Discussions of rebooting the Die Hard series of movies have been going on for years now, with plans for a sixth film to be eventually released. However, with Bruce Willis being retired from acting, producers are aiming to focus a new Die Hard film on the early years of John McClane, set in 1979, years before the events of the first film even took place.

But with plans for a prequel film to be released one day, that means a new actor would have to be brought in to take up the mantle of John McClane. Who could be the perfect fit to carry on the name of one of the most iconic action heroes in cinema history? Here are 10 actors that could potentially end up playing as a young John McClane in the upcoming Die Hard reboot.

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10 Joseph Gordon-Levitt

     TriStar Pictures

Joseph Gordon-Levitt could have been the perfect person to replace Willis as John McClane, considering that he already played as a younger version of Bruce Willis in 2012’s Looper. Since then, Gordon-Levitt has aged out of the potential role since he is now 41 years old, and Willis was only 33 when Die Hard was filmed. Maybe if the film was being released five to six years ago, he could have been considered for the role. Even still, Gordon-Levitt has a young enough looking face with enough of a resemblance to Willis that he could still play as a young John McClane, but there are other, younger actors that would be a better fit for the role at this point.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

9 Liam Hemsworth

     Roku

Liam Hemsworth has everything an actor would need to play as the titular action star, especially since he has been in multiple different action movies throughout his career. Whether he is starring in all The Hunger Games films or acting opposite of mega-stars like Dwayne Johnson in Empire State, Hemsworth has proved that he has what it takes to be in a huge action reboot. Hemsworth has also shown that he can play well in sequels of major action films, as he proved in Independence Day: Resurgence. Plus, he is certainly young enough to take up the role at 32, but the main striking difference between Hemworth and Willis is that Hemsworth is a couple inches too tall, which may be noticeable on screen. Even with the height difference, Hemsworth’s experience on screen, especially in action films, could make him a good potential fit for the early days of John McClane.

8 Miles Teller

     Paramount Pictures

Miles Teller has shown that he has exactly what it takes to be a lead action star, mostly with his performance in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. If he can be that good in one 80s action franchise that recently made a return to the big screen, who’s to say that he can’t do it again? Plus, Teller has shown us all just how good of an actor he can be with his intense performance opposite of J.K. Simmons in Whiplash. While he may not have quite the resemblance to Bruce Willis as much as some other actors that made their way onto the list, Teller’s acting ability could make him believable as just about any character he sets his mind to. He is certainly in good enough physical shape to be in the role after Top Gun as well.

7 Taron Egerton

     Summit Entertainment

You wouldn’t think that Taron Egerton looks anything like a young Bruce Willis, but the similarities are much more striking than you would think. Not only does he look the part, Egerton also has plenty of experience as an action star with films like Kingsman and Robin Hood. Plus, Egerton has more than enough experience playing as real life people in films like Rocketman and Eddie the Eagle, so he is absolutely capable of playing a character that has already been on the big screen before. And at 33 years old, it’s time to strike while the iron is hot and cast Egerton in the Die Hard prequel. He’s a sneaky good pick to play such an iconic character.

6 Aaron Taylor-Johnson

     Warner Bros. Pictures

As someone who has proven on a consistent basis that they can be either the leading star of an action film or even just a complementary piece in one, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is another unexpected but strong choice to come in and take the role of John McClane. With multiple action films under his belt such as the Kick-Ass movies and Godzilla as the lead role, along with starring in other high-end action flicks such as Avengers: Age of Ultron and even very recently in Bullet Train, Taylor-Johnson absolutely has the acting chops to take on the role.

Another interesting but underrated way that Taylor-Johnson would fit into the role is the different types of hairstyles that he’s had on screen. Whether he has a traditional short cut in Godzilla, platinum blonde hair in Age of Ultron, or the long flow with the mustache he had in Bullet Train, Taylor-Johnson’s ability to be so versatile with his look is another reason why he would be a good fit for the role.

5 Dacre Montgomery

     Netflix

Okay, it could definitely be hard to imagine Dacre Montgomery playing as John McClane when you picture him with his iconic Stranger Things mullet. However, take the mullet off, and you’ll see an actor with some more similarities to a young Bruce Willis than you would think. On top of carrying some similarities to Willis, Montgomery is definitely suited to play in an action film, not only with his time on Stranger Things but also with his role as the Red Ranger in the most recent Power Rangers film that came out back in 2017. Also, at 28 years old, Montgomery is the youngest actor to find his way onto the list, which makes him an even better choice to play the early days of John McClane.

4 Scott Eastwood

     Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Miramax

This is another actor who may be at the point of aging out of the role for a young John McClane, but Scott Eastwood’s acting abilities, especially as an action star, cannot be denied. Starring in too many action films to count on one hand, the experience alone is more than enough to put Eastwood into the conversation of following in the footsteps of Bruce Willis. While there’s no doubt that he looks much more like his father than Bruce Willis, there’s no reason why he couldn’t be believable as John McClane if he would end up in the role. He’s played as real life people before as well, in films like The Outpost as well as Snowden, so Eastwood absolutely has the ability to take Willis’s role and make it his own.

3 Dylan O’Brien

     Resolute Films

Dylan O’Brien is another actor that does not have all the physical similarities to Bruce Willis and John McClane, but if he would be given the role, he could take his abilities as an action star and run with it. O’Brien’s switch to becoming an action star may not be what many fans would expect, with him first gaining notoriety from the show Teen Wolf. However, as the years have gone on, he has shown what he is capable of on the big screen, acting in films such as the Maze Runner franchise, American Assassin, and Deepwater Horizon. O’Brien also has the ability to act in more comedic moments which is very important to bringing the cocky personality of John McClane to life. Overall, Dylan O’Brien has the skill set to bring the young, confident New York cop to life, even if he may not be the person that looks the most like him. Plus, at 31 years old, he has plenty of time to look young enough to be in the role as well.

2 Logan Lerman

     Monkeypaw Productions

Not only is Logan Lerman at a good age to portray John McClane in a prequel movie to Die Hard, he has proven he still has what it takes to be a top name in Hollywood, especially in his most recent performance in Prime Video’s Hunters. Hunters also happens to take place during the 1970s, which is exactly when the Die Hard prequel is set to take place. So, if Lerman can excellently play as someone hunting down Nazis in the late 70s, why can’t he play as a young John McClane hunting down criminals and terrorists in the late 70s? Overall, Lerman’s young face combined with his acting experience in similar roles make him a surprising but also interesting pick to fill the role of young John McClane.

1 Josh Hutcherson

     Momentum Pictures

Finally, we have Josh Hutcherson. Yet again, Hutcherson is an actor that you would not expect to play a role like John McClane, but he surprisingly looks a lot more like a young Bruce Willis than you would think, and at 30 years old, would make him another great pick for the role. Whether you know him from his days as a child actor, when he starred in The Hunger Games films, or even more recently from his sci-fi comedy series Future Man, Hutcherson has the range and ability to play as the unassuming hero. He is also one of the most unassuming but also interesting choices to play as young John McClane, which would be all the more fascinating to see if he was cast in the role.