Casting What-Ifs

Alternate casting possibilities.

Casting What-Ifs has run in 401 episodes. The most recent 40 are listed below — open any episode at its timestamp to hear the segment.

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‘It Follows’Bill Simmons

Wanted Jennifer Lawrence to be cast in an elevated horror movie like this during the 2010s, and suggests moving the city setting to Boston with Robin Williams at Bunker Hill Community College (Good Will Hunting riff)

‘It Follows’Bill Simmons

Agrees with Joanna's Justin Long/Taylor Kitsch idea and adds that Neve Campbell could have easily been the lead

‘It Follows’Joanna Robinson

Wants a time machine to cast a young Justin Long and Taylor Kitsch as Paul (too old at actual time of filming)

‘Friday the 13th’Bill Simmons

Ran through casting trivia: Sally Field was considered but couldn't afford her; Shelley Winters turned down the Mrs. Voorhees role; Betsy Palmer agreed to do it because she needed a new car, was paid $1,000/day for 10 days and thought it was a 'piece of shit'; director Sean Cunningham wanted his son to play young Jason but his wife vetoed it. Later also floats casting Tom Hanks as Ned and young Sharon Stone as Alice as fun recasting ideas, and notes Kathleen Turner would've been 'beneath her' for the role.

‘Friday the 13th’Chris Ryan

Adds that Sally Field would have been only 32 at the time, and questions who Estelle Parsons is; later jokes that Kathleen Turner showing up in 1980 would've caused guys to commit seppuku.

‘Friday the 13th’Van Lathan

Presents his own 'flex' list: Top 5 movies that didn't need any Black people in them (zero Black people), ranked: #5 Friday the 13th, #4 The Big Chill, #3 Grease, #2 Good Will Hunting, #1 Jackass.

‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’Bill Simmons

Imagined a 1970s/modern recast of Texas Chainsaw Massacre with real actors: Jeff Bridges, Rob Reiner, and Ron Howard, with Rob Reiner possibly as the wheelchair character and Penny Marshall also cast.

‘13 Going on 30’Bill Simmons

Mentions Hillary Swank was almost cast in the lead role (instead of Jennifer Garner)

‘Law Abiding Citizen’Bill Simmons

For a 'Philadelphia' shadow sequel/Law Abiding Citizen-esque movie, wanted Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks together; also proposed Tom Hanks 'breaking bad' as a ripped, tattooed villain, and noted Tom Cruise as his dream pick for the Clive Owen role from Shadow Recruit-type films.

‘Law Abiding Citizen’Van Lathan

Had the same idea independently: Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks in a Philadelphia sequel, with Denzel as Clive (the mentor/veteran role) and Tom Hanks as the Jamie Foxx-type character; also suggested Tom Cruise would have been a phenomenal Clive Owen replacement, citing his underused dramatic restraint in Collateral.

‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’Bill Simmons

Lists several casting what-ifs from First Blood/Rambo: Dolph Lundgren was initially cast as Podovsky before Stallone made him Drago instead; Lee Marvin was offered Colonel Trautman in the first film and Murdock in the second but turned both down (role went to Charles Napier); most notably, producers wanted John Travolta to play Rambo's sidekick for the POW rescue mission, but Stallone vetoed it despite their friendship from Staying Alive.

‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’Kyle Brandt

Riffs comedically on the Travolta-as-Rambo's-sidekick idea, imagining buddy-comedy dialogue ('hey Johnny, you know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in Ho Chi Minh City'), joking it would make a better movie; also notes he didn't know Charles Napier's name despite recognizing him from Silence of the Lambs, The Cable Guy, and Blues Brothers.

Episode	Host	Answer
‘It Follows’	Bill Simmons	Wanted Jennifer Lawrence to be cast in an elevated horror movie like this during the 2010s, and suggests moving the city setting to Boston with Robin Williams at Bunker Hill Community College (Good Will Hunting riff)
‘It Follows’	Bill Simmons	Agrees with Joanna's Justin Long/Taylor Kitsch idea and adds that Neve Campbell could have easily been the lead
‘It Follows’	Joanna Robinson	Wants a time machine to cast a young Justin Long and Taylor Kitsch as Paul (too old at actual time of filming)
‘Friday the 13th’	Bill Simmons	Ran through casting trivia: Sally Field was considered but couldn't afford her; Shelley Winters turned down the Mrs. Voorhees role; Betsy Palmer agreed to do it because she needed a new car, was paid $1,000/day for 10 days and thought it was a 'piece of shit'; director Sean Cunningham wanted his son to play young Jason but his wife vetoed it. Later also floats casting Tom Hanks as Ned and young Sharon Stone as Alice as fun recasting ideas, and notes Kathleen Turner would've been 'beneath her' for the role.
‘Friday the 13th’	Chris Ryan	Adds that Sally Field would have been only 32 at the time, and questions who Estelle Parsons is; later jokes that Kathleen Turner showing up in 1980 would've caused guys to commit seppuku.
‘Friday the 13th’	Van Lathan	Presents his own 'flex' list: Top 5 movies that didn't need any Black people in them (zero Black people), ranked: #5 Friday the 13th, #4 The Big Chill, #3 Grease, #2 Good Will Hunting, #1 Jackass.
‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’	Bill Simmons	Imagined a 1970s/modern recast of Texas Chainsaw Massacre with real actors: Jeff Bridges, Rob Reiner, and Ron Howard, with Rob Reiner possibly as the wheelchair character and Penny Marshall also cast.
‘13 Going on 30’	Bill Simmons	Mentions Hillary Swank was almost cast in the lead role (instead of Jennifer Garner)
‘Law Abiding Citizen’	Bill Simmons	For a 'Philadelphia' shadow sequel/Law Abiding Citizen-esque movie, wanted Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks together; also proposed Tom Hanks 'breaking bad' as a ripped, tattooed villain, and noted Tom Cruise as his dream pick for the Clive Owen role from Shadow Recruit-type films.
‘Law Abiding Citizen’	Van Lathan	Had the same idea independently: Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks in a Philadelphia sequel, with Denzel as Clive (the mentor/veteran role) and Tom Hanks as the Jamie Foxx-type character; also suggested Tom Cruise would have been a phenomenal Clive Owen replacement, citing his underused dramatic restraint in Collateral.
‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’	Bill Simmons	Lists several casting what-ifs from First Blood/Rambo: Dolph Lundgren was initially cast as Podovsky before Stallone made him Drago instead; Lee Marvin was offered Colonel Trautman in the first film and Murdock in the second but turned both down (role went to Charles Napier); most notably, producers wanted John Travolta to play Rambo's sidekick for the POW rescue mission, but Stallone vetoed it despite their friendship from Staying Alive.
‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’	Kyle Brandt	Riffs comedically on the Travolta-as-Rambo's-sidekick idea, imagining buddy-comedy dialogue ('hey Johnny, you know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in Ho Chi Minh City'), joking it would make a better movie; also notes he didn't know Charles Napier's name despite recognizing him from Silence of the Lambs, The Cable Guy, and Blues Brothers.