Although it’s been a while since the last update on Wes Ball’s The Legend of Zelda movie, the movie is still set for production and aims to bring the beloved Nintendo game series to the big screen in live-action. There haven’t been any casting announcements yet, which has allowed fans of the original games to wildly speculate about which popular actresses could be suitable candidates for the titular role. Unsurprisingly, Princess Zelda plays an enormous role in the games (and likely the movie), so it’s important that her actress is somebody with a strong physical and behavioral resemblance.
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Following the enormous success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, there’s finally reason to believe that The Legend of Zelda can overcome the video game movie curse. The subgenre has famously failed time and time again, with countless directors not managing to capture the magic of video games on the big screen. But The Super Mario Bros. movie proved that it’s possible, and much of that came down to its hugely entertaining cast. If The Legend of Zelda wants to find the same success, it has to get the casting right.
10 Saoirse Ronan
Known For: Lady Bird, Little Women
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Saoirse Ronan’s name has been associated with Princess Zelda fancasts since long before the project was announced, and while she’s now older than the character in the original video games, she’d still be an excellent candidate for the job. The actress has appeared in countless beloved movies, from Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel to Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, displaying a huge range that would undoubtedly come in handy for The Legend of Zelda.
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Ronan has been acting since her early years, so it would be a very full-circle moment to see her play the character that she’s been fancast as since she was much younger. It would also mark a huge change for the actress, as she’s not usually associated with big-budget franchises or studio movies like this. She more frequently devotes her time to smaller indie movies, but The Legend of Zelda seems like a fitting project to break the mold.
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9 Elle Fanning
Known For: The Great, Maleficent
Elle Fanning also began her career as a child actress with projects such as Daddy Day Care and Babel, getting her real “big break” in J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi adventure Super 8. The actress has been frequently cited among the top choices to play Princess Zelda, likely because of their similar physical appearances, but also because Fanning has plenty of experience working on big-budget studio films like Maleficent, where she also played a beloved princess in Aurora.
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Fanning’s work as Aurora was likely the biggest contributor to her name getting thrown in the ring for The Legend of Zelda, as the two characters have fairly similar personalities and serve much the same roles in their respective stories. While Zelda is more independent and fierce than Aurora, Fanning’s performance in Maleficent hints that she could bring these qualities to the character. The only obstacle to her involvement in The Legend of Zelda is Fanning’s commitment to appearing in Badlands, which could overlap with the production stage.
8 McKenna Grace
Known For: Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Young Sheldon
If The Legend of Zelda movie wants to stay more accurate to the video games and cast somebody younger to play Zelda, McKenna Grace would be an excellent choice for the character. The actress is best known for her work in the recent Ghostbuster legacy sequels, where she played Phoebe. Her character easily stood out in those movies, as she was such a strong figure that she held her own alongside the original cast and helped make the films stand out for a new generation.
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The character’s youth brings a whole new level of danger to the adventures that she has with Link, and that aspect of the story might not land as strongly with an older, more recognizable fact at the helm of the story.
Casting an older actress could be a smart way of subverting expectations for the live-action adaptation, but a younger actress like Grace would be more faithful to the spirit of the games. The character’s youth brings a whole new level of danger to the adventures that she has with Link, and that aspect of the story might not land as strongly with an older, more recognizable fact at the helm of the story. If the Legend of Zelda movie decides to adapt Ocarina of Time, as many fans are hoping, Zelda’s character will play an even larger role than expected.
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7 Anya Taylor-Joy
Known For: The Queen’s Gambit, Furiosa
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Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the biggest names that fans have placed in contention for Princess Zelda, and much of that comes from her work as Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Although the two characters are very different, they have certain similarities that would make the actress a perfect choice for this role. Zelda is typically more experienced and independent than Peach, which are qualities that Taylor-Joy has continually proved herself capable of capturing. Her work in Furiosa was a perfect example of this.
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While it would undeniably be fun to see a lesser-known actress in The Legend of Zelda’s lead role, Anya Taylor-Joy’s name has been in the discussion for this character since the very first whispers of a live-action movie. Not only does the actress look very similar to Zelda’s original character design, but she also has the sharp sense of humor and self-assured strength that are crucial to getting this character right and avoiding the typical Princess stereotypes.
6 Thomasin McKenzie
Known For: Jojo Rabbit, Last Night In Soho
Thomasin McKenzie is another example of a younger actress who could perfectly capture the brash naivety of Zelda’s character without her seeming too vulnerable or careless. The actress first rose to fame in Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit, where she played a young girl named Elsa who was hiding from the Nazis. From there, McKenzie has continually chosen interesting roles that give her plenty of material to work with, such as Sherre in Netflix’s Lost Girls and Eloise in Edgar Wright’s Last Night In Soho.
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Thomasin McKenzie may not be the boldest or riskiest choice, but she’s guaranteed to bring a much-needed strength and individuality to the character that audiences can bank on.
The Legend of Zelda movie faces countless challenges in trying to adapt the beloved video games, and casting the lead characters is the first huge obstacle that it needs to overcome. Thomasin McKenzie may not be the boldest or riskiest choice, but she’s guaranteed to bring a much-needed strength and individuality to the character that audiences can bank on. She’s the perfect age for the role, and her experience working on big-budget productions like Jojo Rabbit and Old should cement her as a safe choice.
5 Milly Alcock
Known For: House Of The Dragon, Superman: Legacy
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While Milly Alcock doesn’t have as many projects under her belt as other actresses whose names have been put forward for Princess Zelda, that doesn’t make her any less deserving of the role. The Australian actress rose to fame as Princess Rhaenyra in HBO’s House of the Dragon series, which gave her all the experience she could possibly need to play Nintendo’s surprisingly similar royal hero. She’s young enough to capture Zelda’s innocence while also having the sharp humor and fortitude to subvert the stereotypes associated with video game princesses.
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Milly Alcock will also be making an appearance as Supergirl in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film, which kicks off the new era of the DC movie universe. This could damage her chances of landing The Legend of Zelda, as her character will likely be committed to multiple films. It’s no secret that big-budget superhero movies can take up lots of time for all actors involved, so it may be too much of a commitment for Alcock to take on The Legend of Zelda too.
4 Grace Van Dien
Known For: Stranger Things, Greenhouse Academy
Though she’s appeared in several other projects before it, Grace Van Dien’s big break came in Season 4 of Netflix’s Stranger Things, where she played the character of Chrissy. While the character died fairly quickly into the story, she left a major impression on audiences, and her name was soon added to the ever-growing pool of Zelda candidates. Chrissy was the perfect blend of charming innocence and self-assured confidence that Zelda is known for, and the physical resemblance is certainly there.
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It’s unlikely that Chrissy will return to Stranger Things, and Van Dien hasn’t appeared in anything of the same magnitude since then – but The Legend of Zelda could easily be the project that thrusts her back into the spotlight. She’s slightly older than most of the actresses in contention, but she convincingly played a high school student in Stranger Things, so that wouldn’t be much of an issue.
3 Bella Ramsey
Known For: Game Of Thrones, The Last Of Us
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Bella Ramsey’s name isn’t one that’s often thrown around in discussions about The Legend of Zelda, but they would be a fascinating choice for the role nevertheless. The actor has a history of playing complex, non-traditional roles that refuse to conform to stereotypes – just like Princess Zelda. They first appeared as Lyanna Mormont in HBO’s Game of Thrones, before taking on the lead role of Ellie in The Last of Us. Both characters are strong, fierce young girls who stand up for themselves in the face of danger.
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Casting Ramsey as Princess Zelda definitely wouldn’t be the obvious choice, as the physical resemblance isn’t immediately there, but it would be a subversive and unexpected one all the same. It would prove that The Legend of Zelda is trying to do something different, rather than sticking too closely to the often formulaic “damsel in distress” tropes of the video games.
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2 Cailee Spaeny
Known For: Priscilla, Civil War
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Cailee Spaeny is another example of an actress who’s never been afraid to break the mold and adopt roles that clearly push against the traditional tropes of female characters. Her work in Alien: Romulus and Civil War immediately cemented her as a fierce screen presence who can adapt herself to any genre, and while The Legend of Zelda would be completely different from both of those projects, it would require the same skills.
It’s easy to imagine Spaeny wielding the classic weapons and gadgets from
The Legend of Zelda
video games, giving the character a dynamic edge that’s missing from other Nintendo princesses like Peach or Daisy.
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It’s easy to imagine Spaeny wielding the classic weapons and gadgets from The Legend of Zelda video games, giving the character a dynamic edge that’s missing from other Nintendo princesses like Peach or Daisy. She’s much more independent and willing to fight alongside Link instead of relying on him to save her, which is something that fits neatly into Spaeny’s wheelhouse.
1 Hunter Schafer
Known For: Euphoria, Kinds Of Kindness
Image via NEON
When it was announced that The Legend of Zelda would be made into a live-action movie, Hunter Schafer was among the first names that was thrown into the ring for the lead female role. The actress rose to fame after playing Jules in Euphoria, who was among the show’s most complex and interesting characters. From there, Schafer has made a habit of choosing strong, non-stereotypical roles such as Anna in Kinds of Kindness and Gretchen in Cuckoo.
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Schafer is no stranger to the world of franchise filmmaking either, appearing as Tigris Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and soon having a starring role in the upcoming Blade Runner 2099 miniseries, which marks her transition into the action genre for the first time. The Legend of Zelda would be another notch in her belt, giving her the opportunity to develop this character in fascinating new ways.