First Look: The Cast of Kick-Ass

Since most of the major cast announcements have now been made, I thought we’d take a look at the cast of Matthew Vaughn’s big screen adaptation of Mark Millar’s Kick-Ass comic book.

18-year-old British actor Aaron Johnson has been cast as the title character, Dave Lizewski, a 15-year-old boy named Dave Lizewski who attempts to become a real-life superhero. The catch is that he has no powers or any of the stereotypical reasons for choosing to fight crime. Johnson most recently starred in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, but also had small roles in The Illusionist and Shanghai Knight. He sure looks like perfect casting.

21-year-old Lyndsy Fonseca will play high school hottie and Dave’s crush Katie Deauxma, who thinks he is gay. You might remember Fonseca as Dyan on Desperate Housewives or as Daughter on How I Met Your Mother.

Nicolas Cage has been cast as a former cop named Big Daddy who is also trying to bring down a druglord and has trained his daughter to be “a lethal weapon” .

Chloe Moretz is Hit Girl, the ferocious, potty-mouthed 11-year-old daughter of Big Daddy (Cage). She is described as a “four foot killing machine” with “a ninja sword”. Moretz looks like a good fit, but if this movie was in production five years ago, I would have cast Ellen Page in the role. How perfect would that have been?

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from Superbad) is in talks to play the Red Mist, an angry teenage son of a mobster who is out to uncover Kick-Ass’ true identity.

Recap:

  • Based on the creator-owned comic from Marvel’s Icon imprint.
  • The Story: You can read the full leaked plot synopsis in our previous story. Warning: possible spoilers for those reading the comic book series.
  • Independently Produced: Hollywood studios passed on the project due to the mixture of bloody violence and the involvement of a underage teen, but Vaughn believed in the project so much that he raised $30 million from private investors to produce the project independently.
  • Production is scheduled to begin this fall in Toronto and London.
  • Whoa - awesome post! This just made me actually genuinely excited for this movie!! Not only is this Lyndsy Fonseca girl frickin' hot, but that 11-year-old girl looks like she's going to kick some serious ass... Everything about this movie says "kick ass" and I couldn't more excited to see it come together! Great job Mr. Vaughn! And great job Mr. Sciretta for putting this together!
  • Justin
    It occurs to me, there's a brilliantly easy way to advertise this movie via viral advertising. In the comic(second issue or so) Kick ass becomes popular because a youtube video crops up of him in this costume kicking the ass of some gangsters. Use that same idea to advertise the movie. I doubt youtube would allow a video of something like that, but there are other ways to approach it. TV spots on cable channels, clips on talk shows, some other internet video hosting website. It's brilliantly simple, and oughta attract some nice attention.
  • Christopher Edwards
    I agree this is a great cast and looks like it is going to be a great film to look out for
  • orange cinema
    @ justin

    they did the video for the release of the comic, its still on youtube. they didn't go into all the talk show stuff yer talking about, but the video of the fight and the campaign were pretty cool.

    does it bother anybody else that we are getting character and plot descriptions for characters and plot points that haven't even been revealed in the comic yet? we are still only at issue # 3.
  • Pill
    @Justin

    I'm pretty sure there's already a "viral" YouTube video out there, I recall there being an article about it on this blog a little while back.

    And come on people, we don't need a ridiculous viral campaign for every single movie.
  • Dan
    I've never heard of this comic book, but as far as perfect casting goes, when I think "11 year old killing machine" they really should have cast Jodelle Ferland (Silent Hill, Tideland).
  • Christopher Marc
    I'm sure Vaughn might have pulled the money from relatives...did anyone else notice he has royal blood, it's listed on the IMDB bio...don't both Vaughn and Ritchie have some sort of title or lordships?...the Brits might have some insight and I'm kinda curious
  • Presto117
    the kid will look great with blonde hair, but I'm really hoping he can lose his accent.

    Is it just me, or did anyone else want zac efron cast in this movie for the SOLE PURPOSE of seeing Zac Efron get stabbed and hit by a car?
  • FYI, Millar told me at a signing last week (at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find in Charlotte, NC) that Red Mist will debut in Kick-Ass #5.
  • Hunter Stephenson
    Get Outtta Here Nic Cage! This was perfect until you.
  • A.J.
    awesome! Cant wait! I really wish they would release issue 4 of 'Kick ass' I've been stuck with only the first 3. Two of the characters cast haven't even been shown in the series yet. uggghhhh. Anyway. I'm excited! If they keep the movie as gritty as the comic it will be a sleeper hit for sure.
  • orange cinema
    @ justin

    they did a viral video for the release of the comic, its still on youtube. they didn’t go into all the talk show stuff yer talking about, but the video of the fight and the campaign were pretty cool.

    does it bother anybody else that we are getting character and plot descriptions for characters and plot points that haven’t even been revealed in the comic yet? we are still only at issue # 3, and we have no clue who big daddy is, red mist etc..
  • sideshowRaheem
    I find it amusing when a movie gets snatched up by Hollywood so quickly that the synopsis and casting news for the film acutlly spoil a few things that haven't apeared in the comic yet.
  • snakeinmyboots
    why why why does nicolas cage have to be in this movie? I am the only person out here who absolutely hates him?
  • Ghost
    I always wondered how young actors can cope with the whole profanity and violence card at such young ages. Always interesting to see.
  • cucumber
    christ.
    if these pictures are a first look at a movie called 'kick-ass', this shit is going to suck HORRIBLY
  • I hope Vaughn doesn't walk away from this. I'll always wonder what The Last Stand would have looked like under his direction.
  • Goobity
    We'll wait and see on this one. Nick Cage is a great character actor...he just sucks at picking jobs. I'll give him as many second chances as he needs.
  • Aaron
    The kid looks like an ideal Peter Parker.
  • Captain Awesome
    What a stupid fucking name for both a comic and movie.
  • AntiHero
    @Captain Awesome: The name fits well with the theme of the comic. The way he goes from nobody to internet meme is very current and kind of a social commentary to the way internet nobodies and sex tape chicks become celebrities and VH1 reality show stars over night.
  • Captain Awesome
    So it's like a poorman's Watchmen? :P
  • Evan Peters, from the movie "Never Back Down" and the TV show "Invasion" is set to play the character of "Todd" in the movie "Kick Ass"along with Nicolas Cage, Lyndsy Fonseca and Aaron Johnson.
  • Evan Peters from the movie "Never Back Down" and the TV show "Invasion" is set to play the character of "Todd" in the movie "Kick Ass" along with Nicolas Cage, Lyndsy Fonseca and Aaron Johnson.
  • Good casting, I think they have good choices here.
  • aerorth
    hey emm everything looks fine here but two thing that i know for a fact because i just double checked whit the comic books and first hit-girl is nine not eleven and Red Mist is another superhero not the son of a mobster, the son of the mobster doesn't have a name yet and i think that's the paper Christopher Mintz-Plasse is trying for and not a big muscled man who smokes weed and drives a GTO
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