With many successful live-action video game adaptations hitting screens, it only makes sense that fans are clamoring to see the world depicted in Gears of War brought to life. Fallout was brilliant on TV and both Mario and Sonic have found recent box office success. It should come as no surprise, then, that Netflix has picked up the rights to the Gears of War franchise, and will be moving forward with both a live-action series and an animated project.

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The last news about these projects came in 2022, so there is still no word on what the plans are surrounding the story, or the cast. Still, anyone looking to adapt Gears of War into live action should be looking for an actor to portray the gruff, muscle-bound main protagonist, Marcus Fenix. It is not an easy role to cast, but there are several actors out there who could pick up a lancer in the next adaptation.

6 Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

An Actor Who Is Always Present In Big Action Franchises

The former wrestler turned actor has had a lot of exposure in recent years, as his on-screen presence and impeccable physique make him the perfect candidate to star in big action blockbusters. Dwayne Johnson has been instrumental in big movie projects such as Fast 5, Jumanji, and Rampage. He has also developed a great sense of comic timing during his time in the movies, allowing him to capably share the screen with actors like Kevin Hart and Jack Black.

There is no doubt that The Rock certainly looks the part of Marcus Fenix. He has the muscles and stature, yet the actor has leaned more toward maintaining a softer on-screen presence in the last number of years. Fenix is a tortured man who has led a hard life during the war against the locust, and Johnson may not have the range to delve into that part of the character (though his upcoming role in the biopic The Smashing Machine will give a better sense of this). Plus, his work schedule is always packed, so it is doubtful that he would take a break for a Netflix show.

5 Alan Ritchson

TV's Reacher Has Shown He Can Pack On The Muscle

Alan Ritchson may not be an actor who is a household name yet, but he has certainly started to turn heads in his role as Jack Reacher in Amazon's Reacher series. The young actor plays an intimidating former soldier, who uses his extreme methods and training to solve crimes.

Though his movie credits may be slim, Ritchson has proved with Reacher that he can adapt to new challenges. Being intimidating is a fundamental trait for any actor taking on the role of Marcus Fenix, but Alan Ritchson has also shown he has the range to portray a character's more emotional side. This will be key in a Gears of War show, where the characters will no doubt face a lot of tragedy and death.

4 Terry Crews

A Big Man With Many Layers

Like The Rock, Terry Crews is a man who gets a lot of action roles due to his sheer size and physique. Crews has an impressive 245lbs of muscle on his frame, so it would be great to see him charging through a horde of locust soldiers as Marcus Fenix. Plus, his role in The Expendables movies proves that this guy looks terrifying when holding a big gun, something Fenix does all too often.

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However, there is more to Terry Crews than most audiences think. His comedic roles in White Chicks and Brooklyn Nine-Nine have proven that the actor has no issue with being the butt of a joke. He is a big teddy bear, really. If the people at Netflix wanted to take Gears of War in a more action/comedy direction, then Terry Crews would be great in the lead role. It may not be what fans of the games expect, but stranger things have happened when adapting games into live action.

3 Josh Brolin

An Actor Who Proves Time And Again He Is One Of The Best Of His Generation

There is no doubt that Josh Brolin is an action star. He may be in his fifties, but that has not slowed him down when it comes to taking on physical roles. Most fans know him as the gunslinging Cable from Deadpool 2, but his action chops go back as far as movies like Sicario and True Grit. What's more, his most dominant performance so far has been as the fully CGI mad titan, Thanos, in the MCU, which his most restrained work comes in the modern classic No Country For Old Men. Fans believed Brolin was capable of tearing apart the universe, and that was when he was only able to use his voice in a motion-capture performance.

Brolin certainly looks the part of Marcus Fenix, and he isn't shy about putting on the muscle to play a role. The only question is whether the actor is ready to take on such an extensive role while approaching the age of 60, as the physically-demanding nature of the shoot might turn him off.

2 Joe Manganiello

A True Geek At Heart

Joe Manganiello has been in Hollywood for a long time. Many fans will most likely remember first seeing him as the brutish Flash Thompson in the first Spider-Man movie, but the actor has gone on to appear in more serious roles in True Blood and Moonhaven. Fans also got to see him in a sillier light in the Magic Mike films.

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Manganiello has proven that he can look the part of any role he takes on, and that includes Deathstroke in the now abandoned DCEU. Therefore, there should be no trouble graying up the actor to make him look like the grizzled Marcus Fenix. He is also a big figure in geek culture thanks to his love of Dungeons and Dragons. As such, the actor would probably jump at the chance to play the iconic Marcus Fenix.

1 Dave Bautista

An Actor Who Really Wants The Role

Dave Bautista is another former wrestler who tried his hand at acting, like Dwayne Johnson. He got his first big break as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, showing that he can pull off both action and comedy early on. However, unlike Johnson, Bautista has gone on to work on a multitude of different projects to try and distance himself from the action hero stereotype. He was a smaller villain in Knock at the Cabin Door, and even got to try his hand in the family comedy, My Spy. He's shown his acting chops in Blade Runner 2049 and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, showing that he possesses range that very few action stars can match.

Nevertheless, it is difficult not to look at Dave Bautista and not see Marcus Fenix. He is the exact right build for the character, and still carries the no-nonsense attitude he needs to be fighting the locust on the front lines. The actor has even expressed interest in the role, so let's hope Dave Bautista is announced as Marcus Fenix when it comes time to shoot the series.

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