Quentin Tarantino is now one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation and it all started with his first movie, Reservoir Dogs. The stylish and compelling heist movie followed a group of codenamed criminals as their diamond heist goes terribly wrong. Reservoir Dogs introduced many of the trademarks of Tarantino's work, from the darkly comedic tone to the unique dialogue to some very colorful characters.
Along with Tarantino's own sensibilities, the movie has become iconic thanks to the great ensemble of actors who help bring these characters to life. However, all these years later, it is interesting to consider which actors might have filled these roles if the movie was made today.
Mr. Brown: Pete Davidson
Tarantino cast himself as one of the of the gang, the young thief known only as Mr. Brown. Though it is a small role compared to the other characters, he does open the movie in a very memorable monologue about Madonna's song "Like a Virgin" complete with his own vulgar interpretation of its meaning.
Pete Davidson is one of the current breakout stars of Saturday Night Live and his movie career is also beginning to heat up. He would fit as the youngest member of the central crew and while he might be too famous for such a small role like this, it's easy to imagine him delivering a crass monologue to kick off the movie.
Mr. Blue: Danny Trejo
Mr. Blue is another member of the crew who doesn't make a huge impact on the story. While he's featured in the opening scene as well as the flashback to the heist planning, he disappears from the movie after the heist goes wrong only for it to later be revealed that he was killed by police.
Mr. Blue was played by Eddie Bunker, an actor who was a career criminal before getting into the movie business. Danny Trejo is another former criminal who has made a very successful acting career for himself. He is also enough of a tough guy to stand out in such a small part.
Marvin Nash: Alex Wolff
While the criminals are the main focus of the movie, Marvin Nash is a young police officer who has the bad luck of being pulled into the story. When Mr. Blonde arrives at the safe house, he reveals that he captured Nash, and the gang proceeds to hold him hostage leading to the infamous torture scene.
Alex Wolff is a young actor who could be very effective in this role. His performances in movies like Hereditary show that he can pull off the terrified character very well while making the audience fear for Nash's life.
Holdaway: Bokeem Woodbine
The mystery at the center of the movie is the identity of the mole in the group. It is later revealed to be Mr. Orange and a flashback shows his preparation for this undercover job. Orange is coached by his fellow cop Holdaway, who schools him on how to present himself as a criminal.
Bokeem Woodbine is the kind of actor who really stands out in ing roles. His performances in projects like Fargo prove he has the skills to display the effortlessly cool demeanor of Holdaway while stealing scenes in the small role.
Nice Guy Eddie: Jesse Plemons
Chris Penn is one of the underrated actors in this movie as his performance as Nice Guy Eddie switches from funny and charming to downright menacing. Eddie is the son of Joe Cabot, the crime boss overseeing the operation. Eddie is a jokester at times, but when the situation turns, he gets deadly serious.
Jesse Plemons is one of the best character actors working in the business right now and he shows an incredible range with his performances. There is no doubt he would be able to pull off the funny moments alongside a threatening aura.
Joe Cabot: Jonathan Banks
Joe Cabot is the man with the plan and while he doesn't participate in the robbery, he doesn't mind getting his hands dirty when he needs to. Even though the other guys are criminals and killers, Joe commands their attention. He has no patience for foolishness and runs a very tight ship.
Jonathan Banks is best known for his role as Mike Ehrmantraut on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, a character that proves how well Banks could do in this role. He is exactly the no-nonsense type who would be the ultimate tough guy in a room full of tough guys.
Mr. Pink: Michael Peña
Steve Buscemi had his breakout role as Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs. While he is the most reserved member of the crew in the opening scene, once the heist goes wrong, Pink steals the show. He is panicky, talkative, and cowardly, making him almost the comic relief of the movie.
Michael Peña has a similar ability to be a funny character without going too over-the-top with it. His performance in the Ant-Man movies also shows he can do the fast-talking schtick that Buscemi is so good at.
Mr. Orange: Steven Yeun
Mr. Orange goes from a character seen mostly in the background to one of the lead characters in the story. After being shot during the heist, he spends the first act of the movie bleeding to death on the ground. When it is revealed he is the undercover cop, the movie explores his character in much more detail.
In The Walking Dead, Steven Yeun showed he could play that hero role while also allowing himself to be vulnerable. Since then, he has continued to show his incredible range as an actor, including his acclaimed work in Minari.
Mr. Blonde: Daniel Kaluuya
In a movie filled with criminals, Mr. Blonde stands out as the true villain. He is a smooth and laidback character in the early scenes, but it is later revealed he coldly executed hostages during the heist. As the movie goes on, he continues to show that he is a psychotic and violent man yet he maintains that smooth persona.
Daniel Kaluuya has played a lot of heroes in his career, but his villainous role in Widows shows how effective he can be. He can be intimidating and threatening without words while also looking completely at ease.
Mr. White: Brad Pitt
Harvey Keitel was the biggest name in the cast at the time and he gets the biggest role as Mr. White. He is an interesting character as Mr. White is a career criminal who is shown mercilessly killing cops, but he is also very caring and selfless when it comes to helping Mr. Orange.
Brad Pitt is a regular in Tarantino movies now and fits very well into his world. Pitt would be that big-name actor who headlines the movie while also allowing the rest of the ensemble to shine.
