Back in the early 2000s, John Krasinski was suggested as a possible candidate to play Kakashi in a live-action Naruto movie—can you imagine? This information comes from the resurfacing of an entry from Anime Insider Magazine, which released its final issue back in 2009, eight years after its first publication in 2001. Given these years, it’s no wonder that Naruto was a prevalent topic of discussion. This was the anime’s heyday, and even then, fans were eager to see the members of Team 7 and beyond brought to the big screen.
A Naruto enthusiast was kind enough to snap some pictures of the Anime Insider Magazine article and post them to X for all of us to admire. It’s not just Kakashi who got a fan casting either. The unknown writer of this piece also provided their picks for Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Orochimaru.
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Anime Insider Magazine’s Suggested Live-Action Naruto Casting (Circa 2006) |
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Character |
Suggested Actor |
Image |
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Naruto Uzumaki |
Dylan Sprouse |
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Sasuke Uchiha |
Mitchel Musso |
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Sakura Haruno |
Jennette McCurdy |
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Kakashi Hatake |
John Krasinski |
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Orochimaru |
Alan Rickman |
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What’s really fun about this time capsule of an article is that it was published when Krasinski was known almost exclusively for playing Jim Halpert in The Office. The writer suggested that this actor might do well if he leaped from his cubicle into another sort of role. Of course, that’s precisely what Krasinski ended up doing, since he is now an action star known for playing the titular character in the Jack Ryan TV show. While he never got a chance to play Kakashi, his experience proves he surely could have handled the role.
As Lionsgate and director Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) approach their upcoming live-action Naruto movie, Krasinski could still reasonably be considered. However, Anime Insider‘s other picks have since become impossible. Actors like Dylan Sprouse, Mitchel Musso, and Jennette McCurdy are all grown up, while Alan Rickman has regretfully passed away. Still, the general idea here is worth considering. Would any similar modern actors step in instead?
20 Years Later & We Are Still Waiting For Our Live-Action Naruto Cast
When Anime Insider made these casting suggestions, a live-action Naruto movie didn’t feel too far away. However, here we are about 20 years later, and this project has yet to be fully realized. There are obvious obstacles involved in an adaptation like this, so it’s not particularly surprising that the whole idea kept getting pushed to the back burner. It’s also worth remembering that 2009 was when the absolutely disastrous live-action Dragon Ball movie, Dragonball Evolution, hit theaters. If this is anything like what a Naruto movie would have been, we are better off without it.
Of course, the live-action anime adaptation landscape has changed significantly in recent years. These projects are no longer hopeless, and with much better quality special effects and very seriously handled casting, a modern Naruto movie could truly be something spectacular. Just look at Netflix’s One Piece adaptation. This show manages to feel like anime while still justifying itself with excellent live-action performances and visually spectacular settings and battles. If Lionsgate gives us a Naruto adaptation like that, the wait will have been worth it.
That brings us to the big question—who could play these Naruto characters today? There may be better picks than Krasinski for Kakashi, though it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. In the spirit of Rickman’s casting, it might be fun to see Adam Driver as Orochimaru. After all, he’s no stranger to playing morally complicated villains.
As far as the young members of Team 7 go, however, it’s likely that the actors chosen for Lionsgate’s Naruto movie will be completely unfamiliar to us. At the start of the story, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are only about 13 years old, and if the live-action adaptation is to become a broader franchise, actors even younger than that would need to be cast so they don’t outgrow the roles too quickly. Of course, when it really comes down to it, these choices don’t fall to us, just as it never fell to Anime Insider. Still, we can hope, dream, and imagine.
- Video Game(s)
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Naruto: Clash Of Ninja Revolution 3, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (2003), Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Naruto: Rise Of A Ninja, Naruto: The Broken Bond, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, Naruto Shippuden Dragon Blade Chronicles, Naruto: Path Of The Ninja, Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections
- Cast
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Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei
- Latest Film
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Boruto: Naruto the Movie