It’s only a matter of time before My Chemical Romance—the band that rewrote the DNA of emo for an entire generation clad in black suits and red ties—gets the Hollywood treatment. At least we freaking hope so! With the success of the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody and the Oscar-nominated A Complete Unknown, we can’t help but imagine what an MCR movie would look like: the eyeliner, the concept albums, the trauma, the triumph. Or perhaps, a post-apocalyptic afterlife centered around The Black Parade, with The Patient as the lead character and the band themselves driving the story forward through musical performances. The possibilities are pretty endless when it comes to a group as influential as My Chem. But every great story needs the right faces, and these are our dream casting picks to bring the members to life on screen.
Gerard Way
With his haunting presence, Kodi Smit-McPhee leads our fantasy cast as frontman Gerard Way. Known for his Oscar-nominated performance in The Power Of The Dog, Smit-McPhee channels the same quiet intensity and vulnerability that made Gerard a symbol of cathartic rebellion, leading the mainstream emo explosion of the 2000s. His ability to blend softness with fury makes him the perfect vessel for the Revenge and Black Parade eras. Bonus points: he’s got the bone structure to absolutely destroy in a red eyeshadow and thick guyliner look. Seriously, smudge some liner across his lids and we’re looking at a young Gerard Way.
Other strong contenders for a Gerard Way casting include Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place), Asa Butterfield (Sex Education), and Wallows frontman/actor Dylan Minnette (13 Reasons Why).
Frank Iero
Logan Lerman (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower) has the charisma and controlled chaos needed to portray guitarist Frank Iero. Equal parts mischief and heart, Frank was always the scrappiest presence on stage—and Logan, with his soft facial features—equipped with a lip ring and Xs across his eyes—could totally handle the guitar swings and punk fury. We’re picturing him diving into the crowd mid-solo in a New Jersey basement, and we’re already sold.
Another contender would be the commonly mistaken for Logan Lerman, actor and musician Dylan Minnette.
Mikey Way
If there is one casting in the world that is the perfect musician-to-actor casting, it would be seeing Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton bring the perfect balance of quiet cool and underlying turmoil to play bassist Mikey Way. Heaton’s brooding intensity and facial features mirror Mikey’s mysterious stage presence, while his softer roles demonstrate that he can convey the vulnerability that defined much of MCR’s early years. He’s tall, lanky, a little ghostly—just like we remember Mikey during the Three Cheers era. There is no one better, so we’re not even going to try.
Ray Toro
Best known for his recent role in Netflix’s XO, Kitty and Love, Victor, Anthony Keyvan is our pick to shred as lead guitarist Ray Toro. There’s a warmth and gravitas to Keyvan that mirrors Ray’s grounding force in the band. With a bit of guitar training and nailing his sweet-but-smoldering look, Keyvan could absolutely embody the unsung hero who stitched together the band’s chaos with soaring riffs.
Bob Bryar
By far one of the hardest and saddest castings due to his untimely death in November 2024, selecting an actor to portray the quiet intensity and steady beat of Bob Bryar was nearly an impossible task. It might seem like a bold move to cast Outer Banks standout Rudy Pankow as Bryar, but hear us out: Pankow has the raw energy and sturdy presence to play the powerhouse drummer who anchored the band’s peak Black Parade era. With a blond dye job, lip piercing, and drumsticks in hand, he’d be the perfect storm behind the kit.
Bonus Casting: Matt Pelissier
Before Bob Bryar, Matt Pelissier sat behind the kit—and Jack Depp brings an intriguing edge to the role. The son of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, he’s a wild card choice, but there’s a natural mystique to him that fits the early, gritty days of MCR’s formation. And with some training, we could totally see him laying down Bullets-era beats in a dingy Jersey venue.
Who would you cast in your MCR movie dream team? Sound off—and remember: we are not okay (and that’s the point).
