History Main / ComicBookFantasyCasting

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', Aladdin was based on Creator/TomCruise. Earlier designs took inspiration from Creator/MichaelJFox. Jafar, in turn, was a copy of Creator/ConradVeidt in [[FIlm/TheThiefofBagdad1940 The Thief of Bagdad]], while Jasmine was initially modeled on Creator/JenniferConnelly.

* In Creator/JasonAaron's ComicBook/Thor2014, Jane Foster is drawn to look like her MCU actress Creator/NataliePortman.

** In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' crossover novel, written before the X-Men movie, he is also described as bearing fair resemblance to Jean-Luc.

** Annie from "Growing Pains" was modeled after Creator/NataliePortman in ''Film/TheProfessional''

*** The female fashion designer Calender Girl kidnaps in "[[Recap/TheNewBatmanAdventuresE13MeanSeasons Mean Seasons]]" looks like Carrie Donovan.

** The wicked queen was based on Creator/KatharineHepburn.

** The Scab Leader/Kortenaer is bizarrely designed to resemble Peter Daou, a former child soldier who became a minor pop musician in the 90s, then a political blogger, and the campaign manager for John Kerry in 2004 and Hillary Clinton in 2008; he became internet famous for his obsessive and inflammatory Hillary Clinton support in the runup to the 2016 election, in which he would accuse even the most moderate critics of her campaign or policies of being misogynists. It is likely he came to the attention of the developers via his feud with the ''Podcast/ChapoTrapHouse'' podcast, who called him a "Hillaryman" and frequently made fun of him on the show; in the game's orignal dub, the Scab Leader is voiced by ''Chapo'' host Felix Biederman in reference to this.

* WordOfGod says that Shadow from ''Literature/AmericanGods'' by Creator/NeilGaiman was supposed to look like Wrestling/DwayneJohnson.

* In ''Videogame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar'', Shelob's human form resembles Creator/LivTyler, which in turn makes her look like Arwen from the film version of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''.

* Hal Jordan and Sinestro in ''Comicbook/GreenLantern'' have respectively been claimed to have been based on Creator/PaulNewman and Creator/DavidNiven. The male Guardians of the Universe from ''Green Lantern'' were initially based on David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel. John Stewart, meanwhile, was based on Creator/SidneyPoitier. Alan Scott was modeled after Creator/AlanLadd and Kyle Rayner was based on Creator/KeanuReeves. Abin Sur was based on Creator/YulBrynner.

** Nightcrawler started to gradually look more and more like Creator/ErrolFlynn, with his holographic image inducer calibrated specifically to look like him. Nightcrawler is also a huge Flynn fanboy, so in his case it was a cultivated look.

* [[ComicBook/CaptainMarVell Monica Rambeau]] was designed to resemble Creator/PamGrier, one of John Romita, Jr.'s favorite actresses.

* Paul Kidby's illustrations of Sam Vimes in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' cover designs and other art deliberately depict him as Clint Eastwood. By contrast, Melvyn Grant, the artist of ''Where's My Cow?'', drew Vimes like Creator/PetePostlethwaite, who was said to be Creator/TerryPratchett's own fantasy casting for the role.

* [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] is generally described (and in illustrations and the comics, drawn) in fashions that evoke a young Clint Eastwood, which carries over into the art. Tall, lean, dark-haired, stubbly, sharp features... yep, that's Clint.

** Creator/LanceParkin has an acknowledged tendency toward fantasy-casting his characters; in particular, Ian Richardson gets a lot of "roles" in Parkin novels, most obviously in the Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures novel ''The Dying Days'', where scheming politician Lord Edward Greyhaven is quite close to his iconic role in ''Series/HouseOfCardsUK''. (Ironically, Parkin attempted to include a cameo by the 42nd Doctor [see Fanfic] in ''The Dying Days'', but it was cut. He does, however, appear in the ''Franchise/BerniceSummerfield'' NA ''Beige Planet Mars'').

** Ingold Inglorion of the ''Literature/{{Darwath}}'' trilogy is very obviously the late Sir Alec Guinness as [[Franchise/StarWars Obi-Wan Kenobi]], brown robes, beautiful voice and all.

* Rex Mundi, the co-hero of Creator/RobertRankin's ''Armageddon'' trilogy, is repeatedly described as looking like a young Creator/HarrisonFord. The third book in the trilogy finishes with "credits" (including actors who at the time of publication were obviously far too old for the characters (or, in the case of Orson Welles, too dead)). It also has a bunch of minor characters ''arguing'' over which film star they resemble as they [[NoFourthWall fight to get more page space]]. Note that Rex's co-hero is a time-travelling Music/ElvisPresley.
* Writer Creator/IanFleming based the Literature/JamesBond's original appearance on that of singer/actor HoagyCarmichael. In later books, however, Fleming made Bond more closely resemble actor Creator/SeanConnery (including making the character part Scottish).

** Creator/ClaudiaGray says that in ''Literature/StarWarsLostStars'', Ciena Ree is a young Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Paron Ree is Creator/LennieJames, Ved Foslo is Harry Shum, Jr., Kendy Idele is Parminder Nagra, and the Contessa is Creator/MichelleYeoh.
** Creator/ClaudiaGray seems to like this trope, as she released an entire fancast for ''Star Wars: Bloodline''. Greer Sonnel is Creator/PriyankaChopra, Ransolm Casterfo is Creator/TomHiddleston, Lady Carise is Jamie Chung, Tai-Lin Garr is Creator/KenWatanabe, Arliz Hadrassian is Sonia Braga and Joph Seastriker is Creator/JoshHutcherson.

* The depiction of [[AttractiveBentGender Frost]] in the last book's cover of the ''Literature/MagicUniversity'' series has a staggering resemblance to Kiera Knightley.
* In ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'', Major Major Major Major's life is plagued by his resemblance to Henry Fonda:

* ''Literature/{{Trainspotting}}'': Mark Renton is described as looking like footballer Alex [=McLeish=] due to his ginger hair, while Tommy is described as looking like a young Creator/HarrisonFord. In the sequel ''Literature/{{Porno}}'', Sick Boy is described as looking like Creator/StevenSeagal.

** Jeff Tracy from ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' looks remarkably like Lorne Greene, who's best known for also playing [[Series/{{Bonanza}} a single-parent head of a family of boys]]
** Troy Tempest from ''Series/{{Stingray|1964}}'' was intentionally modeled on James Garner.

** Creator/LanceParkin has an acknowledged tendency toward fantasy-casting his characters; in particular, Ian Richardson gets a lot of "roles" in Parkin novels, most obviously in the Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures novel ''The Dying Days'', where Lord Greyhaven is quite close to his iconic role in ''Series/HouseOfCardsUK''. (Ironically, Parkin attempted to include a cameo by the 42nd Doctor [see Fanfic] in ''The Dying Days'', but it was cut. He does, however, appear in the ''Franchise/BerniceSummerfield'' NA ''Beige Planet Mars'').

* Bruce Wayne in ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne'' was unashamedly drawn a ''lot'' like Creator/CaryGrant, and intentionally so, although David Mazzucchelli has also claimed influence from Creator/GregoryPeck. And his aged look in ''Comicbook/KingdomCome'' winds up looking like Peck, minus mustache. The old Batman in ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' was modeled on Creator/MarlonBrando in ''Film/TheGodfather'', while Creator/AlexRoss tends to make Joker look like Creator/JackNicholson complete with receding hairline.

* [[ComicBook/TheUltimates Ultimate]] ComicBook/NickFury was drawn to look like Creator/SamuelLJackson. In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, Jackson was naturally cast in the role. This was an explicit arrangement; Jackson, a big comic book fan, gave Marvel free rein to use his likeness for the character as long as he could have the part in the movies.

* Recently, it has been [[https://twitter.com/KonoRobu/status/1231260128571273216 pointed out]] that actor Bjorn Andrésen as he appeared in ''Film/DeathInVenice'' was a major influence of Main/{{Bishonen}} characters in TheSeventies (and beyond) on manga such as Gilbert Cocteau from ''Manga/KazeToKiNoUta'', Reinhard von Lohengramm from ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'', Griffith from ''Manga\{{Berserk}}'', and Oscar from ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles'', among others. Some even pointed out that [[Franchise/{{Gundam}} Char Aznable]] bears a resemblence to Andrésen.

* Recently, it has been [[https://twitter.com/KonoRobu/status/1231260128571273216 pointed out]] that actor Bjorn Andrésen as he appeared in ''Film/DeathInVenice'' was a major influence of Main/{{Bishonen}} characters in TheSeventies (and beyond) on manga such as Gilbert Cocteau from ''Manga/KazeToKiNoUta'', Reinhard von Lohengramm from ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'', and Oscar from ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles'', among others. Some even pointed out that [[Franchise/{{Gundam}} Char Aznable]] bears a resemblence to Andrésen.

* ''VideoGame/LaserSquad'' is guilty of this in the IBM PC version. The cutscenes exclusive to this version use trace-overs of various scenes and/or characters from ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' for the Rebel Star team in the first level and the cyborgs in the second, while the team member portraits use various 1980s movie actors as facial sources - Lorenzo Lamas, Creator/MichaelBiehn, Creator/AlecBaldwin, Creator/RutgerHauer, Creator/MichaelIronside, Creator/JohnHollis (who makes up the entire enemy squad in the second mission) and, surprisingly standing out from the rest of the list, Creator/ErrolFlynn. In a bit of HilariousInHindsight, there are also people looking like Creator/AdamBaldwin and Creator/VinDiesel as Riddick as he appears in the BatmanColdOpen of ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick''.

** On the topic of Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}, Sherlock Holmes from ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' clearly resembles Creator/BenedictCumberbatch's portrayal of the character in ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'', minus the wavy hair. Elements of his costume design particularly resembles Cumberbatch's Sherlock as he appeared in [[Recap/SherlockSpecialTheAbominableBride "The Abominable Bride"]].

* ComicBook/RachelSummers in her first appearances in ''ComicBook/NewMutants'' was intentionally designed to look like Music/AnnieLennox.
* Likewise, ComicBook/IllyanaRasputin in the same title was designed to look like Heather O'Rourke, the child actress who played Carol-Ann in ''Film/{{Poltergeist}}''.

** Similarly, the [[http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130226032434/nancydrew/images/thumb/e/ef/F4135938e5b1285dac2d4f08b23f975e.jpg/178px-F4135938e5b1285dac2d4f08b23f975e.jpg photo]] of George Fayne owes a lot to Tina Fey, and [[http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130319053552/thenancydrew/images/3/33/Victor_Lossett.jpg Victor Lossett]] of ''The Deadly Device'' is rather blatantly a photo of [[Film/IronMan Obadiah Stane]] era Jeff Bridges.

* The Saint of Killers in ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'' had a powerful and deliberate resemblance to Creator/LeeMarvin, stated as deliberate by Creator/GarthEnnis in his introduction to the ''Ancient History'' collection that contained his origin story.

* Speaking of Naughty Dog: Ellie from ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'' looks a ''lot'' like Creator/EllenPage. The character design has since been modified to look a little younger and better resemble voice actress Creator/AshleyJohnson, though the resemblance did not go unnoticed by Page, who said she was "not pleased" at Ellie's close resemblance to her, mainly since [[InkSuitActor her image IS being used]] for the game ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls''.

* Mr. Chang, the head of the local triad in ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' looks a lot like Creator/ChowYunFat.

* Zafal Takie from the Motorball arc of ''Manga/{{Gunnm}}'' is based on Creator/GraceJones in ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer''. Overall this seems to be a fairly common practice with black characters in manga. Since there aren't many black people in Japan, artists will often use American movies as photo-reference, as Japanese manga artists' attempts to produce black characters freehand can sometimes show a [[http://bartbeaty.ucalgaryblogs.ca/2013/04/20/blackface-pokemon-and-dragon-ball/ dubious similarity]] to {{Blackface}} caricatures.

* [[ComicBook/TheUltimates Ultimate]] ComicBook/NickFury was drawn to look like Creator/SamuelLJackson. In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, Jackson was naturally cast in the role. This was an explicit arrangement; Jackson gave Marvel free rein to do it as long as he could have the part in the movies.

* In another Bendis example, he has stated that the mother-daughter supervillain duo the Comicbook/{{Bombshells}} from ''Comicbook/UltimateSpiderMan'' were based on the titular characters from ''Series/GilmoreGirls''. This is especially noticeable in the 2016 ''[[Comicbook/MilesMorales Spider-Man]]'' series, where artist Oscar Bazaldua very blatantly modeled Lori after Creator/LaurenGraham and Lana after Creator/AlexisBledel.