Casting Johnny Bravo For A Live-Action Movie: 10 Actors Who'd Be Perfect

May 18, 2024, 11:50 p.m.

Movies

Casting Johnny Bravo For A Live-Action Movie: 10 Actors Who'd Be Perfect

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Summary Jim Carrey would bring his signature over-the-top energy to a potential live-action Johnny Bravo movie.

Charlie Hunnam's physical build and acting range make him a top contender to play Johnny Bravo on screen.

John Cena, with his charm and physicality, is the ideal choice to take on the role of Johnny Bravo in a live-action adaptation.

For more than 20 years, audiences have been imagining who would be perfect for the lead role in a potential live-action Johnny Bravo movie. As the big-haired, blonde, sunglasses-wearing, wannabe ladies' man from the iconic Cartoon Network series that ran from 1997 to 2004, the character of Johnny Bravo’s a notoriously difficult part to pull off in live-action form as his over-the-top cartoonish nature does not easily translate to everyday reality. But with the right actor in the role, a live-action Johnny Bravo could be a hilarious send-up of male insecurities, toxic masculinity, and pickup artist culture.

When considering the perfect actor to play Johnny Bravo, plenty of different contenders came to mind, each bringing something unique. While it might make sense to cast a younger actor in the role and allow the Johnny Bravo movie to act as the first in a potential long-running series, several veteran actors have proven throughout their careers that they have everything this role needs. Although no Johnny Bravo live-action movie is currently in development, these actors would excel if allowed to play the woefully misguided bachelor.

10 Jacob Bertrand

Jacob Bertrand would bring a youthful charm to the role of Johnny Bravo

One actor who has proved he can pull off a hairstyle as outrageous as Johnny Bravo's was Jacob Bertrand. Best known as Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz on The Karate Kid sequel series Cobra Kai on Netflix, Bertrand may not have the brooding physical build associated with Johnny Bravo, but the fighting prowess of Hawk and his character’s cool confidence would align well with the over-the-top persona of Johnny. Bertrand also has plenty of experience in animation through his voice work on series like The Legend of Korra and Batwheels, which he could utilize in a cartoon live-action adaptation.

While Bertrand doesn’t have the physicality associated with Johnny Bravo, this could work in his favor and contribute to the storyline of a live-action movie. A Johnny Bravo movie with Bertrand in the lead could act as an origin story, and viewers could watch an initially skinny Johnny turn into the muscle-bound man audiences all remember so well. As one of the best characters in Cobra Kai, Bertrand has both the comedic and dramatic skills to pull off an exciting and heartfelt live-action version of Johnny Bravo.

9 Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum has the charisma and presence needed for the role of Johnny Bravo

When imagining who would be perfect for the lead role in a live-action Johnny Bravo movie, plenty of Hollywood actors looked the part, but Channing Tatum has the comedy skills needed to truly pull it off. From his earliest roles in movies like Step Up through to the Magic Mike franchise, Tatum’s good looks and incredible charisma have always shone through. Hilarious roles in series like 21 Jump Street were where Tatum fully showed his potential as a comedic force to be reckoned with, and Johnny Bravo would be the perfect vehicle to lean into this side of his talents.

Tatum was also no stranger to portraying live-action characters that were previously animated, as he excelled as Duke in two G.I. Joe movies and even played Superman in The Lego Movie. Tatum has the presence to pull off Johnny Bravo’s tough-guy bravado while also possessing the nuance required to accurately portray the sad reality behind his depiction. If a Johnny Bravo live-action movie were to work it would need to look at the lonely desperation behind Johnny’s attempts to pick up girls, and Tatum could definitely do this side of the story justice.

8 Zac Efron

Zac Efron has already transformed his physique to look the part of Johnny Bravo

Zac Efron was originally known for his role in the High School Musical movies but recently impressed audiences and critics with a career-defining performance as Kevin Von Erich in the wrestling movie The Iron Claw. For this role, Efron bulked up and was almost unrecognizable, revealing himself as a perfect candidate to lead a live-action Johnny Bravo. With a physicality that now aligns with Johnny Bravo’s classic look, it would be a real shame if Efron was not considered for a potential live-action imagining of Johnny Bravo.

While it’s clear that Efron has the looks needed to play Johnny Bravo, he’s also got the charisma and sense of humor required to pull it off. At the heart of Johnny’s character was the misguided belief that he’s irresistible to women, but this was paired with a naivety that made him remain likable despite his unwanted advances towards the opposite sex. Efron possesses the same endearing qualities that would make audiences still root for Johnny in a live-action movie.

7 Rob McElhenney

Rob McElhenney would bring a unique style to the role of Johnny Bravo

Over the past 16 seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElheney as Mac transformed from an insecure wannabe ladies' man into an out-and-proud gay man living his truth. However, if McElheney could channel the karate fighting, over-the-top machoism, and crippling self-doubt of those earliest seasons, he would be in the role of Johnny Bravo. With a unique comedic style, McElheney would be an ideal candidate to star in the live-action Johnny Bravo movie and an excellent contender to co-write the script along with his Always Sunny co-stars, Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day.

McElheney’s performance as Mac often shone a light on issues around toxic masculinity, egocentric males, and the insecurity hidden behind false exhibitions of confidence. In the later seasons of Always Sunny, Mac also got into incredibly good shape, which meant McElheney wouldn’t be required to transform his body to look the part of the fair-haired cartoon character. Based on McElheney’s career so far, if he were to take up a lead role in Johnny Bravo, the live-action movie would provide a great satirical look at modern concepts of masculinity.

6 Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey’s over-the-top energy would work well as Johnny Bravo

It’s true that Jim Carrey may have already aged out of the role of Johnny Bravo and would have been a much stronger candidate during the 1990s and early 2000s while the cartoon was still on the air. However, a Johnny Bravo live-action movie focused on an older Johnny could still work well with Carrey in the title role. The over-the-top slapstick comedy of Carrey’s roles in Ace Ventura and The Mask lend themselves well to an adaptation of an animated work, which was proved by the fact that both those movies were later turned into cartoons.

Carrey’s style of comedy always leaned into an over-the-top persona and had the same type of outrageous energy seen in many episodes of Johnny Bravo. Carrey’s most recent roles as Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog showed he’s not against appearing as an iconic character in children’s entertainment. While Carrey may not be the first actor to come to mind when imagining a Johnny Bravo live-action movie, it’s a role that he would surely knock out of the park.

5 Charlie Hunnam

Charlie Hunnam looks the part for the role of Johnny Bravo

The English actor Charlie Hunnam is best known for his role as Jax Teller on the FX series Sons of Anarchy, and he certainly looks the part to pull off the title role in a live-action Johnny Bravo movie. Hunnam has the physical build, good looks, and blonde hair required to portray the exaggerated muscular physique of Johnny Bravo. It must be admitted that with a bit of hair gel and a pair of sunglasses, Hunnam’s practically the image of Johnny already.

Not only does Hunnam look the part of a live-action Johnny Bravo, but it’s got the acting range needed to make it work. Of course, Hunnam’s tough biker persona in Sons of Anarchy would help him with the false macho nature of Johnny, but his lighthearted roles in movies like The Gentlemen meant he could also get the comedic side right. Playing Johnny Bravo would be a chance for Hunnam to try something new in his career, and his past achievements proved that he has what it takes to get it right.

4 Alan Ritchson

Alan Ritchson has proved he has what it take to become Johnny Bravo

Throughout his career, Alan Ritchson has consistently appeared across many beloved and iconic franchises and would be absolutely perfect for the role of Johnny Bravo. Not only does Ritchson have the looks and appeal needed to embody Johnny, but he’d also tackle the role with the type of tongue-in-cheek attitude needed to get the tone of a live-action adaptation right. From Smallville to the Fast & Furious franchise, Ritchson was always a delight in his varied roles across film and television.

One Ritchson role that showed off just how good he would be in a live-action Johnny Bravo was as the lead in Prime Video’s Jack Reacher series. The over-the-top action crime series was different from Johnny Bravo in many ways, but the bombastic fun of the series, along with Ritchson’s bulking biceps, pointed toward him being ideal for the role of Johnny. With roles across comedy, drama, and superhero content, Ritchson would bring whatever was needed to a live-action Johnny Bravo.

3 Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson was once the frontrunner to play Johnny Bravo

In 2002, Warner Bros. Pictures purchased the rights to a live-action Johnny Bravo movie as a potential starring vehicle for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (via Variety.) Sadly, these plans never came to fruition, however, Johnson has remained an active part of audience conversations surrounding the idea of a feature film based on the Cartoon Network series. With it being more than 20 years later, Johnson has likely aged out of the role, but with the success of movies like Logan, starring Hugh Jackman as an older Wolverine, show it’s not out of the question that Johnson could still play Johnny.

It’s no surprise that Johnson was long in the running to play Johnny Bravo, as he has the looks and charisma needed to play the part expertly. Equally skilled as an over-the-top action hero and as a self-aware comedy character, Johnson would walk the fine line between genuine humanity and parody needed for a live-action Johnny Bravo movie. While Johnson’s age may be an issue, there’s also the option that de-aging technology could make him look like he did 20 years ago.

2 Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth has already proved he has what it takes to play Johnny Bravo

One Hollywood star who would be outstanding in the role of a live-action Johnny Bravo was Chris Hemsworth. Something in the Hemsworth genes must align well with the part, as Chris’s two brothers, Liam and Luke, would also be interesting candidates to take on the part of the cartoon ladies' man. However, it must be admitted that overall, Chris comes out on top and possesses the acting skills, innate charisma, and comedic power needed to turn a live-action Johnny Bravo movie into a runaway box office success.

Hemsworth’s most famous role as Thor across countless movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe perfectly showed why he would be ideal for the role of Johnny, as the comedy of movies like Thor: Ragnarok would work well if repeated in a Johnny Bravo film. Another Hemsworth movie that showed off his suitability for the role of Johnny was his hilarious role in the Ghostbusters reboot, as its comedic twist of the dumb blonde stereotype has a lot in common with the themes and ideas laid out in the Johnny Bravo cartoon.

1 John Cena

John Cena is the ideal choice to play Johnny Bravo

Since so much time has passed since Dwayne Johnson was touted to be playing Johnny Bravo in a live-action adaptation, it’s time to move on and pass the part on to his natural successor, John Cena. As an actor who possesses much of the same charm and charisma that made The Rock popular in the first place, Cena now stood as the performer who could best pull off a potential upcoming live-action Johnny Bravo movie. With a massive in-built fanbase, more so than any other actor, audiences would certainly turn up to check out Cena as Johnny.

Cena has the physicality needed to play Johnny Bravo, but he also has the comedic skills. Coming from a WWE wrestling background, Cena would not struggle one bit with pulling off Johnny’s signature dance move, “the monkey,” and would tackle the role with the kind of self-aware fun needed to make it work. Of all the actors working in Hollywood today, Cena is the perfect candidate to play Johnny Bravo in a live-action movie adaptation.

Source: Variety