Actors Who Could Play Arthur Morgan In Red Dead Redemption 2

After the huge success of HBO’s The Last Of Us (2023) series, the gaming world seems to be poised for more adaptations, with rumors flying among fans about which game could be next up to bat. The Red Dead Redemption 2 game is no doubt a perfect suitor for a TV adaptation, with compelling storylines, lovable characters, and a giant collection of lore supplying enough content for a season or two.

Red Dead Redemption 2‘s story would be the likely choice for an adaptation since it is Rockstar’s most recent and most successful game from the Red Dead series. This poses the question: who could play the main character of Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur Morgan?

Updated February 8, 2025, by Hamza Haq: Arthur Morgan is one of the most beloved characters in all of gaming, more than managing to match John Marston as the primary protagonist of the series. Naturally, a possible live-action movie based on the RDR universe is always a fun topic to imagine, even though it might never come about. Fancasting actors who could possibly nail down the look and feel of Arthur down is not very hard; there are plenty of white, middle-aged actors in Hollywood, but ones that would do him justice? Now, that takes some brainpower. Two additional actors have been added to the list, giving readers even more possibilities to discuss.

15

Travis Frimmel

Rugged And Rough With A Humorous Side

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Ragnar Lothbrok – Vikings
• Anduin Lothar – Warcraft
• Anderson – That Dirty Black Bag

Fresh off outstanding performances of Ragnar Lothbrok in the series Vikings, Travis Frimmel is one of the more outside shouts for the role of Arthur Morgan. The rugged lovableness that he portrayed beautifully in his role as Ragnar suits Arthur massively, alongside the strong blue eyes and tough facial shape, making him a decent contender for the role. In fact, the character of Ragnar has many similarities with Arthur Morgan, with quirky wisdom, cheeky humor, and the balance of a gritty badass and a lovable uncle packaged all into one character.

Travis Frimmel has played in cowboy-style movies, such as That Dirty Black Bag (2022) and Dreamland (2019), so a role as Arthur Morgan might come quite naturally to him. Additionally, Travis does well with characters who have a sprinkle of humor to them, such as Ragnar Lothbrok in Vikings (2013-2020) and Anduin Lothar in Warcraft (2016), which again fits the personality of Arthur Morgan.

14

David Harbour

Can Trusted To Nail The Slice Of Life Segments

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Jim Hopper – Stranger Things
• Santa – Violent Night
• Hellboy – Hellboy

David Harbour is one of the very few actors who could pull off a slightly aged Arthur Morgan, who has mellowed out a bit over the years. Portraying a weathered yet still dangerous Arthur is well within his capabilities. Harbour also has the ability to pull off Arthur’s annoyed gruffness tinged with love and understanding, as evidenced by his role as Sheriff Jim Hopper in Stranger Things.

David Harbour is also no stranger to getting physical in his roles, considering his stints as Hellboy in Hellboy (2019), a murderous Santa in Violent Night (2022), and many more. It’s easy to imagine Harbour as Arthur and even easier to imagine the hype this casting would generate if it does end up being confirmed.

13

Hugh Jackman

A Big Name With A Wealth Of Experience

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Logan (Wolverine) – Logan
• P.T. Barnum – The Greatest Showman
• Keller Dover – Prisoners

The Wolverine (2013) star, Hugh Jackman is no stranger to rough and ready roles, which perfectly describes Arthur Morgan. Hugh Jackman has the charisma and tough-man lovableness that exudes out of Arthur Morgan, making him quite an ideal pick for this role. His looks are not too far off from Arthur Morgan’s looks, with an ideal body shape, height, and age, although Jackman’s facial features are maybe not quite the same as Arthur’s.

Hugh Jackman is a big name who will attract eyes outside just the gaming community, similar to Pedro Pascal’s influence on The Last Of Us (2023), with many people watching the adaptation of the hit game even though they knew nothing about the game itself prior. This is an element that the bigger production companies will most likely lean towards, as they will need to have big names to counteract the probably large budget.

12

Bradley Cooper

A Great Actor Who Can Be Trusted To Deliver

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Chris Kyle – American Sniper
• Phil – The Hangover
• Henry Girard – War Dogs

Bradley Cooper is another actor who ticks the big-name box while also being someone who is used to roles that are more rugged and rough around the edges. With Cooper getting older, he is the right age now for an Arthur Morgan role, with his ability to deliver hard-hitting action along with heart-string-pulling emotion.

He has played roles in the past that deal with splits in morality, with his performance as Chris Kyle in American Sniper (2014) being a perfect example. Arthur Morgan swings back and forth from being a ruthless outlaw to being a gentle soul, so Bradley Cooper’s experience of playing these types of split personalities would work well.

11

Brad Pitt

An Iconic Name With Lots Of Experience In Cowboy Movies

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Lt. Aldo Raine – Inglourious Basterds
• Don Collier – Fury
• Jesse James – The Assassination Of Jesse James

A legendary actor for a legendary character, Brad Pitt is a choice that not many people would have a problem with. Aging like fine wine, Brad Pitt can deliver the gentle, tough man look that is required for the role of Arthur Morgan. Brad Pitt has the look for a western cowboy role, with his strong features and rough but clean appearance.

Additionally, Brad Pitt will bring many more eyes to the Red Dead franchise; with him being such a big name in the film industry, it would open many different doors not only for more Red Dead Redemption adaptations but gaming adaptations as a whole, just like Pedro Pascal did with The Last Of Us (2023). Brad Pitt also has experience playing cowboy roles, such as in The Assassination Of Jesse James (2007) and Legends Of The Fall (1994), making him a great candidate for the role of Arthur Morgan.

10

Charlie Hunnam

Has The Perfect Look And Temperament To Play Arthur Morgan

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Charlie Waldo – Last Looks
• Jax Teller – Sons of Anarchy

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of playing Arthur Morgan is balancing his violent tendencies with his softer ones—a trait that defines the character. Charlie Hunnam’s portrayal of Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy proves he can strike that balance without much effort, making him an ideal candidate for the role.

Hunnam’s physical build is another advantage. It would require minimal adjustments to match Arthur’s look and his natural appearance—just add a hat and a trimmed beard—and he could deliver an almost picture-perfect version of Arthur straight from the game. His ability to convincingly portray both violence and emotional depth makes him one of the top contenders in fans’ minds.

9

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Can Pull Off the Rugged Look With Only Minor Adjustments

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Jamie Lannister – Game of Thrones
• Ejnar Mikkelsen – Against the Ice

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau only needs to dye his hair a certain shade of brown, let his beard grow to a thick stubble to hide his too-chiseled jaw, and put on a cowboy hat to step into the shoes of Arthur Morgan without issue.

Of course, he might have to do some accent training and some mannerism changes to really get into the character and get his conspicuous southern drawl down pat, but it’s doable for an actor with his skill. He already has the salt-and-pepper look perfected to a tee and just needs to work on his vocals for this role.

8

Tom Hardy

Would Perfect The Rugged Humor Of Arthur

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Alfie Solomons – Peaky Blinders
• John Fitzgerald – The Revenant
• Forrest Bondurant – Lawless

After his great performance as Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders (2013-2022), Tom Hardy is someone who has the ability to play someone with wit and humor while also maintaining the ruthlessness and ruggedness needed for an outlaw cowboy. This makes him more than capable of playing the role of Arthur Morgan, especially after seeing how Tom Hardy portrayed the gentleness of Alfie Solomons, which has similarities to Arthur Morgan.

Tom Hardy may struggle with the accent of Arthur Morgan, with him mostly playing characters who have English accents, usually of the London Cockney variation. For example, in his role playing both the famous Kray twins from the movie Legend (2015), his role as Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders (2013-2022), and his role as Charles Bronson in Bronson (2008). Despite this, his skill in playing these rough characters fits perfectly with the role of Arthur Morgan.

7

Christian Bale

An Extremely Versatile Actor Who Can Transform Into Characters

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Cpt. Joseph J. Blocker – Hostiles
• Batman – The Dark Knight
• Ken Miles – Le Mans ’66

Another legendary actor who thrives in roles where the morality of the character shifts and changes, Christian Bale is an actor who could play Arthur Morgan. Bale has the ability to make interesting characters even more interesting, just like he did with Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000) and Bruce Wayne or Batman in The Dark Knight (2008), which would be amazing if he could have the same effect on Arthur Morgan.

In some ways, Christian Bale has the same look and feel as Arthur Morgan, with a gentle but rough image that could work tremendously. Bale has experience with westerns, featuring in the cowboy-style drama Hostiles (2017), so it will not be his first rodeo as a gun-slinging man of the Wild West. On top of all that, Christian Bale has the fame and prowess that would bolster the Red Dead reach to new audiences who aren’t familiar with the game.

6

Joel Edgerton

A Gritty Actor Who Strikes A Similar Resemblance To Arthur

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Owen Lars – Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV)
• Dan Frost – Jane Got A Gun
• Ramses – Exodus: Gods and Kings

When it comes to looking like the character, Joel Edgerton hits the nail on the head. His piercing blue eyes mixed with his rugged facial hair and facial structure are pretty close to that of Arthur Morgan; with his vast experience with gritty roles, Joel Edgerton could be a solid option. Edgerton has played in movies such as The Stranger (2022) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012), which are just two examples of the darker and grittier theme that is a major part of the Red Dead Redemption 2 story, especially Arthur and the gang’s ultimate demise near the end of the game.

Looking at his resume, which features big-name productions such as Star Wars with the Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) TV series, a period piece in The Great Gatsby (2013), and political dramas like Boy Erased (2018), Joel Edgerton has shown his wealth of adaptability and ability to play a multitude of different roles, which will be needed in what will be his first cowboy movie in a long time. This also helps with understanding the character of Arthur Morgan, who is someone who changes their views and reflects on their actions throughout the story, so having a versatile actor is vital for a successful live-action Arthur Morgan.

5

Josh Holloway

Great At Portraying Characters Who Have It Rough

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Roarke – Yellowstone
• James “Sawyer” Ford – Lost
• Will Bowman – Colony

Josh Holloway has had great success with exploring diverse and deep characters, who, in particular, have lots of emotional and situational trauma on their hands. Take Sawyer from Lost, for example. That character experienced plenty of distress but was also similar to Arthur through its anti-hero feel, with Sawyer probably being Holloway’s work that most closely resembles what performance he could deliver as Arthur Morgan.

Additionally, in his role as Will Bowman in the sci-fi series Colony, Holloway has a notably similar appearance to Arthur, donning a medium-to-long hairdo and a rugged beard. He does mix up his hair in that show, which is good to see, as Arthur’s hair is changeable in the game, so he could have many different styles on display in a Red Dead Redemption 2 adaptation. If only Holloway had a cowboy hat and a revolver like Will Bowman, then he would almost pass as an Arthur Morgan cosplayer.

4

Josh Brolin

Blunt And Rugged Humor That Screams Arthur Morgan

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Agent K – Men In Black 3
• Royal Abbot – Outer Range
• Thanos – Avengers: Endgame

A veteran of blunt and dry humor for mostly serious characters, Josh Brolin is more than capable of playing a character like Arthur Morgan. Players of Red Dead Redemption 2 will be very aware of Arthur’s dry humor, which makes him somehow wholesome, despite the fact that he is a ruthless killer for a highly wanted gang of outlaws.

Josh Brolin has vast experience with roles like this, with Agent K from Men In Black 3 being a standout performance that could be seen as similar in style to Arthur Morgan. Additionally, Brolin has essentially voice acted in his role as Thanos, so fans can expect him to understand more about turning an animated/motion capture character into an IRL character. The only element that could deny Brolin a part as Arthur Morgan is his age, as he seems a few years older than Arthur.

3

Jensen Ackles

Ready For A Deep Cowboy Role

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Soldier Boy – The Boys
• Dean Winchester – Supernatural
• Eric Brady – Days Of Our Lives

After showing his acting versatility with his great performance as Soldier Boy in The Boys, Jensen Ackles has emerged as an interesting option for a potential role as Arthur Morgan. His ability to act with humor alongside his clean but rugged appearance works nicely when thinking of elements that would make for a good portrayal of Arthur Morgan.

Jensen Ackles doesn’t have a wealth of cowboy-based movie experience, so there’s not too much that fans can draw from. However, it feels like Ackles could have a big role coming for him, especially after The Boys got so much attention. He certainly has the look and status for a cowboy movie, now that he is much more grown-up-looking and experienced in the world of action.

2

Anson Mount

The Easiest Actor To Imagine As Arthur

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Cullen Bohannon – Hell on Wheels
• The Virtuoso – The Virtuoso

The Hell on Wheels version of Anson Mount is arguably the closest a real-life actor has gotten to portraying the exact character of Arthur Morgan, both in terms of looks and mannerisms, which makes him an easy choice to recommend for a possible Red Dead Redemption movie.

It’s easy to imagine how convincingly Anson Mount could portray Arthur by just taking a random screenshot of Cullen Bohannon and visualizing him mouthing Arthur’s dialogue from RDR 2 instead of from Hell on Wheels. The biggest adjustment he would have to make is to lower his voice down a couple of decibels and make it raspier, which is not a hard thing to do for an actor with his chops.

1

Roger Clark

Voice Actor Who Knows Arthur Better Than Most

Relevant Previous Roles:

• Arthur Morgan (Voice Actor) – Red Dead Redemption 2
• Captain Weir – The Wild West
• Cpl. Miller – The Fallen

The man who plays the voice of Arthur Morgan in the game, Roger Clark, would be a choice that fans of the Red Dead series would love. Voice actors seem to be overlooked often for live-action roles of their characters. However, with Arthur Morgan having such an iconic voice, having Roger Clark play him in a live-action wouldn’t upset many.

Although he is a voice actor, Roger Clark has played many roles in films and TV, such as in The Wild West (2007) and The Fallen (2022), so he has enough experience in front of a camera to do well as a live-action Arthur Morgan. Moreover, he has lived and breathed Arthur’s story through the game, so he will be able to connect with the character more than anyone else.