Recasting Battlestar Galactica For 2026: All 10 Main Characters
Battlestar Galactica has a place among the greatest space operas of all time, overshadowing the original series to the point that it may surprise people to learn that the 2004 show is a reboot. Part of the reason Battlestar Galactica has resonated so well with viewers is its excellent casting, with the series having one of the best ensemble casts in sci-fi. The show holds up so well today that it might never be remade, but that does not stop fan casting from being fun.
Remakes of popular TV shows are often contentious, even if they are eventual successes, and the proposed Battlestar Galactica reboot has still dominated conversations despite seemingly being put on hold. While seeing the show with updated visual effects could be a draw, the immediate and apparent issue would be casting the series. Still, some actors would likely be up to the task of putting their own spin on the show's characters.
Idris Elba
As Commander/Admiral William Adama
From Luther to Pacific Rim, Idris Elba has played characters who make others sit up and listen when they speak. Whether playing a father figure, a fighter, or a lone authority figure with the world on his shoulders, Elba generally brings a sense of wisdom and inner strength to the roles he plays, and of all the voices that could potentially repeat Adama's most iconic quotes, his can convey the depth of emotion involved.
As an extremely experienced actor, Elba would be unlikely to merely copy Edward James Olmos' performance, but put his own spin on the character. Adama's actor needs to be compelling even when sitting alone, and as he is often more comfortable as a commander than as a father, Elba can draw from Marshal Pentecost's relationship with Mako Mori in Pacific Rim to explore Adama's relationship with Apollo.
Chris Bauer
As Colonel Saul Tigh
Colonel Saul Tigh is stern, gruff, and aggressive, which often makes him deeply unlikable despite his flashes of brilliance. However, his terrifying alcohol-fueled outbursts hide the fact that he is deeply insecure outside the military deck, making him one of the most challenging characters for an actor to play convincingly. That said, Chris Bauer has played a version of Tigh before, making this the perfect opportunity for him to do the same with more gravitas.
Bauer gave almost this exact performance as Sheriff Andy Bellefleur in True Blood, with his V addiction taking him from obnoxiously arrogant to pathetic within a single scene. Saul Tigh must be easy to hate while also being redeemable, and while True Blood often makes Andy the butt of the joke, Bauer could develop this role into something more serious in a Battlestar Galactica reboot.
Jacob Elordi
As Captain/Major Lee "Apollo" Adama
Lee "Apollo" Adama is regularly misunderstood, with outsiders seeing the charming and handsome son of Commander William Adama, while in private Apollo struggles under the crushing weight of his father's legacy. Any actor to play him must have the combination of classic good looks and subtle acting skill, able to look stoic and put together while allowing viewers to see the pressure and strain that other characters miss.
Jacob Elordi's best movies and TV shows tend to show him playing characters with a legacy that they cannot live up to, from Frankenstein's creature, who cannot impress his creator, to Euphoria's Nate Jacobs, who took over his father's contruction company but destroyed himself in trying to live up to expectations. Elordi nails emotional roles like this, making him the perfect choice to play Apollo.
Shohreh Aghdashloo
As President Laura Roslin
Shohreh Aghdashloo has already proven that she can play a political mastermind capable of walking into a room full of men and skewering them before walking out with a deal and the upper hand. Having played a very similar character to President Roslin in The Expanse's Chrisjen Avasarala but with the acting ability to develop the character rather than repeat it, she is the ideal choice for a Battlestar Galactica reboot if it was being cast this year.
The four seasons of Battlestar Galactica were not necessarily kind to President Roslin, who became less likable as the show continued. That said, being liked is not a necessity for the character and Aghdashloo excels at playing characters who are mesmerizing but not always likable, and rarely care about being liked anyway. Still, she also has the range to display the warmth and care that Roslin shows in her more vulnerable moments, and Aghdashloo's scenes with Idris Elba as Adama would likely be some of the best in the series.
Penn Badgley
As Dr. Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is not as consistently written as many of the other characters in Battlestar Galactica. The original series made him almost cartoonishly evil, while the version in the reboot is smart and charming, but so flawed that he becomes the antagonist anyway. This villain rewrite made Battlestar Galactica into a classic, but it also allows for a new actor to continue the tradition of reinterpretation.
Baltar needs to be genuinely charismatic, and maintain his charm for long enough that his sinister nature emerges slowly, and this is where Penn Badgley excels. Badgley has made his career playing charming men whose friendly and unassuming demeanor hides their true nature, with Gossip Girl's Dan Humphrey being a reputation-destroying blogger, and You's Joe Goldberg being a deadly psychopath. Not only does the role play into Badgley's strengths, but there is room for him to reinterpret Baltar, continuing a tradition for the series.
Florence Pugh
As Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
Katee Sackhoff's career-defining portrayal of the iconic Starbuck was so good that it is easy to forget the role was originally written for a man, and her performance offers a major challenge for a new actor. It would be easy to attempt to recreate Sackhoff's Starbuck, which is why any actor that a modern Battlestar Galactica reboot cast would need to be so established and experienced that she could embody the role on her own terms.
Having played pro-wrestler Paige in Fighting with My Family and Marvel's Yelena Belova, Florence Pugh is more than up to the task of convincingly embodying Starbuck's physicality, and as one of the most versatile actors working today, she can play a multifaceted person like Starbuck with the realism and gravity needed. Starbuck is a true sci-fi TV legend, and while any replacement actor would be under immense scrutiny, Pugh would have the best chance at not only equalling Sackhoff's performance, but surpassing it.
Gemma Chan
As Lieutenant Sharon "Boomer" Valerii / Sharon "Athena" Agathon
Sci-fi fans may recognize Gemma Chan for one of the most underrated performances in a sci-fi TV show. Chan starred in Humans, where she played an android who started to develop human emotions, becoming a political activist promoting peace between humans and androids, known as Synths. If cast as Boomer/Athena, Chan's previous performance could feel like an unofficial audition for Battlestar Galactica, with the characters almost reversing her Humans storyline.
Chan is capable of playing several different versions of the same person, without making them feel like strangers. Humans showed Chan's character being sold as new, but with a different Synth personality underneath. Similarly, Boomer and Athena are fundamentally the same person, dealing with a phenomenal life change in different ways. Any actor to take on the role must be able to convey this, which is a difficult task that Chan has shown she can accomplish.
Alan Ritchson
As Lieutenant Karl "Helo" Agathon
As the moral and ethical heart of the series, Helo can polarize viewers, with some finding his demeanor grating while others see him as one of the rare perfect sci-fi heroes that appear to belong to a forgotten age, now that the antihero has become a more popular character type. Fan casting a popular actor who regularly plays similar roles could be a risk. On the other hand, it can introduce new viewers to the show.
This is why Alan Ritchson is an ideal candidate for the role. He is physically believable as a high-ranking military character, while many of his film and TV roles have emphasized his character's goodness alongside his strength. Playing Jack Reacher has likely connected Ritchson to this character type for good, and while he may one day work against type to highlight his versatility, casting him as Helo will give Reacher fans an introduction to one of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time.
Elliot Page
As Chief Galen Tyrol
Recasting a perfect show for a new audience requires some necessary reimagining of the characters, and the occasional unexpected choice. With Tyrol essentially being a blue collar leader and "jack of all trades," casting a large-framed actor known for playing mechanics and builders might seem logical, but Tyrol suffers immense personal trauma and has a hidden dark side that requires an actor skilled at playing intense characters.
Empire described his performance in The Odyssey as "rageful and righteous, but tragic and touching," which is precisely the note that Tyrol needs to hit in later seasons of Battlestar Galactica. Page being underestimated and unimposing can work in his favor, as the "everyman" character who comes to a heartbreaking end, commanding our attention just as it is too late for him.
Elizabeth Debicki
As Cylon "Number Six"
Battlestar Galactica is full of iconic characters, but Number Six is one of the hardest to recast, with the actor needing to be both seductive and inhuman at once, while also playing other versions of the same character and being the face of the Cylon empire. Tricia Helfer nailed the role through her performance, and this was aided by her tall physique, making her look statuesque and otherworldly.
Elizabeth Debicki is also tall, with an ethereal look and tremendous emotional range, from Princess Diana in The Crown to the stoic and menacing Ayesha in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. This ability to portray every emotion while remaining an uncanny, high-status AI unit is essential for playing Battlestar Galactica's best Cylon characters, like the guilt-ridden Caprica Six, and Debicki's skill has been overlooked for too long.
Source: Empire
Battlestar Galactica
9/10
- Release Date
-
2004 – 2009-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Ronald D. Moore
- Directors
-
Wayne Rose, Michael Nankin, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Edward James Olmos, Robert M. Young, Jeff Woolnough, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Jonas Pate, Allan Kroeker, Anthony Hemingway, Jean de Segonzac, Marita Grabiak, James Head, Paul A. Edwards, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Brad Turner, Ronald D. Moore, Bill Eagles
-
Edward James Olmos
William Adama
-
Mary McDonnell
Laura Roslin