Russo Brothers ‘Deadly Class’ Cast Announced, Includes Benedict Wong, Henry Rollins
As we announced back in September, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ directors, the Russo brothers, have been working on a pilot of Rick Remender’s ‘Deadly Class’ comic book for Syfy. Yesterday they revealed the casting for the pilot, and it has some interesting names attached.
The show is a coming-of-age drama set in a high school… except this is no educational establishment. This is Kings Dominion School for the Deadly Arts, the most brutal high school on earth, where the world’s top crime families send the next generation of assassins to be trained. The story is set against the backdrop of late 80’s counter culture, and centres around Marcus Lopez, a young lad whose grades suck and is failing ‘Dismemberment 101’. The jocks – who happen to be the children of Joseph Stalin’s top assassin – are hassling his friends, and the girl he’s crushing on has a double-digit body count… At this school, murder is an art, killing is a craft, and the dagger in your back isn’t always metaphorical.
Marcus will be played by Benjamin Wadsworth, who has previously popped up in episodes of ‘Teen Wolf’, ‘Girl Meets World’ and the web series ‘Dad vs. Lad’. Marcus is an awkward outcast full of social anxiety struggling to find his place in the cold and brutal world of high school. Marcus is bottled rage if his life had been normal this kid might have been an artist, even a poet. Instead, he’s had to survive life on the streets of San Francisco. His eyes show it. He’s morally centred in an unethical world.
Benedict Wong (‘Doctor Strange’, ‘Marco Polo’, ‘Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams’) will play the headmaster of the School for the Deadly Arts, Master Lin. Deadly and feared. He’s an ever-changing chameleon who keeps his students desperate for his approval.
Lana Condor, who is probably best know for her role as Jubilee in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’, plays Saya, a mysterious and guarded girl, with a deadly reputation. Saya was banished from one of the top Yakuza clans in Japan, sent to the School for the Deadly Arts to redeem herself. Driven to be the valedictorian, nothing will stand in her way.
Venezuelan actress María Gabriela de Faría (‘Yo Soy Franky’, ‘Grachi’) will play Maria. One minute Maria’s an extrovert and an exhibitionist, a tornado of ever-changing emotions – fierce, charming, beautiful and oozing femininity – the next she’s murderous, feral, and crippled by rage. At the School for the Deadly Arts, her instability is treated like a superpower.
Luke Tennie (‘Shock and Awe’) plays Willie, a hardened gangster, but underneath is an honest and thoughtful person who would rather be reading comic books and listening to music than engaging in blood work. Forced by his mother, leader of an LA gang, into the School for the Deadly Arts, he is under endless pressure to become the thing he hates most.
Liam James (‘The Killing’, ‘Psych’) is playing Billy, skater punk, son of a corrupt cop and now a misfit at the school. He’s off-kilter and high energy. Billy combats every situation with sarcasm and humour. Always a glimmer of mischief in his eye.
Michel Duval (‘Unforgivable’, ‘Queen of the South’) will play Chico, scary, muscular, son of a cartel drug lord. Everyone knows not to mess with Chico. The only one who can hurt him is his girlfriend.
In addition to the main roles, the recurring cast includes the legendary Henry Rollins (‘Sons of Anarchy’, ‘Con Man’, ‘Z Nation’) as Jürgen Denke, Ryan Robbins (‘Arrow’, ‘Continuum’, ‘Falling Skies’, ‘Sanctuary’) as Rory, Taylor Hickson (‘Aftermath’, ‘Deadpool’) as Petra, Siobhan Williams (‘UnREAL’, ‘Black Box’) as Brandy, Jack Gillett (‘Storker’) as Viktor, and Sean Depner (‘The Support Group’, ‘Last Night in Suburbia’) as Lex.
The show will be written and exec produced by original author Rick Remender with Miles Feldsott, along with the Russos and Mike Larocca from Russo Brothers Productions. Adam Targum (‘Outcast’, ‘Banshee’) will also EP and serve as showrunner. Lee Toland Krieger (‘Riverdale’, ‘Life Sentence’ ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’) will EP and direct the pilot. Sony Pictures TV Studios will co-produce the pilot with Syfy’s sibling company, Universal Cable Productions.
‘Deadly Class’ is currently only a pilot order at the moment, but we will let you know when we hear more.
