Casting The Live-Action Aeon Flux Reboot

Aeon Flux, the visionary animated series by Peter Chung, is getting a Paramount+ series reboot, and much of its success will be determined by who gets to be in the main cast. Aeon Flux is a complex and ambiguous dystopian cartoon series. Animated in a style that’s inspired by Moebius, Ligne Claire, and German expressionist painters, Peter Chung’s Aeon Flux has a very unique look and feel, which perfectly complements its combination of social science fiction, martial arts, transhumanist philosophy, erotic fetishism, and more. In short, it’s the type of animated material that’s very difficult to translate into live-action content. Since the series ended in 1995, not a single creator has produced a live-action Aeon Flux reboot that can do justice to the animated series. And a big part of solving this puzzle is picking the right actors for the job.

Properly casting the new Aeon Flux reboot entails an intimate familiarity with the source material, which is a series of artworks telling ambiguously interconnected stories about love, sex, espionage, political intrigue, biotechnology, and spirituality. The actors must be able to not only step into this surreal universe that Peter Chung has created but also to inhabit one or several of its weird denizens. Doing justice to the source material requires a cast of diverse and talented actors.

This isn’t to say that the cast of the 2005 Aeon Flux movie wasn’t right for the job. Aeon Flux wasn’t Charlize Theron’s worst movie, but it’s also far from her best. And while the actor did what she could to give life to the titular role, it wasn’t enough to save 2005’s Aeon Flux from flopping in the box office. 16 years after the Aeon Flux movie and 26 years after the series ended, a new cast will be stepping in to try and fill Aeon’s knee-high boots.

Jung Ho-Yeon As Aeon Flux

South Korean actress and model Jung Ho-yeon’s tall frame, cheekbones, lips, and other physical characteristics make her a prime candidate for being Aeon Flux. Ho-yeon is also no stranger to surrealism. Before becoming an actress, Ho-yeon spent a lot of time being a runway model and even appeared on Korea’s Next Top Model, which means that she’ll know how to move in Aeon’s avant-garde and BDSM-inspired wardrobe. Most importantly, Ho-yeon’s breakout role as Kang Sae-byeok, one of the main characters in Netflix’s Squid Game, shows that she’ll have no trouble inhabiting the role of a Monican dominatrix/secret agent from the post-apocalyptic future.

Macaulay Culkin As Trevor Goodchild

Opposite Aeon Flux is her lover and arch-enemy, Trevor Goodchild, the scientist-dictator of the city-state of Bregna, whose very physical appearance is pulled from German expressionism. American Horror Story’s Macaulay Culkin is the best actor for the job. Apart from already sporting many of Trevor’s unique facial traits, Culkin has also shown that he can command both sinister and comedic moments, which will be essential to fleshing out Bregna’s top technocrat.

Artie Lange As Clavius

Clavius, the former ruler of Bregna, was deposed and disappeared by Trevor Goodchild, who also performed surreal experiments on his body. The physicality and energy of Clavius is a role that would be easily inhabited by comedic legend Artie Lange. Apart from being a well-known figure in the world of contemporary stand up comedy, Artie also appears in the series Crashing, Inside Amy Schumer, Louie, and the late ‘80s sketch show Mad TV.

Simu Liu As Gildemere

Gildemere is not just a citizen of Bregna. He is also Trevor Goodchild’s trusted aide. When Gildemere uncovers how Trevor hid the body of Clavius, he goes against his former master. Fiery, decisive, and driven by a strong sense of justice, Gildemere is a role that can go to Simu Liu. Before Liu was catapulted to stardom, he appeared in a variety of roles in series like Fresh Off The Boat, Kim’s Convenience, Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, and The Expanse. Today, Simu Liu is famous for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Liu’s martial arts expertise will also come in handy as he steps into the role of Gildemere.

Olga Kurylenko As Scaphandra

As Aeon’s partner and a double-agent for Monica and Bregna, Scaphandra’s most iconic trait is how heavily modified she is with biotechnology. This includes having hands where her feet should be, which she can use with precision and agility. Apart from Aeon Flux herself, Scaphandra is the most athletic character in the animated series and is frequently shown crossing the heavily armed border walls of Bregna and Monica. Olga Kurylenko’s highly physical roles in the films such as The Assassin Next Door, Vampire Academy, The Room, Quantum of Solace, and Black Widow makes her the perfect actor for the transhuman femme fatale.

Sydney Park As Una

The beautiful and innocent Una seems to want to become more than just friends with Aeon. However, Aeon is mostly interested in her ability to translate the gnostic symbols on a document, which they can use for a Monican mission. Sydney Park, who is known for her roles in Pretty Little Liars, The Walking Dead, and There’s Someone Inside Your House, can easily step into the role of Aeon’s erratic translator.

Arielle Kebbel As Sybil

Sybil, along with her lover Onan, are citizens of Bregna who want to become Monicans. In their struggle to leave Bregna, Sybil and Onan are caught between the sexual and political machinations of Aeon and Trevor Goodchild, who develops an obsession with Sybil. Known for her roles in The Grudge horror movie franchise, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries, Arielle Kebbel has both the experience and the look to pull off the character of Sybil.

Jake Macapagal As Onan

While Sybil fails to get out of Bregna, Onan succeeds, and eagerly awaits his lover’s next attempts to cross the border. However, Sybil is preoccupied with Trevor’s advances, and Onan gets manipulated by Aeon Flux in different ways. The little-known veteran actor Jake Macapagal, who has appeared in films such as Metro Manila, The Monsters Without, and Ave Maria would not only fit the role, but also Peter Chung’s surreal Aeon Flux universe.

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