50 Shades of Grey Movie Cast: Christian Grey Cast is a Trifecta

Culture

Ladies and gentlemen; Fifty Shades of Grey’s Christian Grey “sweepstakes” are down to three finalists: Gangster Squad’s Ryan Gosling, Man of Steel’s Henry Cavil and True Blood Season 5 Finale’s Aleksander Skarsgard.

All summer long fans of Fifty Shades of Grey have been consumed by expectation, as the blogosphere speculated about who will fill the shoes -- and hold the whip -- of S&M millionaire business tycoon and philanthropist Christian Grey. Some of the runner-ups include True Blood Season 5 Finale’s Joe ManganielloWhite Collar’s Matt Bomer and Magic Mike’s Channing Tatum.

However, Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, The Notebook) was a big favorite ever since talks about the film adaptation surfaced online. The gallant persona derived from the actor’s sensible and romantic parts could be a double-edged sword, though, as the shock of seeing “vanilla” Gosling administering punishment to Anastasia Steel could turn off many of the actor’s teenage fans – which, in turn, could backfire at the box office.

“Superman” Henry Cavill is the second frontrunner. His advantage lies in the fact that, according to online gossip, he is the prototype for E.L. James’ fictional character. Despite being known in America for Showtime’s The Tudors, Cavill is not that famous yet. That could be an asset when casting the role of Christian Grey, as a relative up and coming star wouldn’t outshine the anticipated movie with a larger-than-life Hollywood persona.

Last but not least, Swedish actor Aleksander Skarsgard, known for playing Viking-age vampire Eric Northman in HBO’s True Blood, is another strong contender to clinch the role. Like Cavill, Skarsgard is relative unknown to the broader audience – which could work to his advantage as he also wouldn’t outshine the production (and wouldn’t demand an astronomical compensation). Both Cavill and Skarsgard have shot Christian Grey-style commercials, in what has been taken by online fans as subtle signals that they both are serious about wanting the role.