Glen Powell Rumored for Live-Action Disney Villain Prequel, But He’s Got a Tough Act to Follow

We’ve seen a host of classic characters return to the big screen thanks to Disney’s live-action remakes, and some of those villains have even stepped into the solo spotlight for multiple films. It was previously revealed that another classic villain was getting a spotlight courtesy of a prequel, and now it’s been reported that Glen Powell will be bringing that role to life. That said, the last person to play the role delivered an all-time performance, so they are most certainly going to be a tough act to follow.

According to the latest report from The InSneider, Glen Powell has been chosen to play the role of Gaston in the Beauty and the Beast prequel film. Powell is one of the hottest rising talents in Hollywood, so on any given day, that is nothing but great news. That said, it’s going to be impossible not to compare Powell’s take with Luke Evans’ exceptional performance as Gaston in the live-action Beauty and the Beast, so he’s going to have to bring his A-game.

Luke Evans’ Gaston Was Already Perfect

If Powell ends up playing Gaston, he will undoubtedly bring some core elements to the character and deliver a memorable performance. If the 2017 live-action remake didn’t exist, he might even deliver the all-time classic performance of the character. The 2017 remake does continue to exist though, and Luke Evans delivered a truly perfect performance in the role.

Evans captured Gaston’s pompous and egotistical nature while simultaneously seeming incredibly capable as a hunter. Even when he continued to go after Belle, you could understand why others continued to go after him, which in turn made you realize why Gaston would have eyes for a person he couldn’t so easily win over.

Evans mastered that balance and also turned the final confrontation into something far more threatening, and it didn’t hurt that, once in the Gaston look, Evans was a dead ringer for the cartoon. I’m sure Powell would look great as well, but it’s going to take an all-star performance to outdo what Evans established in the Beauty and the Beast live-action remake.

There was previously a Disney+ series that was going to feature Evans reprising the role of Gaston as well as Josh Gad as LeFou, and would have taken place during the early days of their friendship. The series would have also brought several of their family members into the mix, but it was put on hold and then pretty much abandoned.

Now, a new project is in the works with a star in the lead role, and hopefully this means that the project will reach the finish line. With a property as beloved and successful at the box office as Beauty and the Beast, it makes sense that Disney would continue to find ways to highlight it, but time will tell if any of these projects become a reality.

Gaston currently has no release date.