Ever since Nintendo confirmed they were working on a live-action Legend of Zelda movie, people have been throwing out guesses as to who they’d choose as the leads. I hope no one was betting money, because the odds were pretty long on anyone correctly picking the actors revealed today.
Miyamoto himself revealed Real Link and Real Zelda in a social media post: “I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 7, 2027. Thank you for your patience.”
So who are Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth? They haven’t appeared in much, with just a handful of small roles to their names thus far. The most high-profile thing Bragason has been involved with was Renegade Nell, a British historical fantasy so ignored that IGN erroneously reported it was a Netflix series (I am the only one who watched it, it was really on Disney+, and it’s still there and is pretty good actually).
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth’s most visible role was on The Haunting of Bly Manor, which actually was a Netflix thing. Other than that, not much, as he’s fairly young at 21. Bragason is even younger at 16.
Miyamoto’s announcement was coupled with photos of the two confirmed cast members. If you stuck some pointy ears on them, Bragason would resemble most of the game versions of Zelda to some degree. But Link has always had a distinctive look, and Ainsworth doesn’t come anywhere near it. It’s too early to really cast judgment, though. We haven’t seen either of them perform in character.
Link and Zelda are not the only major players in Hyrule! Who will be the villainous Ganon? Will Nintendo stick to fresh faces or cast an established star this time? Will the role go to Jack Black? Will everyone else be played by Chris Pratt? We shall find out eventually as 2027 gets closer.
The post Nintendo Casts Fresh Unknowns As Link And Zelda For Movie appeared first on Anime Superhero News.
