Opinion / Joel Kinnaman or Anthony Mackie – which actor plays Takeshi best in Altered Carbon?
When hit sci-fi series Altered Carbon’s second season dropped on Netflix without its original lead Joel Kinnaman, the inevitable comparisons between him and season two star Anthony Mackie went into overdrive.
Of course, it’s totally plausible for lead character Takeshi Kovacs to be played by different actors, given the available technology in the Altered Carbon universe that allows people to inhabit new “sleeves” or bodies through the cortical stack, a disc-shaped device that contains a person’s consciousness.
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But between Kinnaman and Mackie, who makes a better Takeshi? Which Takeshi is more compelling? More kick-ass? More intimidating? Most important, who has a better body? We weigh the arguments from both sides.
With his broad jaw and chiselled features, Kinnaman presented a weathered, jaded Takeshi. Given his guttural, monotonous voice, the last Envoy came off as someone with nothing left to lose, making him a dangerous man to cross. Kinnaman’s deadpan delivery also fit Takeshi’s dry sense of humour, indicating a canny depth to his personality.
In contrast, Mackie’s version is more emotional. Whereas Kinnaman’s Takeshi seemed logical and unflappable, the mental wheels constantly running inside him are visible in Mackie’s expression, presenting a more serious, even vulnerable man.
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When it comes to physique, we call it a draw. Both are cut, looking the part of a killing machine. The taller, more sinewy Kinnaman edges Mackie ever so slightly, however, because of season one’s unforgettable revival scene, when Takeshi gets fitted into his first sleeve after more than 200 years.
Compared to his savage, hunted animal energy, the newer Takeshi’s panic as he was getting revived feels more cerebral, probably because his cortical stack hasn’t gone too long without a sleeve containing it.
Who’s better then? It’s not so easy to draw a conclusion; the two Takeshis are totally different characters, even if they share the same consciousness. Mackie’s Juilliard training makes him a more expressive actor, but he does not have the gravitas needed to portray an elite soldier who’s hundreds of years old. With Kinnaman, you’d know better than to get on his bad side; with the older Mackie, his boyish charm would work better with an excellent rookie still working his way up the ranks.
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The real Takeshi Kovacs
So it all boils down to which Takeshi you prefer – and to that question, fans raise other nominees.
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Mackie’s Takeshi is more emotional while Kinnaman’s version seems logical and unflappable, but which actor portrayed the character better? Our author weighs in