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Will Arnett and Michael Shannon Hop on Board Jonah Hex

by Alex Billington
April 1, 2009

No, this isn't an April Fools joke, this is legitimate casting news. Comedic actor Will Arnett and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon are the latest to join Warner Brothers upcoming Jonah Hex movie, based on the DC Comics character. Arnett will play a Union soldier who enlists Hex and is blindsided by the dirty fighting style of his enemies. Apparently the role is not inherently comic, which will be a change for Arnett. Shannon will play Doc Cross Williams, the bizarre ringleader of a brutal gladiator circus event. Doc is a recurring character and could appear in sequels, if this does as well as Warner Brothers is hoping.

As we've reported before, Jonah Hex is being directed by former Pixar animator Jimmy Hayward. I've heard from a good friend that Hayward is actually a big fan of both comics and westerns, so this is actually a good fit for him and somewhat of a perfect movie for him to make his live-action directorial debut. The story in this will follow Jonah Hex, played by Josh Brolin, a bounty hunter who tracks a voodoo practitioner that wants to raise an army of the undead to liberate the South. While I do like both Arnett and Shannon, they're actors that I sometimes find annoying in the wrong roles. I really hope that's not the case for this.

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I thought much the same as you that this was an early April Fool Joke (I already fell for the Al Pacino in Bioshock with a Depp Cameo one), but thinking about it a do think Arnett could actually be a good choice for this one. I'm sure I've seen him in something as a Civil War soldier before, but I am probably very much mistaken. He'll bring in a different segment of the viewing population to a film they might not initially have thought to see. Shannon's character as a ringleader for a Gladitorial type circus just makes me think that the whole thing will be a Mad Max Thunderdome style Western
BahHumbug

Josh Brolin John Malkovich Megan Fox Will Arnett Michael Shannon Adaptation of Jonah Hex? Sold.
Kate

Hey Alex - Audio interview from the set of Neil Marshall's 'Centurion' with Michael Fassbender, he mentions also being part of the cast of Jonah Hex. No mention of what character he is playing though. Something you may want to add to your 'Centurion' page as well. http://audioboo.fm/boos/3203-michael-fassbender-interview
Kate

In an audio interview from the set of Centurion, actor Michael Fassbender mentions he will be in Jonah Hex next. No mention of what character he will play, yet.