Summary
Jack Quaidcaused a bit of a stir a few days ago when he suggested that his dream role would be to star in the upcoming film adaptation of the 2007 video gameBioShockcurrently in the works at Netflix. That got the internet going, and it hasn’t really stopped since.
While Quaid would be an undoubtedly solid choice to play the lead in Netflix’sBioShockfilm, it’s hard to say what that movie will even end up looking like. Will it be a straight adaptation of the firstBioShockgame’s story? Will it be a prequel story highlighting the rise and fall of the underwater utopia of Rapture? Could it even be a retelling ofBioShock 2’s multiplayer mode, set during the Rapture civil war that brought the city crashing back into reality? Nobody knows. And in the days since announcing his love ofBioShock, people across the internet have beenfan-casting Quaid as the titular character of theMax Payneseries. Yeah, Quaid certainly looks like the original Max Payne model—Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake—andNovocainehas proven he might make a better Payne than Mark Wahlberg ever did. The truth is neitherBioshocknorMax Paynefit Jack Quaid’s particular acting talents as well as another upcoming video game adaptation.
Back at CES 2025, Sony announced that theHelldiversfranchise would begetting a film adaptationsometime in the near future. Sony has been ramping up production on these adaptations lately, with theUnchartedandGran Turismomovies already having been released andThe Last of UsandTwisted Metalseries both slated to air their second seasons this year.Helldiversjoins the likes ofHorizon Zero DawnandGhost of Tsushimain Sony’s film production pipeline and though it is still early days for the movie, Jack Quaid could be the perfect actor to lead the big-screen adaptation.
Helldivers Could Use A Dose Of Jack Quaid’s Everyman Charm & Satire
For the uninitiated,Helldiversis a franchise set in a far-flung future where the human forces of Super Earth are ordered by their pseudo-democratic government to wipe out three different extraterrestrial races in the Terminids (aka Bugs), the Automatons (descendants of the Cyborgs), and the Illuminate. Much like one particular 1997 cult classic, theHelldiversgames use the setting and gameplay to lampoon rampant fascism and authoritarianism. If terminology like “the Ministry of Truth” and “Democracy Officers” don’t make that readily apparent to you, then you’re simply not paying close enough attention. Citizens of Super Earth can only vote by using “computer-aided voting software” where said program ultimately decides who and what you’re voting for.Helldiversis ostensibly Paul Verhoeven’sStarship Troopersturned up to eleven.
If there has ever been an actor in tune with whatHelldiversis going for, it’s Jack Quaid. By virtue of being a lead character inThe Boysalone, it’s clear he has the chops for intense satire. Quaid’s Hughie Campbell is the everyman character thrust into the middle of the action onThe Boysand the satirical superhero drama has given him plenty of cause to emote all across the acting spectrum over the years. The inciting incident of the show is Hughie’s girlfriend getting accidentally ripped to shreds by the speedster A-Train. Hughie’s subsequent PTSD and harrowing headfirst dive into the world Billy Butcher showcases Quaid in incredible light.
Novocaine, Companion, And Star Trek Prove He’s Got The Chops For Helldivers
Jack Quaid is far more than a one-trick pony. After making his acting debut in 2012’sThe Hunger Games, he has slowly but steadily built an impressive acting resume that shows his range. How many actors can say they’ve worked in films as diverse asLogan Lucky,Scream, andOppenheimer? He’s a prominent voice actor as well, voicing Richie Rich onHarvey Girls Forever!and the Man of Steel himself onMy Adventures with Superman. Of course, ifHelldiversis going to be a satire, then one has to look no further than his three biggest non-The Boysroles:Novocaine,Companion, andStar Trek: Lower Decks.
The recently-releasedNovocainestars Quaid as, get this, a man named Nathan Caine who literally cannot feel pain. The action-comedy garnered solid reviews on the back of Quaid star performance that handles the laughs and the fight scenes.Companion, a sci-fi thriller starring Sophie Thatcher as a killer robot, sees Quaid playing a darker version of his usual type of character. Then there isStar Trek: Lower Decks. Quaid’s Brad Boimler is an ambitious rule-follower doing his best to climb to the top of the Starfleet command chain. The purple-haired Boimler is a lot like Quaid’s Hughie in that it takes a braver character—in this case, Tawny Newsome’s Beckett Mariner—to get him to come out of his shell. Put the action-comedy ofNovocaine, the social satire ofCompanion, and the sci-fi bent ofStar Trek: Lower Deckstogether and you get a concoction that begins to sound a lot likeHelldivers.
Sony launching a new action franchise with the relatively unheraldedJack Quaidas its lead star doesn’t seem all that likely.Helldiveris sure to be a CGI-heavy production with a massive budget. Would Sony Pictures Entertainment actually gamble a film as large as this on Quaid? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a match made in heaven.
