Five Actors Who Could Play Ezekiel On The Walking Dead

When The Walking Dead returns for its seventh season in October, we’ll definitely be saying goodbye to a certain central character. However, with that, we’ll also be meeting a new leader: Ezekiel.

Ezekiel, or King Ezekiel, is the leader of The Kingdom. He has guided a group of survivors through the trails and tribulations of the apocalypse and found sanctuary on a college campus. Plus, he keeps a tiger by his side.

There hasn’t been any news to confirm the character for the new season but comic book fans are widely expecting Ezekiel to arrive this fall. Morgan and Carol are already headed to his community. So, while we all but know for sure that Ezekiel will be on the show, we have even less of an idea who will be cast in the role.

It’s a shame Chad Coleman already played Tyreese on The Walking Dead. He would’ve been a great fit. That said, and with honorable mention Laurence Fishburne, let’s take a look at some actors who could bring Ezekiel to life on The Walking Dead.

Vondie Curtis-Hall

Despite Vondie Curtis-Hall having a couple of films released since, you probably saw him most recently in the first season of Daredevil.

Curtis-Hall played Ben Urich, the tough journalist who was on Daredevil’s side until Wilson Fisk came around and took him out. The actor has shown his chops in plenty of other places, though. Prior to Daredevil, Curtis-Hall is best known for his work in films like Die Hard 2 and Romeo + Juliet. He also had a role on Chicago Hope.

The reasoning behind the vote for Curtis-Hall as Ezekiel is one half his look and other half his ability to be a stern actor but also show off vulnerability and range. Ezekiel is a strong leader but he also has his insecurities which were revealed as we explored the character in the comics.

Like almost every other actor on this list, Curtis-Hall would need one hell of a hairpiece to pull of Ezekiel’s white dreads, but this is a guy who has a pet tiger. If we’re going to do the tiger, and I’ve been told they’re “trying” to, the hairpiece should be no problem.

Dave Fennoy

The only actor on this list who could play the part without the aforementioned hairpiece is Dave Fennoy.

Fennoy is mostly a voice actor to date, best known lately for his efforts as Lee Everett in Telltale’s The Walking Dead game series. His other best known works include Starcraft II, The Wolf Among Us, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Lucious Fox in Batman: Arkham Knight.

Fans have started petitions to help Fennoy get the role and Fennoy has also done a touch of campaigning on Twitter to try and help the cause.

Having never seen his live action acting abilities, this candidate was chosen mostly for looking the part.

Harold Perrineau

Harold Perrineau played the hard headed, yet big hearted Michael Dawson on ABC’s LOST for more than a few seasons and it became his best known role. However, the actor has excelled elsewhere, as well.

Though the show only saw one season, Perrineau was danced with th devil as Manny on Constantine and has had run ins with zombies in both 28 Weeks Later and Syfy’s Z Nation.

The actor offers a great voice for Ezekiel, despite how many fans are expecting an English accent. Think about Michael’s dedication to his son Walt on LOST. Perrineau showed true internal struggles in his days as Michael. Ezekiel is a character who is both confident and vulnerable – traits Perrineau can certainly portray.

Idris Elba

Though it will likely be impossible to realize, Idris Elba playing Ezekiel would be a dream. The amount of charisma the British actor brings to his roles, paired with his versatility and range, make him a go-to choice for fans.

Elba’s charisma and confidence oozes from his British accent. The actor, best known to the ComicBook.com community for his roles as Heimdall in the Thor franchise and Stecker Pentecost in Pacific Rim, could probably tame a tiger by just looking at it. He is well established in geek culture, combining the aforementioned roles with his work on Luther and several popular video game franchises. This casting would simply melt the internet.

The fact that Elba was on a television series as recently as 2015 leaves a shred of hope for the actor to take the gig on AMC but he’s been quite busy and Ezekiel would be a heavy commitment.

Tyler Perry

Here’s the out-of-nowhere choice for the list: Tyler Perry.

Despite his career taking off from a series of Madea movies which will make many readers discount his credibility, the actor has gotten serious for projects such as Gone Girl and Alex Cross. His abilities to be charismatic, stern, and a leader are ever present in those roles.

Perry can bring a good look for Ezekiel if given the right wardrobe and make up, while also delivering the sense of isolation and superiority Ezekiel offers upon his introduction, before tapping into the more vulnerable sides.

What do you think? Who is your choice for Ezekiel on The Walking Dead‘s seventh season?