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We asked AI to cast the upcoming Manchester United TV series

Published 13:54 22 Jan 2026 GMT

Updated 13:54 22 Jan 2026 GMT

Colman Stanley
We asked AI to cast the upcoming Manchester United TV series

Homesport

Some good suggestions!

Manchester United have struck a deal with production company Lionsgate for a TV series about the famed club.

Although the project is in the earliest stages of its development, with no director or script, it is understood that it will be similar to Netflix's 'The Crown'.

The highly-lauded series details the life of Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the royal family over a number of decades.

Already there has been speculation over who should be cast in the new series, and we asked AI for their suggestions.

Here's what they came up with!

The Architects & Legends

Sir Matt Busby

  • Primary: Brendan Gleeson (Banshees of Inisherin, In Bruges) – gravitas, warmth, authority, tragedy
  • Alt: Jim Broadbent (Harry Potter series) – gentler, paternal Busby
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Duncan Edwards

  • Primary: Tom Holland (Spiderman) – boyish power, emotional vulnerability
  • Alt: Jack O’Connell (Sinners, Skins) – more physical, northern edge
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Sir Bobby Charlton

  • Primary: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) – quiet intensity, internalised trauma
  • Alt: Callum Turner (Masters of the Air) – understated strength, athletic presence

George Best

  • Primary: Paul Mescal (Normal People, Gladiator II) – charisma, volatility, self-destruction
  • Alt: Aaron Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later, Kick Ass) – swagger, danger, magnetism
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The Ferguson Era

Sir Alex Ferguson

  • Primary: Brian Cox (Succession) – volcanic authority, Scottish steel
  • Alt: Peter Mullan (Ozark) – colder, more intimidating Ferguson
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Paul McGrath

  • Primary: Damson Idris (F1) – physicality + inner turmoil
  • Alt: Sope Dirisu (Gangs of London) – emotional depth, quiet suffering

Eric Cantona

  • Primary: Tahar Rahim (A Prophet)– intensity, unpredictability, intellect
  • Alt: Vincent Cassel (La Haine) – iconic menace, mythic presence
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Roy Keane

  • Primary: Jack O’Connell – fury, discipline, suppressed emotion
  • Alt: Aidan Gillen (Love/Hate, Game of Thrones) – sharp, psychological, cutting presence
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The Class of ’92 & After

David Beckham

  • Primary: Harris Dickinson (The Triangle of Sadness) – sensitivity beneath stardom
  • Alt: Sam Claflin (Me Before You) – polished, media-savvy Beckham
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Ryan Giggs

  • Primary: Taron Egerton (Kingsman series) – charm with a darker undercurrent
  • Alt: Aneurin Barnard (Mr Burton) – quieter, more unsettling take

Cristiano Ronaldo

  • Primary: Michele Morrone (The Housemaid) – physical perfection, ego, intensity
  • Alt: Álvaro Rico (The Gardener) – youthful arrogance and beauty
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Carlos Tevez

  • Primary: Peter Lanzani (Argentina, 1985)– street-wise, defiant, combustible
  • Alt: Juan Pedro Lanzani (same) – there’s honestly no better fit
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Wayne Rooney

  • Primary: Stephen Graham (Adolescence, This is England) – rawness, working-class soul
  • Alt: Joe Dempsie (Skins, Game of Thrones) – volatile, emotionally exposed
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The Managers (Post-Fergie Drama)

David Moyes

  • Primary: Martin Compston (Line of Duty) – earnest, overwhelmed, tragic
  • Alt: James McAvoy (Split, Atonement) – intensity under pressure

José Mourinho

  • Primary: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Skyfall) – theatrical genius, narcissism, menace
  • Alt: Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro, Shrek series) – charisma, dark humour
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Ole Gunnar Solskjær

  • Primary: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) – warmth with steel
  • Alt: Anders Baasmo Christiansen (A Better Man) – understated Nordic calm
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Rúben Amorim

  • Primary: Ricardo Pereira (Sunburn) – modern, intelligent, controlled
  • Alt: Miguel Ángel Silvestre (Weiss & Morales) – stylish, intense leadership
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The Modern Captain

Bruno Fernandes

Alt: Tomás Alves – restless, driven, emotional core

Primary: Tiago Teotónio Pereira – passion, nervous energy

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