5 Actors We'd Love To See Play Aloy In Netflix's Horizon Series

Netflix recently announced that they were in production on a series adaptation of "Horizon Zero Dawn," the popular open world role-playing action game for PlayStation and Microsoft. The game plot centers on Aloy, a young huntress fighting to survive a world overrun by machines as she attempts to unlock the secrets of her past. Players are able to use ranged weapons, a spear, and stealth to fight against enemies and mechanical creatures while completing side quests and developing new abilities. The game is set in the post-apocalyptic area of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah sometime in the 31st century. The game was a huge success and constituted a sequel, "Horizon Forbidden West," which allowed players to continue Aloy's adventures through California, Nevada, and Utah.

Aloy has quickly become a fan-favorite character for gamers, with many praising the game's in-depth character development and vocal performance by Ashly Burch ("Critical Role," "Adventure Time," "The Outer Worlds"). The character was modeled after the Dutch actress Hannah Hoekstra and bears a striking resemblance to Rose Leslie's character Ygritte from "Game of Thrones," so naturally, fans have been pushing for either actor to take on the role. However, Aloy is supposed to be somewhere between 18-20 years old, and both Hoekstra and Leslie are 35. Unless Netflix wants to pull a "Grease" and cast people in their 30s to play teenagers, they're likely going to have to look elsewhere. We love a good fancast, so here are five actors that we think could crush it as live-action Aloy.

Actor and model Talia Ryder is one of the most exciting new actors in the industry, having broken through as Hortensia in the Broadway cast of "Matilda the Musical," and as one of the stars of the captivating "Never Rarely Sometimes Always." Her performance in the latter proved that she's more than capable of delivering a moving, dynamic, and intense performance, as well as provided a look on how someone could help keep a story moving while changing locations and exploring unfamiliar lands. After her success in the Sundance darling, Ryder pivoted on a massive scale, playing Tessie in Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story. Historically one of the most challenging dance shows in history, Ryder's Broadway background allowed her to tackle the choreography with ease, which shows she's a capable mover — indicating that she likely has a knack for learning fight choreography, too. Most recently, Ryder can be seen in the Regina Hall starring thriller, "Master."

English actor Ellie Bamber has been performing professionally since she was a pre-teen, becoming the youngest member of London's Players' Theatre Club at the age of 12. Since then, she's appeared in a number of acclaimed TV series and films, like "Nocturnal Animals," High Resolution," "The Trial of Christine Keeler," and "The Serpent." Her latest role comes as Dove in the upcoming Disney+ series "Willow," which is admittedly what made me think of her as a possible Aloy. Sometimes you need to see an actor in costume for everything to click, and seeing Bamber as Dove in the "Willow" trailer gave off a similar aesthetic to Aloy but with blonde hair. She's not quite had a big breakthrough in America just yet, but a project like this could certainly do the trick. And before anyone panics about her being blonde, Bamber was previously part of Tom Ford's "Redhead Army." Don't worry, hair dye is still a thing that exists.

Star of "Santa Clarita Diet" and "Yellowjackets," Liv Hewson deserves to be an absolute superstar. For the most part, Hewson is frequently cast in secondary roles where they steal every moment they're on screen, which means they're overdue for an absolute knockout leading role. Hewson brings a natural toughness to all of their roles, and a character like Aloy fits perfectly in their wheelhouse. There's an intensity to the way they handle their action scenes, and an effortless confidence in the face of danger. Hewson feels like an absolute no-brainer for Aloy, because if someone told me Liv Hewson already knew how to use a sword or shoot a bow and arrow, I'd believe it. As long as production for "Horizon" doesn't conflict with "Yellowjackets," there's no reason Hewson couldn't finally get the superstar-making role they deserve. (For the record: Liv Hewson IS a superstar. The rest of the world just needs to get on board.)

We all know that time is meaningless, which is why I must inform you all that Sophia Lillis, the actor who played Beverly Marsh in the "IT" films is in fact, not a pre-teen anymore, and is now 20-years-old, making her a perfect candidate to play Aloy. Lillis has been tackling complex roles since the start of her career, like in "Uncle Frank" and "Sharp Objects." Lillis definitely looks the part, and knowing she's playing Doric in the upcoming "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," it's safe to assume she can pull off action beyond running from Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Netflix prematurely canceled her starring series "I Am Not Okay With This," so this role could be a great way for the streamer to make amends by giving her a series lead that they don't immediately rip out from underneath her for reasons fans will never understand.

One of the most popular suggestions for Aloy is one that I'm also very on board with, is English actor Erin Kellyman. Kellyman has had an undeniably impressive streak as of late, having performed in "Solo: A Star Wars Story," "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "The Green Knight," and will soon also star in the "Willow" series for Disney+. Kellyman has a fantastic respiratoire of performing in epic properties, so something like "Horizon" would fit perfectly in her comfort zone. Like many of the other actors on this list, Kellyman has had plenty of stand-out performances, but has yet to be the sole leading protagonist in a project. She's one of the most exciting new talents in years, and a role like Aloy could really bring her to new heights, as well as showcase what her fans have known for years — Erin Kellyman is the real deal.