It’s been about a month since Sunrise on the Reaping -- the Haymitch Hunger Games prequel -- was announced, and the fancasting hasn’t slowed down. People are throwing all sorts of names into the ring to play Woody Harrelson’s character, including House of the Dragon’s Tom Glynn-Carney, and now a Cobra Kai star is being championed by some of the fans. While this notion of Tanner Buchanan playing the younger version of the District 12 mentor is already great, his reaction to learning that fans see him as the character makes it even better.
For a bit of context, Season 6 of Cobra Kai just premiered on the 2024 TV schedule, and Tanner Buchanan – who plays Johnny’s son, Robby – was asked about the upcoming Hunger Games project at the premiere. He really perked up when asked about the fancast and the potential of playing the beloved character. He said:
I would love to! If I had the opportunity to play that character that would be, I mean, he's kind of the best character within the entire franchise. So I mean, to be able to play a younger version I would be so happy. But I'm gonna cross my fingers, that would be dope.
Now, you can read the enthusiasm in this quote. However, seeing the Cobra Kai cast member’s facial expressions makes it even better, take a look at THR’s video:
@hollywoodreporter ♬ original sound - The Hollywood Reporter
Honestly, I think Tanner Buchanan would be a great choice for this character. While I am a big fan of Glynn-Carney’s fancast, he’s a bit old for the role. This movie will follow Haymitch’s games, and he’ll be a teen. While the Designated Survivor actor is 25, he’s been playing a high schooler on Cobra Kai for years now, and he can pull it off.
Plus, he has the look for it. Across Cobra Kai he’s been rocking a long-ish hairdo that is reminiscent of Haymitch’s look in The Hunger Games. Also, he recently went platinum blonde, and that showed me that he could for sure pull off the look of the District 12 tribute:
The book about Haymitch's Hunger Games, Sunrise on the Reaping, is expected to be released in 2026, and the movie will follow aftward.
When The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes came out, we saw Tom Blyth transform into President Snow, and kill his performance as the character Donald Sutherland played in the OG trilogy. I could see Tanner Buchanan taking on the part of Haymitch just as successfully.
Of course, we don’t know who will actually play Haymitch in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel. However, fans have been fancasting the lead character nonstop, loudly noting that Kiefer Sutherland should play President Snow in it, and fantasizing about Finnick getting a prequel next. Readers and viewers can’t wait for this long-awaited story, and they’ve thrown some fantastic casting and story ideas out there. It’ll be interesting to see if any of them actually come to fruition.
Clearly, Tanner Buchanan is excited about the prospect of playing the character, and so am I!
As we learn more about who will play Haymitch Abernathy, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. For now, you can stream Cobra Kai (which is one of Netflix’s best shows) with a Netflix subscription to draw your own conclusions about whether he’d be a good choice for the character.
