Joe Taslim: THE Perfect Live-Action Vegeta
Should a live-action Dragon Ball Z film ever be produced, one actor from HBO's Warrior is the only fit to portray Goku's long-time rival, Vegeta. While a good live-action Dragon Ball Z film is still to come, the popularity of Netflix's live-action One Piece might be the spark required — and, should it materialize, one actor from HBO's Warrior would be the only one fit to play Vegeta.
Arriving on Earth early on in Dragon Ball Z as an enemy, Vegeta is the prince of the fallen Saiyan race. An aggressive and haughty Warrior, he is startled when his preferred guardian, fellow Saiyan Goku, shows ability beyond his wildest expectations. Vegeta is driven going forward to surpass Goku in strength.
From a cold-blooded villain to a begrudging and sour ally to an outright hero, Vegeta has Dragon Ball Z's best redemption arc over the course of the anime. Vegeta's conflict with Goku remains one of the defining dynamics of the show notwithstanding all of that transformation. Obviously, choosing a standout Vegeta actor is just as crucial as choosing a live-action Goku for a DBZ film. Vegeta's casting is absolutely vital since much depends on the actor's ability to portray the fan-favorite Saiyan Prince's attitude as well as his superior fighting skills.
Perfect as Live-Action Vegeta would be Joe Taslim.
Perfect for a live-action Vegeta is eminent martial artist turned actor Joe Taslim. Having spent more than ten years on Indonesia's national judo team, Taslim landed the Sergeant Jaka part in The Raid, an award-winning action-thrader movie set in Jakarta. The first major Hollywood job the actor landed was in 2013's Fast & Furious 6. Showing his range, Taslim portrayed the villain and mercenary Jah, who hand-to- hand battles Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) and Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang).
From the Indonesian action film The Night Comes for Us to HBO's now-cancelled Warrior, Joe Taslim has portrayed a broad spectrum of characters all of which draw on his martial arts expertise. Taslim will currently be starring in The Furious by Kenji Tanigaki. Perfect for Taslim's wheelhouse is Tanigaki, who is most known for being an action choreographer in Japanese, Hong Kong, and Hollywood film. Not unfamiliar with assuming roles in beloved series, Taslim was also Sub-Zero in 2021's Mortal Kombat, so playing a legendary character like Vegeta is not out of reach.
Previous Roles of Joe Taslim Suggest He Would Nail Vegeta
Clearly, Taslim's past performances have helped him to embody Dragon Ball's best father, Vegeta. In HBO's intense Warrior, Taslim portrayed Li Yong, a master martial artist assigned as chief enforcer for the Long Zii tong. Li Yong is a rather quiet person, incredibly committed and disciplined. He lacks Vegeta's haughtiness, but he most definitely has the same goal driven grit and ambition. Concurrently, Sub-Zero, Taslim's Mortal Kombat character, is a warrior ninja whose conflict with Scorpion defines him most of the time. Not to see tones of Vegeta and Goku in that dynamic is difficult.
A live-action New Dragon Ball movie would have to have the cast perfect right following evolution.
The whitewashed Dragonball Evolution sought to translate the venerable manga and anime series into a live-action format in 2009, so alienating both fans and newcomers. Though Vegeta did not show up, the project had terrible casting for a live-action Dragon Ball film as well as a horrible narrative and confusing world approach. With just $56.5 million at the box office, Dragonball Evolution is among the worst films of all time most people agree. The success of a possible live-action Dragon Ball Z film depends obviously on a strong, accurate cast.
