How The Cast Of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Should Really Look

There are many comic books that seriously connect with audiences and ignite an unprecedented level of passion for the type of story that's being told. Bryan Lee O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim" series was an iconic piece of comic literature during the early 2000s. The touching coming-of-age narrative uses a fervent obsession with video games and comic archetypes to contextualize a slacker's attempt to grow up and get his messy life together. He also just so happens to have to engage in seven duels to the death with the ex-lovers of his new romantic squeeze.

Edgar Wright has proven himself to be one of the most ambitious and passionate filmmakers currently working in the movie industry, and 2010's "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" is easily one of Wright's most accomplished works. Not only does the cult film show off Wright's promise as a director, but it's anchored by an all-star cast. Wright's movie is a love letter to the comic that gets so much right in the adaptation process. This makes "Scott Pilgrim" an even more fascinating film to analyze in order to understand how perfectly Wright's movie nails some of Bryan Lee O'Malley's characters, as well as which are more off the mark. It's never a bad time to revisit this cinematic burst of adrenaline, so here's how the cast of "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" should really look.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" is such a delicate character study that the audience can empathize with Scott Pilgrim's character, even when he's not necessarily in the right or presenting the best version of himself. Casting the wrong actor in this titular role could have immediately tanked the live-action film and kicked off Scott's journey of self-discovery on the wrong foot. All of the casting that director Edgar Wright assembled for "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" deserves accolades, but Michael Cera truly looks and feels like Bryan Lee O'Malley's hapless hero brought to life. 

Wright is a stickler for detail, and many of Scott's trademark visual flairs from the comic are present in Cera's representation. He has the same shaggy brown hair that Scott doesn't know how to manage. The actor's expression, which fluctuates between clueless and excited, often succeeds in the seemingly impossible task of translating Scott's giant, manic eyes to life. Cera is even Canadian and from Ontario, just like Scott Pilgrim.

When it comes to the other elements of Scott's ensemble, there's eerie accuracy in Cera's outfits. Even some of the more subtle details about Scott's comic appearance, like his jacket's "X-Men" patch, carry over into the film. Despite the rampant similarities, there are small changes made with the movie version of the character — he's 22 years old instead of 23, andt his trademark guitar is a Fireglo Rickenbacker 4003 Bass Guitar, which is slightly different from comic Scott's Rickenbacker 4001C64.

The term "manic pixie dream girl" gets thrown around a lot, and it's easy to reduce Ramona Flowers to such a stereotype even though she contains multitudes and hides behind a disaffected personality like it's a suit of armor. Mary Elizabeth Winstead has matured into a thoroughly entertaining actress who's helped elevate films like "10 Cloverfield Lane" and "Birds of Prey," along with the third season of "Fargo." Winstead is another slam dunk of casting, looking very similar to Ramona, right down to the nonplussed demeanor. Winstead's representation of Ramona includes the character's steampunk-style goggles, rollerblades, and her star-emblazoned purse that houses a wide berth of helpful battle tools. Ramona in the movie has a shoelace around her neck which is supposed to be her way of honoring her dead brother, a hidden character detail that's not canon to the comics.

One of Ramona's most defining characteristics is her constantly changing hair. Winstead's Ramona largely sticks to the character's Book One magenta hair style that has two long pieces hanging in the front, but it also shifts between green and blue, which closely mirrors the later comics. Curiously, Winstead's version of the character claims to change her hair "every week and a half," as opposed to the three-week schedule that comic Ramona adheres to, yet there's more variety present in her comic counterpart. She also experiments with bright green, orange, red, and other hair colors and looks throughout the book's longer examination into Ramona's life.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" frequently focuses on Scott and Ramona's love story, but at its core it's just as much about the emotional growth that's achieved by Knives Chau. Knives Chau is a precocious Chinese Canadian 17-year-old who winds up in an innocent relationship with a neglectful and aimless Scott Pilgrim. Ellen Wong has made waves in "GLOW" and "The Carrie Diaries," but the Canadian actress' portrayal of Knives is one of her first major roles.

It's a little uncanny just how much Wong embodies Knives, especially since she's such a heightened character. Wong is skinny and angular, much like Knives, which allows her to match her comic counterpart's frantic actions. Her expressive face and eyes are also able to somehow display the devastation that's felt by comic Knives when her eyes devolve into giant pupils. Wong effortlessly displays Knives' wonder or frustration in every moment — and she's even a green belt in Tae Kwon Do, which aligns with Knives' ninja skills.

Wong represents a very accurate version of Bryan Lee O'Malley's creation, and she even created her own Sex Bob-omb shirts so they accurately look like an amateur fan's creations. However, there are some minor differences that are present. Comic Knives dyes her hair red, but Wong's version goes blue, likely because this is Ramona's hair color at the time. They both still get their highlights "slapped" out. Additionally, Knives' scarf is black-and-white in the film, but it's blue-and-yellow in the comic.

Stephen Stills is the shining beacon of talent within Sex Bob-omb, and one of Scott's closest friends. Stephen often appears to be checked out, except when his anxiety over his musical talent bubbles up and gets the best of him. Mark Webber does excellent work squinting through Stephen's reserved moments, and then exploding to life when the character becomes more animated. Webber achieves the perfect degree of five o'clock shadow and scruff that's necessary for Stephen's "cooler than thou" look. 

Impressively, Webber took the role of Stephen Stills with zero musical ability, but he learned how to sing and play guitar for the part. O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim" comics lovingly refer to Stephen Stills' aesthetic as "a cowboy from 1972," which is immediately detectable in what Mark Webber wears on screen as the reserved singer and guitarist. Both versions of Stephen wear buttoned-up shirts with collars. However, the comic version of Stephen does occasionally wear more graphic tees, which look to be a little tight on him.

While it's not made explicit in the feature film, it's worth noting that Mark Webber's version of Stephen Stills actually remains a closeted homosexual and less in-tune with his feelings and who he really is, in contrast to his comic counterpart (who blossoms after meeting Joseph). Other than this internal shift, Webber is nearly a flawless Stephen Stills.

The members of Sex Bob-omb that surround Scott Pilgrim on a regular basis all serve important roles in his life, but he arguably has the most history — for both better and worse — with Kim Pine. Alison Pill, who can be seen on "The Newsroom," "American Horror Story," and "Snowpiercer," reflects additional outstanding casting for "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World." Kim Pine is deeply sarcastic, puts up walls around herself, and becomes easily annoyed, all of which Pill makes feel like second nature. Pill's version of Kim replicates the character's short red hair, prominent freckles, and her nondescript maintenance of herself. Pill's take on Kim, just like in the comics, is frequently in outfits that feature zippers that she's done all the way up to her neck to help hide her figure.

In a physical sense, Alison Pill isn't missing any of Kim's characteristics, and she even learned how to play the drums for the movie so that her performance in Sex Bob-omb would be authentic. Pill finds the right energy so that Kim's bitter explosions or deadpan insults hit with the same impact that they do in the comics. Pill's voice fits Kim so well that she also portrays her in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The Animation," which chronicles Kim and Scott's high school years together. It's fair to say that the movie version of Kim is even more mocking and critical of Scott than her comics counterpart, but it still feels authentic to Kim's fiery yet sensitive attitude.

One of the most important individuals in Scott's life is his eternally cool friend and roommate, Wallace Wells. Kieran Culkin, known for his work in "Igby Goes Down" and, most recently, "Succession," becomes one of the secret weapons in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" through his portrayal of Scott's 25-year-old friend. In the comics, Wallace Wells is typically seen in darker tones like blue and black, which gets faithfully carried over into the movie. Wright's film also successfully captures Wallace's standard attire of collared shirts that he wears under shirt and sweater combos. Kieran Culkin's dark hair doesn't need to go through any radical changes to resemble Wallace's look, but his 'do is slightly tidier and more coiffed than the fashionably messy style that's present in the comics. Culkin's Wallace still embodies the character's smug and confident nature and snide asides, with a smirk that feels like vintage Wallace Wells. He often has critical running commentary for any situation at hand.

In O'Malley's books, Wallace is supposed to be slightly taller than Scott, which isn't quite true in the movie, because Culkin is a few inches shorter than Cera. However, Culkin still makes sure that Wallace commands a heavier confidence and bravado than Scott at every opportunity.

"Young" Neil Nordegraf is a more tangential member of Scott Pilgrim's precious little life, and he's a character who largely exists as a gag about being simply a younger copy of Scott. Young Neil is portrayed as a quiet and presence in both O'Malley's books and Wright's film. It's tricky to accurately cast a character of this nature, since Neil should feel like a carbon copy of Michael Cera's Scott Pilgrim, to some extent. Johnny Simmons is a surprisingly snug fit, embodying the same awkward, quiet energy that's frequently present in Cera's performances.

Simmons' longer face captures Young Neil's hangdog expression from the comics, and his messy brunette hair is equally accurate. Simmons' version of the character is literally in some of the same shirts that are featured in the comics, and both takes on the character wear clothing that's decked out in video game iconography, like the Nintendo 64 logo. Even the more subtle elements of Young Neil's look, like the character's brown necklace, get carried over in the live-action version.

So much of the DNA of "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" is made up of a passion for music and exaggerated performances that blend together infections melodies with explosions of power. Envy Adams and her band, The Clash at Demonhead, represent a crucial piece of Scott's past that he needs to fully get over. Academy Award winner and current Captain Marvel Brie Larson flawlessly embodies Envy's macho energy, and how she's very much the anti-Ramona in attitude.

Larson achieves the right energy and body language for Envy Adams, but there are some significant differences in their designs. The biggest is that the Envy in the comics has red hair, whereas Larson's version is a platinum blonde. Larson screen-tested with a red wig, but the blonde was just considered to be a better look on all fronts. The Envy from the comics is almost always wearing black, while Larson's take wears an intense white jacket with a collar (although they both have the same hoop earrings and bracelets). These minor changes are quite benign, and Envy's rocker persona is never in question. It's also important to understand that movie Envy Adams' singing is performed by Metric's Emily Haines, who Bryan Lee O'Malley turned to for some of Envy's inspiration.

Julie Powers often gets relegated to the sidelines in both interpretations of "Scott Pilgrim," but her social standing cannot be underestimated, and she's one of the most popular characters in the series. Aubrey Plaza, now best known for "Parks and Recreation" and "Legion," plays the part of Julie. Plaza doesn't just physically resemble the character, but the eccentric and comically cold energy that she often gives off is exactly the type of venomous vibe that fuels Julie Powers. 

Plaza's version of Powers isn't dressed as fancy as the Julie from the comics, and she's presented in more stripped down and normal clothes, but this also has to do with how her character isn't featured in as many party settings as she is in the comics. Plaza's Julie still sticks to a lot of black and white contrasting outfits and she's also seen in her Second Cup barista uniform.

Plaza captures Julie's big, expressive mouth and eyes, as well as how she leads her insults with her jaw while she grits her teeth. Plaza's Julie retains the character's huge, round glasses that overwhelm her face alongside her big earrings. Curiously, Julie's glasses don't enter the comics until Book Three, but they become a trademark of the character.

Stacey Pilgrim is Scott's younger (yet more mature) sister, who Bryan Lee O'Malley considers to be the least essential character to the story, but still someone who receives a proper showcase in Edgar Wright's film. Anna Kendrick of "Pitch Perfect" and "Twilight" fame portrays Stacey, and even though Kendrick has captivating star power, she's still able to convey the restrained normalcy that Stacey is supposed to represent. Kendrick's fast-talking nature accurately depicts Stacey's love for gossip and the actress achieves Stacey's judgmental look through her big eyes, which is a large aspect of her design in the comics.

Kendrick nails Stacey's attitude and mannerisms, but Scott's sister in the comics has black hair, whereas Kendrick's version is a brunette. The comic version of Stacey also wears shirts with Superman and Mario logos, which aren't present in the movie, where she instead wears more basic color patterns. Lastly, Stacey is 18 in the movie, rather than 19 like in the comics, but ironically Kendrick is actually three years older than Cera, rather than the other way around. This plays into the dynamic that Stacey is the more mature of the two siblings.

Scott Pilgrim has to contend with seven evil exes before he's allowed to properly engage in romance with Ramona Flowers, and Matthew Patel is the bitter former beau who gets to introduce Scott to the whole evil ex-boyfriend gauntlet. Both Wright's movie and O'Malley's comics move past Patel fairly quickly since he's an early threat, but he's still one of the higher-concept evil exes who has a definite style to his look and attacks. Indian actor Satya Bhabha portrays Indian-Canadian character Matthew Patel in the movie, and it's another example where O'Malley's artwork comes to life with practically nothing being lost in translation.

Satya Bhabha's Patel wears a beige jacket, black military boots, and a collared shirt with a pattern of thick red and navy blue stripes, which are identical to the comic version's look. The only difference here is Patel in the comics wears standard jeans, whereas Bhabha has fancier grey pants. Patel's bark, baggy eyes in the comics are properly accentuated through eye shadow on Bhabha to give his eyes a more severe and stylized look. In the comics, Patel has the powers of flight, pyrokinesis, and the ability to summon "Demon Hipster Chicks," all of which are present in the movie. Even the Demon Hipster Chicks wear the comic-accurate attire of white shirts with a black star in the center. Wright also goes one step further and incorporates Bollywood musical aesthetics for Patel's fighting style, paying respect to the character's roots.

Lucas Lee is Ramona's second evil ex that Scott must face, and he's a strong example of prescient casting that only feels more perfect in retrospect. Lucas Lee is a professional skateboarder and action movie star, and Wright's casting of Chris Evans directly leans into the actor's star power and the fact that he'd been in "Fantastic Four," which is something that's now even more relevant after the meteoric rise of Evans' popularity that came with being the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America. "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" even creates fake movie posters for the titles from Lucas Lee's fictional filmography, like "You Just Don't Exist."

Chris Evans' Lucas Lee wears the same tight black shirt and jeans as his comic counterpart and looks incredibly on point. However, Evans also has an equally cool leather jacket that's added to his ensemble. Lee's look is simple enough to recreate, but what's most impressive about Evans' version of the character is how he nails Lee's angular eyebrows, his tightly cropped chinstrap facial hair, and how he never allows his face to fully relax because it's continually caught in a state of aggression. Lee is also more empathetic in the comics and portrayed more like someone who just got caught up in a bad break-up, whereas in the movie Lucas Lee's movie star persona has completely taken him over, inflated his ego, and left him as a jaded individual who lives in an echo chamber of support that's removed from the real world.

Todd Ingram is the bass player in Envy Adams' The Clash at Demonhead and he carries a very intimidating demeanor, which is only intensified through his elite vegan status. Brandon Routh of "Superman Returns" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" fits into the Todd Ingram role like a glove, both in terms of look and personality. Todd has dark characteristics, which contrast with his bleach blonde hair. All of this is present with Routh, and his pompous and staccato line delivery embodies the character's holier-than-thou vegan attitude. Visually, Routh looks just like how Todd Ingram should, but the portrayal of his vegan powers are also on point. Wright sells the Super Saiyan aesthetic that's present through Todd in the comic.

Todd sports two notable looks in the comics, one of which is a shirt that's proudly emblazoned with a giant three, while the other is a Punisher logo top. Both of these are worn by Routh's version of the character, only the colors are inverted on his three shirt, so it's white with a black number as opposed to the reverse. This shirt on Routh's Todd also has three stripes on the arms, which further hammers in his status as Ramona's third evil ex.

Roxanne "Roxie" Richter is Ramona's one evil ex-girlfriend, and this chaotic bundle of energy is played by Mae Whitman of "Arrested Development" and "Good Girls" fame. Whitman totally nails Roxie's comic look and her representation in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" really plays up the DIY aspect of her ninja outfit. Roxie — or "Roxy" as it's spelled in the comics — wears torn nylons, boots, multiple belts that double as weapons, and a jacket with an abundance of straps. The ensemble is then tied together with striking black warpaint under Roxie's eyes. Roxie's balled-up pigtail hairstyle from the comics carries over into the movie, and although she mostly wears black in both versions, she also has a prominent white outfit that's absent in the film.

Many of the elements from Scott's fight against Roxie actually borrow from Ramona's fight with envy Adams in the comics, right down to how Scott defeats her through her special weak spot, which is in fact Envy's area of sensitivity in the comics. Comic Roxie also has Subspace powers, like Ramona, and explodes into woodland critters upon defeat, like in "Sonic the Hedgehog," rather than coins like she does in the movie. Finally, Roxie has a tiny tattoo of the demon from Oni Press' logo on her left shoulder, which is covered in the movie so it's unclear if the ink carries over.

Kyle and Ken Katayanagi fulfill the roles of Ramona's fifth and sixth evil exes, and they're the characters that undergo the biggest shift in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World." The Katayanagi brothers are Japanese twins and the movie appropriately casts real siblings, Shota and Keita Saito, as the crafty characters. Visually, "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" gets a lot right with the Katayanagis. Kyle's all-white outfit and Ken's red and black shirt with a sun-like design are perfectly replicated. However, Kyle has light brown hair in the comics, whereas in the movie it's dyed white to reflect a more extreme appearance.

The comics depict the Katayanagis as expert roboticists who specifically target Kim Pine, as opposed to expert DJs who summon creatures through their amps, like in Wright's movie. Additionally, in the comics the twins speak a ton and finish each other's thoughts, but they're completely silent in the movie. These significant story changes allowed "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" to shorten its runtime through a simplified battle.

One of the larger hurdles faced during the production of "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" is that only the first three installments of Bryan Lee O'Malley's series were out, which just tease the arrival of Gideon Graves, Ramona's infamous final evil ex. Additionally, Wright's film only had a general outline for what might happen in the final books, including Gideon's arc. Considering the amount of guesswork required for Gideon, who doesn't become a substantial character until the final books, it's impressive how accurate Jason Schwartzman's casting and his version of Gideon turned out.

Schwartzman matches the brief look that's initially provided of Gideon. He has the same skinny appearance, facial bone structure, and hairstyle (although Gideon's hair does grow spikier in the comics). Schwartzman's thick-rimmed glasses also come across as identical to Gideon's eyewear of choice. The iconic white blazer that Schwartzman wears in the movie is present in the comics, but it becomes Gideon's primary film look. The Gideon in the comics sports more black as he sticks to the shadows. Schwartzman's red shirt in the movie is a little flashier than how comics Gideon would likely present himself. Notably, the final showdown between Scott and Gideon in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" reaches some epic heights, but Gideon remains human through the encounter, whereas he achieves a monstrous "God form" during the apex of the comics battle.