10 Actors Who Would Be Perfect To Play Mitch Rapp In An American Assassin Reboot (2024)

It's interesting to speculate how Mitch Rapp of American Assassin fame could be revitalized with a reboot that takes advantage of the many possible casting choices for the character. Released in 2017, American Assassin didn't get a sequel, under-performing commercially and critically, but with such a rich legacy of author Vince Flynn's books featuring Mitch Rapp as a protagonist, the opportunity to revive the character is ripe for the taking. While Dylan O'Brien did a fine job bringing Mitch Rapp off of the page and into theaters, there are plenty of options for leading men that might work even better.

Being the first book in Mitch Rapp's story chronologically, the original American Assassin is actually a prequel, being the eleventh book in the series to be published. While movie-going audiences might have an idea of a younger man playing the role thanks to Dylan O'Brien's depiction of the beginning of Rapp's career, the character is more well-known for his exploits as a more middle-aged man, opening up the door for casting possibilities. A solid re-casting of Mitch Rapp to be more book-accurate could emulate the success of Reacher compared to the 2012 movie it shares source material with.

American Assassin

Directed by Michael Cuesta, 2017's American Assassin is a Thriller and Action film starring Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, Shiva Negar, and Dylan O'Brien. The premise sees a Cold War veteran and CIA Black Ops recruit that must band together to stop a nuclear device from detonating.

Release Date

September 15, 2017

Cast

Kamil Lemieszewski , Sanaa Lathan , Trevor White , Dylan O'Brien , David Suchet , Scott Adkins , Andrew Pleavin , Michael Keaton , Taylor Kitsch , Shiva Negar , Navid Negahban

See Also

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10 Ansel Elgort

Has grappled with loss from terrorism in movies already

If an American Assassin reboot were to start at the beginning with the first chronological book in Mitch Rapp's story once again, Ansel Elgort would be a perfect choice to replace Dylan O'Brien. Elgort proved he could handle high-stakes action in Baby Driver, which released the same years as American Assassin. Even more incredibly, he's already played a character who struggled with grief over the loss of a loved one due to terror attacks in The Goldfinch. Even if his character would be seeking revenge rather than stealing a painting, it's notable experience that the young actor could draw from.

9 Dev Patel

Could embody a more book-accurate Mitch Rapp

Contrary to the lighter eyes and hair of Dylan O'Brien, the Mitch Rapp of the books is described as having more Mediterranean features, with dark eyes and hair complimenting an olive skin tone that allows him to convincingly go undercover in Middle Eastern countries with ease. If an American Assassin reboot wanted to lean into the book accuracy of a new casting, Dev Patel would be a perfect choice for a younger Mitch Rapp. Patel has played book protagonists before in The Green Knight, and will soon flex his revenge action flick muscles in the upcoming film Monkey Man.

8 Manu Bennett

Would finally get the chance to headline a modern action film

Better known for his work in epic fantasy films, Manu Bennett has been a reliable action star in movies and TV shows like Spartacus, Sinbad and the Minotaur, and Spartacus: Vengeance. That being said, he does have experience in action-packed stories set in modern day and beyond, surviving to the end credits in Death Race 2050 and bringing the iconic villain Deathstroke to life in CW's Arrowverse franchise. An American Assassin reboot could be the perfect place for Bennett to finally carve his niche in the espionage-thriller space, already a decorated survivor of visceral action movies.

7 Chris Hemsworth

American Assassin's first choice for the role

The American Assassin movie had been in development hell for five years prior to its eventual release in 2017, originally setting its sights on Chris Hemsworth to star as Mitch Rapp. CBS offered Hemsworth 10 million for American Assassin, but the Australian actor was too busy at the time filming Thor: The Dark World. Now that Hemsworth is a little older, more experienced, and has less Marvel commitments to worry about, it could be the perfect time to see him come back into the fray as an older Mitch Rapp, perhaps adapting novels like Consent to Kill or Pursuit of Honor rather than American Assassin.

6 Liam Hemsworth

Still has yet to find his place as a franchise carrier

If Chris Hemsworth still wouldn't be available or interested in giving Mitch Rapp another go, it wouldn't be out of the question to turn to his younger brother, Liam Hemsworth. While he gained the most prominence for his inclusion in the Hunger Games movies, he's starring in the imminently releasing military action thriller Land of Bad, proving he has what it takes to hack it in the world of American Assassin. A reboot of the series could finally give Liam the leading role of an ongoing action series that he deserves, echoing the success of his older brother as Thor.

5 Sam Worthington

Would get the chance to headline an action film sans CGI

Best known for his work as Jake Sully in the Avatar franchise, it seems ongoing installments will forever lock his character into a Na'vi body. An American Assassin reboot could give Worthington another shot as an action hero while still actually being recognizable as himself. Worthington also has extensive credits voice acting as the iconic Captain Alex Mason in the Call of Duty franchise, making him very familiar with the military-thriller landscape Mitch Rapp lives in.

4 Aaron Taylor-Johnson

A reliable action hero

Across Aaron Taylor-Johnson's many film appearances, he is prone to playing soldiers and assassins in films like The Wall, Kick-Ass, Godzilla, and Bullet Train. This gives him plenty of action experience to draw on to lead an American Assassin series starting from the ground up -- It's a shame he wasn't cast for an adaptation of the first book earlier in his career. Nevertheless, Taylor-Johnson could also draw upon his comedic experience to deliver some of Mitch Rapp's trademark humor in the books, generally missing from the 2017 adaptation.

3 Oscar Isaac

The sci-fi actor would fit perfectly in a grounded American Assassin series

From Moon Knight to Ex Machina to Star Wars, Oscar Isaac has a long history of stealing the show in whatever sci-fi action series he finds himself in. Yet the actor's ability to deliver meditative monologues and intense bouts of fighting in equal measure would serve an on-screen representation of Mitch Rapp perfectly, not to mention his book-accurate looks for the character. While Isaac's age would limit Rapp's activities to the earlier novels, it's incredibly easy to visualize him as Mitch Rapp when reading the source material.

2 Robert Pattinson

Could bring a somber intensity to Mitch Rapp

Having long since outshone his Twilight days, Robert Pattinson's career has undergone an impressive renaissance in recent years, with many films that would indicate a great Mitch Rapp performance. The quiet loathing and driven resentment for crime he's able to demonstrate as Batman would suit the character perfectly, and his time as a super-spy in a secretive organization in Tenet needs no explanation as evidence to his suitability for the role. Snagging the lead in an American Assassin film series that goes on to be as successful as the books would be another laurel in his already impressive career.

1 Karl Urban

Billy Butcher is a dead ringer for Mitch Rapp

Billy Butcher's crusade against supes in Amazon's hit The Boys is not unlike the revenge that fuels Mitch Rapp in American Assassin. Even if Karl Urban is too old to play Rapp as he appears in American Assassin, there's no denying that his ability to channel furious determination as Butcher would be welcome in a Mitch Rapp series. Beyond his work in The Boys, Urban's work in The Bourne Supremacy and Judge Dredd proves he can wade through action carnage with the best of them, earning him a solid nomination for a possible Mitch Rapp in an American Assassin remake.