Who Will Ryan Gosling Play In ‘Blade Runner 2’?

Exciting news out of Hollywood today: The Blade Runner sequel is officially happening, and Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling have signed on to star in the much-anticipated science fiction sequel. It’s been speculated for a while whether or not a sequel to the cult classic Blade Runner would ever actually happen, so the news has me absolutely giddy. And Harrison Ford reprising his role as Rick Deckard totally takes the cake. But before I got too moony over the fact that Ford is reprising yet another of his classic roles for a cinematic sequel, I had to stop and ask myself: Who will Ryan Gosling play in the Blade Runner sequel? Because as exciting as all this news is, having a fresh (and downright delicious) new face in the franchise is just as exciting as the news itself.

And while very little information is being released about the new movie (read: none), there are thankfully a few clues in the original book series as to whom Gosling will play.

The original 1982 film was based on the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, and while that novel never had an official sequel written by Dick himself, there were three more books that were written and released as sequels by the writer K. W. Jeter. Now, whether we should took those sequels as the science fiction gospel is up to fans to debate, but there are a number of clues from these books as to who Gosling might play.

And with everyone involved in the new film staying mum on the plot and characters, a girl’s gotta get crafty in figuring this stuff out for herself.

So, let's look at the second book. Even though it wasn’t written by the original author, it has a plot that sounds very plausible for the film project announced on Monday, including Rick Deckard back on the trail of another replicant. Is it possible that Gosling would play that replicant?

Maybe. After all, in the second book, the replicant that Deckard is hunting is so skillful that Deckard himself becomes the hunted. If this is the role that Gosling is playing, I’m picturing one hell of a stand-off between the two, à la Rylo Ken and Han Solo.

The other possibility is that Gosling would play a totally new character who helps Deckard in his hunt to capture the replicant. You know, like the experienced cop and rookie cop pairing that so many action movies use time and again.

Regardless of who Gosling plays, this incredible casting choice is going to be killer. I can’t wait to see these two on screen together, whether it’s at each other’s side or going head-to-head. Give me all that sci-fi magic, please, in whatever form the screenwriters choose.

Image: Warner Bros. (2)