With Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart leading Jaume Collet-Serra‘s big-budget Hollywood Akira, many have been in an uproar over the whitewashing of the cast for this adaptation of the Japanese manga. Just after Gary Oldman stressed to Collider this weekend that his involvement with the project was just a rumor, we now have news of another actor stepping it.

Twitch reports that the film may finally be getting its Japanese touch, as Ken Watanabe has just been offered the part of the The Colonel, the powerful head of government who administers the psychic tests and eventually goes head-to-head with Tetsuo. Watanabe has had Hollywood cross-over with The Last Samurai and Batman Begins, recently getting in the worldwide spotlight with Inception. He would certainly be a good, and more importantly fitting, choice for the role.

In other Akira news, THR brings us yet another Tetsuo shortlist including RocknRolla and upcoming Wrath of the Titans star Toby Kebbell, Boardwalk Empire’s Michael Pitt, Rami Malek (appearing in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s The Master), Game of Thrones star Richard Madden, D.J. Cotrona of the upcoming G.I.Joe 2: Retaliation), Logan Marshall-Green of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. Then Paul Dano and Tetro‘s Alden Ehrenreich will retest for the role. These shortlists are getting tiresome, so we’ll provide commentary and updates when a decision is finally made.

Akira is expected to shoot early next year.

What do you think about Watanabe possibly becoming The Colonel?

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