar" star as Christian Grey instead -- but if Bomer is skipped (and Aziz Ansari is probably out), then who is left?

Okay, pretty much every 20-something guy in Hollywood...but execs who have a chance to broaden the appeal of "Fifty Shades" beyond its current Twi-hard demographic might want to consider one of these actors:

Steve Buscemi

Anyone who has ever seen Chicks With Steve Buscemeyes might balk at the proposition that the actor is a sex symbol (they are wrong), but the actor's "Boardwalk Empire" role shows he's got experience being a dominating thug.

James Franco

With James Franco™, you never know if you'll get a serious performance, a self-parody or a bad rape joke. But hey, isn't that all a part of the fun? By playing a sex master, Franco could manage to pull off all three in one role.

Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg, sexy post-gender-normative man that he is, can also be a jerk, making him the complex, contradictory and dark choice for Christian Grey. Or...not.

Tilda Swinton

Even when in a box, Tilda Swinton could still command the attention of an unsure 21-year-old woman.

Nicolas Cage

On second thought, Internet God and pillow king Nic Cage might make the perfect sex slave master. After all, according to Ethan Hawke, he's the "only actor since Marlon Brando that’s actually done anything new with the art of acting."

Batfleck

Because Ben Affleck as Batman is now a separate being who lives in purgatory between the Marvel universe and ours, and needs another gig.


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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Acting Casting Charlie Hunnam El James Fifty Shades Of Grey Movies