Taika Waititi is stepping into Mega-City One. According to Collider, the director behind Thor: Ragnarok and What We Do in the Shadows has been tapped to helm a full franchise reboot of Judge Dredd — one of comics' most enduring and notoriously difficult-to-adapt properties.
Why This Reboot Has Fancasters Buzzing
Judge Dredd has a complicated cinematic history — a campy 1995 Stallone vehicle that divided fans, and a lean, brutal 2012 adaptation starring Karl Urban that earned cult status but never got a sequel. Waititi's involvement signals something tonally distinct from both predecessors: his trademark blend of absurdist humor and genuine emotional stakes could unlock a version of Dredd that's simultaneously funny, violent, and weirdly heartfelt. That tonal pivot opens up the casting conversation in a major way.
The role of Dredd himself is the central question — a character who almost never removes his helmet, demanding an actor who can project authority and complexity through posture, voice, and sheer physical presence alone. But supporting roles matter just as much here. Judge Anderson, Dredd's psychic partner and the franchise's conscience, is arguably as important a casting decision as the lead. Waititi's version of this world will live or die on the ensemble.
What myCast Fans Are Already Saying
The myCast community hasn't waited for an official announcement to start dreaming. Across multiple fan-cast stories, one name keeps rising to the top for the lead role. In the most active story, Judge Dredd, Jon Bernthal leads all candidates for the role of Dredd with 5 votes — and honestly, it's not hard to see why. Bernthal's work as The Punisher proved he can carry that specific brand of quiet, coiled menace that Dredd requires, and he has the physicality to make the uniform believable. He appears across two separate myCast stories, picking up votes in both Judge Dredd and JUDGE DREDD, which says something about how consistently fans gravitate toward him.
For the equally crucial role of Judge Anderson, fans in the JUDGE DREDD story have cast their vote for — a choice that makes a lot of sense for a Waititi production specifically. Weaving has range, she can do dark comedy and genuine threat in the same scene (see: Ready or Not), and she'd bring an energy that feels right for Waititi's sensibility. In the villain column, fans have floated for Rico, Dredd's twisted counterpart, while picked up a nod for Barbra Hershey. The story rounds out its ensemble with some genuinely interesting choices: , , , and all appearing in supporting slots, suggesting fans want a stacked, prestige-level cast around whoever fills that helmet.