Recasting Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name For The Fistful Of Dollars Remake

Summary

  • A remake of Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone’s classic Spaghetti Western, A Fistful of Dollars, is in development.
  • Since Eastwood can’t play his iconic character anymore, a new actor will have to step into the boots of the Man with No Name.
  • There are ten great actors who might be able to match Eastwood, and all of them could bring something unique and new to the remake.



A remake of the classic Western movie A Fistful of Dollars is in the works, and a new actor will have to replace Clint Eastwood as the iconic Man with No Name. While there aren’t many details available yet, a remake of A Fistful of Dollars is in development. The original film starred Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name and spawned what has been dubbed the “Dollars” trilogy. Eastwood played the Man with No Name two more times, in For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, but he won’t be able to reprise his role in the remake.

Eastwood first played the Man with No Name in 1964, but he’s since aged out of the role and plans to retire (via Discussing Film), but not before leaving tremendously large boots to fill. The Man with No Name is easily one of the most iconic characters in Western history, and his popularity is largely due to Eastwood. Whoever gets the part in the remake will have a very tough time living up to his legacy. Luckily, there are 10 actors who might be able to match Eastwood, and who are young enough for the potential remakes of the other movies in the “Dollars” trilogy.


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10 Luke Grimes

Known For: Yellowstone

Every actor who has played a part in a Western since 1964 has been influenced by Clint Eastwood, and Luke Grimes is no different. Grimes is most known for playing Kayce Dutton in Yellowstone, the contemporary Western show about a family’s ranching dynasty in Montana. As Kayce, Grimes brought a quietness to the role, but he was also able to become truly fearsome at a moment’s notice. Grimes also got to display his range as Kayce, as he could be a somber, introspective cowboy in one episode, a loving father in the next, and a protective husband in another.


Grimes’ experience playing Kayce Dutton would make him a perfect fit to step into the Man with No Name’s shoes. He’s already proven he can be just as intimidating as Eastwood was, when the situation demands it. Grimes has also nailed playing a strong and silent type of character, which would fit the Man with No Name perfectly. In that sense, Grimes may be one of the few actors who could effectively pull off the mysterious nature of the Man with No Name.

9 Walton Goggins

Known For: Justified, The Hateful Eight


Walton Goggins is perhaps the most prolific modern Western actor there is. Goggins has played all manner of gunslingers, from his role as a classical cowboy in movies like The Hateful Eight and Django: Unchained to more modern Westerns like Justified. He’s even brought a gunslinger into the post-apocalypse through Fallout, where he played the Ghoul. Those roles didn’t just give him experience in playing cowboys, though, as Goggins has also proven that he can play villains, heroes, more morally ambiguous characters, and even provide comedic relief.

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That huge amount of experience makes Goggins extremely qualified to take the lead role in a remake of A Fistful of Dollars. He would be right at home in cowboy boots and a hat, and he would waste no time in bringing the Man with No Name to life. Additionally, Goggins would be able to handle all the different sides of Eastwood’s iconic character, from his imposing presence to the few instances the Man with No Name displayed his dry sense of humor. Walton Goggins’ entire career is like a resume to star in A Fistful of Dollars, and it’s an exceptionally impressive resume at that.

8 LaKeith Stanfield

Known For: Sorry To Bother You, Knives Out


He may not have the same level of experience with Western movies, but LaKeith Stanfield more than proved he’s a top contender with what few opportunities he’s had. Stanfield has had a very diverse acting career so far: he’s been in sci-fi comedies like Sorry to Bother You, historical dramas like Selma, and murder mysteries like Knives Out. He has an incredibly varied range of skills as an actor, but he also proved he could play a very compelling cowboy in The Harder They Fall. Stanfield played Cherokee Bill in that film, and he clearly channeled the Man with No Name.

Though Cherokee Bill was decidedly more villainous, Stanfield showed he could easily play a legendary gunslinger like the Man with No Name. His villainous role in The Harder They Fall may have even given Stanfield valuable experience in playing morally ambiguous characters, which would be perfect for A Fistful of Dollars. With Stanfield’s help, the remake could really lean into and examine the Man with No Name’s odd sense of morality.


7 Brandon Sklenar

Known For: 1923, Westworld

Brandon Sklenar has had his fair share of Western roles, but he’s also proven himself as a great actor in several other genres. Sklenar became a rising star in the Western genre by starring in 1923 and a few episodes of Westworld, but he’s also been in more mainstream action movies like Midway. No matter what project he’s in, though, Sklenar excels. He’s more than proven himself as a competent lead actor, and he could really do well as the Man with No Name.


While any number of Sklenar’s previous roles prove he can handle a character as iconic as the Man with No Name, his work in 1923 is the best evidence. Sklenar was a standout actor in that show, and he was even able to carve out a name for himself among much more prominent celebrities like Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. 1923 also gave Sklenar a chance to display all the reasons he would excel in A Fistful of Dollars, like his fighting abilities and his talent for keeping his character interesting.

6 Manny Jacinto

Known For: The Good Place, I Want You Back


Manny Jacinto doesn’t have much experience with traditional Westerns, but he shouldn’t be underestimated because of it. Jacinto is best known for his work as a comedic actor in projects like The Good Place and I Want You Back, but he’s also performed very well in more dramatic roles, like in Nine Perfect Strangers. One of Jacinto’s dramatic roles was essentially an audition tape that proved how good he would be as a gunslinger. He played Qimir in Star Wars: The Acolyte, and though it’s not a traditional Western, Jacinto made his character into a mysterious stranger that was reminiscent of the Man with No Name.


As Qimir, Jacinto was basically just a sci-fi version of Eastwood’s character, albeit much darker. Jacinto proved he’s a master of deception, delivering one-liners, performing physically demanding stunts, and everything else the remake of A Fistful of Dollars could demand of him. He also brought an immense presence to the screen in The Acolyte that would be perfect to help the Man with No Name feel larger than life. Jacinto seems like a perfect fit for the remake of A Fistful of Dollars, and it could be the perfect way to introduce him to the Western genre.

5 Chris Pine

Known For: Wonder Woman, Star Trek

He’s starred in everything from the Wonder Woman franchise to Star Trek, but one of Chris Pine’s best movies was a Western. Pine starred in Hell or High Water, and though he hasn’t done another Western since, that film proved he can dominate the genre. He more than deserves a chance to wear a cowboy hat again, and A Fistful of Dollars would be the perfect excuse for Pine to get back in the saddle.


Though Hell or High Water is a modern Western, Pine’s performance still evoked the dust and tumbleweeds of Spaghetti Westerns. He didn’t get into many shootouts, but Pine was wonderful as the type of protagonist who relies more on his head than his gun. He could easily channel that again for the Man with No Name, especially considering his cunning tactic with body armor at the end of A Fistful of Dollars.

4 Martin Sensmeier

Known For: The Magnificent Seven (2016), 1883


Martin Sensmeier has been in a wide array of Western movies, but he rarely gets the chance to play a classic gunslinger. The remake of A Fistful of Dollars could be the perfect chance to change that. Sensmeier has played several different Native American characters in Westerns like Wind River, Westworld, and The Magnificent Seven. While his time as the Man with No Name would certainly be different from Clint Eastwood’s, Sensmeier might be able to bring something to the role that would help the remake feel truly new and worth revisiting.

With Sensmeier in the lead role, the remake of
A Fistful of Dollars
could easily add something meaningful to the original film.


Sensmeier is already a master of the Western genre, and he’s spent the better part of decade proving it. Many of the characters he’s portrayed have been quiet, strong, and incredibly cool, which means he wouldn’t have any trouble playing a calm, calculating gunslinger who listens more than he talks, like the Man with No Name. Additionally, Sensmeier’s Tlingit and Koyukon-Athabascan heritage could help update A Fistful of Dollars for modern sensibilities, and open the door to some interesting story opportunities. With Sensmeier in the lead role, the remake of A Fistful of Dollars could easily add something meaningful to the original film.

3 Jon Bernthal

Known For: Fury, The Punisher


Of all the possible candidates to take on the mantle of the Man with No Name, Jon Bernthal is the closest to Clint Eastwood. Both Bernthal and Eastwood made a name for themselves in playing strong, tough action heroes, and they both proved they could handle so much more. Bernthal has done typical action films and shows like Fury and The Punisher, and he could easily become another legendary warrior. Additionally, Bernthal also brings a level of humanity and vulnerability to his characters, which is exactly how Eastwood made A Fistful of Dollars and the Man with No Name so compelling in the first place.

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One of the great things about Bernthal’s take on action heroes, though, and one of the things that makes him so similar to Eastwood, is that his vulnerability never detracts from how cool they are. That balance is crucial to getting the Man with No Name right: he needs to be able to get shot or dehydrated and seem like he really could die, but he also needs to be able to request coffins be built for his enemies just before gunning them all down. It’s a hard line to walk, and while Eastwood did it best decades ago, Jon Bernthal may be a very close second.

2 John Boyega

Known For: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Pacific Rim: Uprising


John Boyega will likely always be best known for his work in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but he’s had an extremely impressive career outside the galaxy far, far away. Boyega starred in several other sci-fi movies, like Attack the Block and Pacific Rim: Uprising, but one of his more recent films proved how good he would be in a proper Western. Boyega starred in They Cloned Tyrone in a role that truly highlighted just how talented he is. His character, Fontaine, allowed him to play a truly intimidating and reluctant hero.

Boyega’s work in They Cloned Tyrone would translate almost seamlessly to A Fistful of Dollars. Fontaine prepared Boyega to play a rough, morally questionable hero, and it should be extremely easy to swap out the sci-fi aesthetic for lassos and revolvers. He also has the screen presence necessary to show that the Man with No Name is not the type of person anyone would want to mess with, which would help Boyega fit right into the remake.


1 Scott Eastwood

Known For: Suicide Squad, The Longest Ride

Probably the most obvious choice to fill the Man With No Name’s boots is Clint Eastwood’s own son, Scott Eastwood. He’s been acting in all types of movies and shows for almost 20 years, and like his father, he’s done a few Westerns along the way. Eastwood’s work in Diablo particularly stands out as a show of his acting abilities and how well he would do as the Man with No Name, even if that film was closer to The Outlaw Josey Wales than A Fistful of Dollars. Eastwood gave a great performance in the movie, and he seemed just like his father.


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Scott Eastwood would be the best choice to make the remake of A Fistful of Dollars recreate the feel of the original, partly because he captures his father’s presence so well. He can play a mysterious stranger just as well, and he may be even better in a modern action sequence. Casting Scott Eastwood as the Man with No Name in the remake of A Fistful of Dollars would also be the perfect way to honor both the original film and the original gunslinger.

Source: Discussing Film