With The Invisible Man being reimagined as a technological thriller in 2020 and Renfield from Dracula starring in his own horror movie, it's safe to say that Universal's main monsters have not fallen out of favor in modern media. Although characters like Dracula and Frankenstein have been remade and reimagined several times over, the classic monster movies will always be the gold standard.
That all being said, there's no substitute for the classic formula, but that doesn't mean it can't be given a modern adaptation. Hollywood is filled to the brim with plenty of talented performers and directors ready to usher in a new world of gods and monsters, no Dark Universe required.
Adam Driver As Frankenstein’s Monster
When it comes to playing Frankenstein's monster, there aren't that many criteria in order to portray a solid rendition. An actor has to work well under a ridiculous amount of makeup and be able to communicate verbally and bodily to a great extent. While many actors like Tom Hardy, Kristian Narin, and Benedict Cumberbatch are all excellent choices (Cumberbatch even played the monster in a National Theatre performance of the original classic novel), it's Adam Driver that perhaps fits Shelley's monster the best.
Adam Driver has experience playing characters with a serious intimidation factor and the ability to command the scene with his stature and body language alone. A fine example of this quality is seen with the introduction of Kylo Ren, as so much power and fury are contained in his stance and movements alone. That's something that's practically mandatory for a character like Frankenstein's Monster.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste As The Bride Of Frankenstein
A modern adaptation of the bride of Frankenstein needs to have someone who is hauntingly beautiful, despite being associated with death and the grave. The movie industry has no shortage of leading ladies who could take on the role of the Bride from Billie Lourde, Sheri Moon Zombie, or even Helena Bonham Carter reprising the role, but Kirby Howell-Baptiste has a certain presence that Elsa Lancaster would envy.
Howell-Baptiste is set to star as Death in the adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman, and judging by the footage seen in the teasers, she has that dark yet comforting presence that the Bride of Frankenstein should have. Although the Bride isn't one of the most verbose characters, Baptiste has shown that her screen presence and demeanor could serve her extremely well in the role. Perhaps after her stint as one supernatural entity, filmmakers will cast her as another for a new take on the monster's mate.
Hugh Jackman As The Wolf Man
The Wolf Man is a role that unquestionably requires a huge amount of makeup and the ability to perform well underneath it. After all, prosthetics and latex do limit a certain amount of expression. While it's true that there are many actors who can provide vivid performances under so much costuming, there are just certain performers that ooze werewolf energy.
Character actors like Javier Bardem, John Bradley, and even the return of Benecio del Toro to the role would be all excellent choices, however, Hugh Jackman and his experience playing characters like Wolverine and Van Helsing (coincidentally infected with lycanthropy) make him the top tier choice. Jackman already has a penchant for playing rugged and animalistic leads, but he also has an element of refinement seen with characters like P.T. Barnum and Duke Leopold that would be absolutely ideal for someone like the distinguished Lawrence "Larry" Talbot.
Javier Botet as The Creature From The Black Lagoon
Recasting the Creature from the Black Lagoon is not an easy task by any means. With The Shape of Water already taking several of its elements, a contemporary adaptation of the film might be next to impossible, but that doesn't mean that there isn't an audience for it.
Doug Jones already has a history of playing aquatic monsters, but he's not the only creature performer around. Javier Botet has experience playing multiple monsters, including a handful of Guillermo Del Toro creations. A more lithe and eel-like portrayal of the creature might be just what the performer needs to land himself a modern monster role, as a redesign of the famous creature would definitely be required to complement the actor's contortionist abilities. Either way, he's certainly more than qualified to perform under such an elaborate costume and makeup job.
Mark Hamill As The Invisible Man
Blumhouse might have reimagined the character as a sadistic tech mogul, but it lost some of that mad scientist flavor present in the original movie. While the idea of an invisible prowler is certainly unsettling, that doesn't mean it can't be fun as well. A remake of the classic H.G. Wells story needs to be a period movie, and its titular character needs to have a powerful voice to sell the show since he won't be seen.
Keith David, Jim Cummings, and Richard Armitage all have magnificent voices that would be perfect as the invisible Dr. Griffin, but Mark Hamill has the same range of madness and genius Claude Raines brought to the original role. In fact, he owes the character a great deal of inspiration for his iconic take on the Joker, as seen here. It only makes sense that the actor would go full circle by portraying the character.
Doug Jones As Imhotep/The Mummy
Although it's not likely that a new Mummy movie will likely be made any time soon, a remake of the original 1932 production would go over way better than anything with Princess Ammunet. That being said, the first course of action is to find someone to play the lead of Imhotep. A true Imhotep needs to emulate Boris Karloff, and no one is better equipped for the job than Doug Jones.
Both Karloff and Jones established themselves as performers by acting as creatures and monsters under gratuitous amounts of makeup, a feat that Jones has been perfecting for years, such as in various Guillermo del Toro movies and the monstrous Baron from What We Do in the Shadows. However, Imhotep would allow him to show off his often-overlooked acting chops. While his mummy form would require heavy use of gauze and grotesque appliances, the persona of Ardeth Bey would not, allowing the personality and performing skills of Doug Jones to shine through.
Ralph Finnes As The Phantom Of The Opera
The Phantom of the Opera is one of the pioneers of the horror genre and great consideration has to go into casting such an iconic character, as certain adaptations haven't been kind to Gaston Leroux's Angel of Music. Depending on the type of story the studio wants to tell, there are multiple ways and ages the Phantom can be portrayed, there are many performers that could fit the role.
The Phantom has to be sympathetic and scary, terrifying and tragic, and everything in between, and the role demands an actor to convey that, along with at least some musical talent. Antonio Banderas, Jared Leto, and even Rami Malek would all be solid choices, but Ralph Finnes would be absolutely stellar in the role. Along with experience in villainous roles under large amounts of makeup, Finnes also has a magnificent singing voice, as clearly demonstrated in The Prince of Egypt. A stint as the Phantom would allow him to flex his talents in multiple ways.
Benedict Cumberbatch As Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
No matter who is picked to play Jekyll and Hyde, they have to be able to play both characters in extremely different ways. Because they are polar opposites, Jekyll cannot have elements of Hyde, and Hyde cannot have elements of Jekyll. The role would require a very seasoned actor, as well as someone who has a very large range. Gary Oldman, Idris Elba, or even a feminine take from someone like Tilda Swinton or Cate Blanchet would be interesting, but there is another actor who can meet both extremes.
Having brilliantly played alternating roles of Victor Frankenstein and the monster in a National Theatre adaptation, Benedict Cumberbatch would absolutely be put to the test in the role of Jekyll and Hyde. His experience playing the genius and enigmatic Sherlock Holmes already has him qualified enough to portray Dr. Henry Jekyll, but his Hyde would certainly need to push his boundaries. This is perhaps best demonstrated in his role of Smaug in The Hobbit and Satan in Good Omens.
Tom Hiddleston As Count Dracula
Although Luke Evans might have been one of the most recent pics to take on the role of count Dracula, a classic portrayal of the character needs to bring back elements established by the original performance by Bella Lugosi. Dracula needs to be disarmingly charming and mysterious but with a dark aura that never leaves him. There are many actors who fit this description such as Mads Mikkelsen, Jude Law, and even Joaquin Phoenix to an extent, but a villain role like this requires a well-regarded villain actor to play him.
While he might not be everyone's first choice, Tom Hiddleston has all the elements that made Bela Lugosi such a compelling Dracula. He's charming, sophisticated, well spoken, and he also has the gaunt features associated with the famous vampire. It wouldn't be out of the question to see him take on this role when not playing Loki.
