Jeffrey Dean Morgan has two reasons to celebrate this week. For one, "The Losers" comes out tomorrow. For another, it's his birthday today!

In the past couple of years, Morgan has established himself pretty firmly with the comic book crowd thanks to his praised turn as The Comedian in "Watchmen" and his upcoming role as Clay, the leader of the Losers. But with the Sylvain White-directed action movie set to hit theaters in just a few short hours, Morgan is once again left without a current comic book role.

In honor of the terrific actor's birthday and his forthcoming movie premiere, we've listed five other comic book roles that Morgan could play with ease. Read more...

Beyond "Kick-Ass" and "Wanted," Mark Millar has several other creator-owned works that could become major motion pictures, such as "Nemesis" and "American Jesus." But how cool would it be to see some of Millar's work-for-hire comics on the big screen — like "Old Man Logan," for instance?

Set several decades in the future, "Old Man Logan" depicts a worn out version of the hero formerly known as Wolverine. Logan hasn't popped his claws since a villainous uprising cleared the world of his superhero allies, but a surprise visit from his old pal Clint Barton — the blind archer more commonly referred to as Hawkeye — galvanizes the former X-Man into embarking on a road trip across a ravished and hero-free America.

As the rights to the necessary properties are currently held by a multitude of different movie studios, it would take a considerable amount of effort to actually create an "Old Man Logan" movie. But if the right deals were made to turn Millar and Steve McNiven's celebrated "Wolverine" run into a theatrical reality, here are some of the actors I'd cast for the film adaptation. Read more...

Joss Whedon is reportedly in final negotiations to direct "The Avengers." Over the years, several superheroes have passed through the halls of Avengers Mansion. Likewise, several different actors have gone through the Whedonverse — and we all know how Whedon likes to utilize those same actors time and time again.

You can see where this is going, can't you?

Let's have some fun here — if Whedon were to call upon some of his old friends to fight alongside the core Avengers, he could certainly assemble a worse squad than this! Read more...

First, Emily Blunt missed out on playing Black Widow in "Iron Man 2," with the role eventually going to Scarlett Johansson. Now, she's passing on yet another Marvel Comics opportunity, this time as Peggy Carter in "The First Avenger: Captain America." Rumors are circulating that Blunt made this move in order to pursue Catwoman in "Batman 3," but the question remains — what if that role eludes her as well?

As a fan of Blunt's work, I think the actress is perfectly suited for a wide variety of comic book characters, even if she hasn't found the right role just yet. Assuming she's still interested in powering up for a comic book role, these five characters just might do the trick. Read more...

While the main purpose of Secret Identity is to discuss the possibilities of future comic book movie casting, it's also worth dwelling on the perfect casting of the past. One particular character has changed through many different but equally capable hands over the years — and while everyone has his or her favorite interpretation, there is no question that The Joker has always been a fan favorite.

As today is April Fools' Day — the one day of the year where endlessly pranking people is the societal norm — it feels appropriate to look back on the various actors that have caused mischief as the Clown Prince of Crime. Read more...

With reports circulating that Bryan Singer is no longer a lock to direct "X-Men: First Class," it's well worth wondering who could replace him.

The possibility of Singer's departure due to other cinematic commitments comes with a silver lining, as Fox has reportedly met with two big-name replacement directors that are well-loved and recognizable amongst comic book and geek genre fans. Hopefully, that also means the directors being approached are actually right for the job — that they have some connection to the "X-Men" material or the core premise of powerful youths discovering how to effectively use their abilities for the first time.

If Singer really is leaving the franchise, these five directors could provide a unique take on the youthful "X-Men" spinoff. Read more...

"Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane has made no secret of his desire to bring his demonic creation back to the big screen in the form of a low-budget independent film. Given McFarlane's desire to keep the movie tight and contained, it's unlikely he'll look to actors with particularly high pay grades — but that's not to say he can't cast an interesting performer in the central role of Al Simmons.

In the past, McFarlane has talked about keeping Spawn as "a living shadow" without his trademark regalia. If that's the case, then it's important to find an actor who can embody the voice of Simmons more than the physicality. On the other hand, if McFarlane wants to bring Al into the light, he'll want to find someone with an intimidating physique, too.

Depending on the choices McFarlane makes with "Spawn," we think any of these five actors could be the perfect fit for the role of Al Simmons in the character's cinematic comeback. Read more...

Christopher Nolan has confirmed the reports that he'll oversee the next "Superman" movie for Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. With story details currently under wraps, it's simply too early to know which characters will wind up in the relaunch — other than the Man of Steel himself — but smart money says that Lex Luthor will have a role to play, whether as the central villain or in a supporting role.

While I'm still an advocate of bringing Brandon Routh back as Superman, I'm less inclined to see Kevin Spacey retake the role. Personally, I'd like Nolan to pick somebody who's going to have a very different take than the Spacey/Hackman type without losing the quality of those actors. Given the filmmaker's eye for casting, that shouldn't be too difficult to accomplish.

In case he wants some suggestions, however, here are five actors that could pull off some interesting interpretations of Lex Luthor in a new "Superman" movie. Read more...

Marvel Studios is currently hard at work on "Iron Man 2," "Thor," "The First Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers," but there are plenty of other characters in the company's catalogue that are likely to wind up on the big screen at some point in the near future — like Doctor Strange, for instance.

An official announcement has yet to be made, but both Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Stan Lee himself have name-checked the character as having plenty of cinematic potential. But casting Stephen Strange isn't an easy feat — you need someone who can take the mysticism and magic seriously while still lending some much-needed charm and charisma to the role.

Still, if anybody could slip on the Cloak of Levitation and convince moviegoers to follow his strange exploits, it's one of these five actors. Read more...

If reports are to be believed, the casting race for "The First Avenger: Captain America" has been narrowed down to a select few. Director Joe Johnston and Marvel Studios have asked a handful of actors to test screen for the coveted role of Steve Rogers, hopefully paving the way towards an imminent announcement and ending the long road to Captain America's casting.

The list of frontrunners has prompted a mixed bag of reactions, to say the least. Some fans are enthusiastic about the prospective candidates, while others are less than thrilled. But if this truly is the pool we're looking at, perhaps it would do some good to measure up each possible choice to see whether they have what it takes to wield the shield.

Read on for our assessment of the five allegedly final "Captain America" contenders. Read more...