Although nothing is official at this point, the implication is that he is being recruited for the Wonder Man streaming series. He’s reportedly being eyed for a key role there, but it’s too early to say exactly where he will fit. Fortunately, I have some suggestions.
Odenkirk has been lauded by critics and fans for his performances as Saul Goodman in both Breaking Bad and the spinoff series, Better Call Saul. Someone of his caliber should play a recognizable comic book name. Of course, he’s not exactly the standard action-hero type, so that focuses his potential role on specific characters like these.
NEAL SAROYAN
FIRST APPEARANCE: WONDER MAN #1 (1991)
One theory is that he won’t be an actual superhero or supervillain, but instead will play Simon Williams’ talent agent. That makes sense, given that Simon is a superhero/movie star. It just so happens that Wonder Man’s agent, Neal Saroyan, is straight from the comics, which is causing a quick surge for Wonder Man #1 from 1991.
Given the comedic state of the MCU, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Saroyan make a series of cameos in other shows and movies, with Odenkirk putting a sleazy Saul Goodman spin on the character. The fact that Saroyan has psychic powers only makes this part more fun.
NICHOLAS SCRATCH
FIRST APPEARANCE: FANTASTIC FOUR #185
Odds are, Odenkirk will land in Wonder Man, but why limit ourselves? What if Marvel throws a curve and casts him for Agatha: Coven of Chaos?
Sure, I mentioned Scratch as a possibility for Heartstopper’s Joe Locke, but Odenkirk would work in this role as well. For that matter, he could be an even better choice. In the comics, Nicholas Scratch is Agatha Harkness’ vengeful son and the mastermind behind the magical New Salem witch community. He hates his mother for revealing their secrets to the outside world, specifically the Fantastic Four. Considering that Odenkirk is 60, he wouldn’t make sense as the child of 49-year-old Hahn. However, in the context of a show like Coven of Chaos, it could be pulled off to hilarious effect. After all, Agatha looks good for someone hundreds of years old. Maybe Nicholas didn’t have the right ingredients for his age-defying spell.
STILT-MAN
FIRST APPEARANCE: DAREDEVIL #8
Why stop at Wonder Man and Agatha for suggestions? With Daredevil: Born Again on the Disney Plus slate, we are likely to see some D-list villains that are ripe for comedy gold. No one plays the down-on-his-luck shyster quite like Odenkirk, and the part of Wilbur Day would be perfect in his hands.
Better yet, seeing an aging Wilbur suit up in the ridiculous Stilt-Man costume would be great for Born Again or even Wonder Man, for that matter. Given Odenkirk’s talent for adding emotional depth to his roles, he could turn Stilt-Man into a fan favorite with the right script.
BETTER CALL BOB
As Marvel lines up its rosters for Agatha and Wonder Man, adding someone of Odenkirk’s stature would bolster the cast for either of those shows. While his joining the MCU is just rumor and speculation at this point, Feige tends to get whomever he wants. That makes Odenkirk a likely prospect for one project or another. Keep your eyes on the headlines because numerous casting rumors have been panning out lately.
