The ideal cast for a live-action Metroid movie
Commander Adam Malkovich – Idris Elba
Like Old Bird, Commander Adam Malkovich is another important father figure for Samus, as he was her commanding officer during her time as a cadet for the Galactic Federation Police. According to official Metroid canon, Samus considers Malkovich as not only a father figure but also her “best friend,” although these traits aren’t really prevalent until Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Other M, both of which chronologically takes place well after Metroid: Zero Mission. However, Commander Malkovich also played a critical role in assisting with Samus’ raid during Metroid: Zero Mission, as (according to the manga) he provides Samus with the bomb and missile data for her Power Suit.
Idris Elba is so well suited for the role of Commander Malkovich, as he is a proven commodity when portraying authoritative military and police characters. Elba is perhaps best known today as the all-seeing Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being a central character in the Thor films. Elba also gained a lot of recognition as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther in the BBC Luther TV series, in addition to his other big role as Russell “Stringer” Bell on HBO’s The Wire.
For me, the role that stands out as the best template for Commander Malkovich is Elba’s Pacific Rim character, Marshal Stacker Pentecost. The line where Pentecost states, “We are canceling the apocalypse,” is one of the most memorable parts of the film, and when said film features giant robots fighting kaiju monsters, you know that performance is special. After all, wouldn’t it be fun for fans to hear Elba, as Malkovich, utter the character’s signature quote to Samus, “Any objections, Lady?”
It’s impossible to talk about a Metroid film without mentioning Sir Ridley’s Scott’s connections to the franchise, which itself was largely inspired by Scott’s 1979 horror classic Alien. Not only has Scott directed Elba in a couple of films, but one of those said films was Prometheus, which takes place in the Alien film universe. These “connections” don’t have any relevance on this ideal casting, as it was something that only I noticed after the roles were filled, but I thought it was a fun coincidence to point out.