Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
Recommended reading
Mister Miracle #1 by Tom King
DC TV Shows All eyes are on Superman, but I'm suddenly more excited about this DC adaptation of the only comic I rate above Watchmen
The New Thunderbolts leaping into action
Marvel Comics Marvel's upcoming Thunderbolts comic has officially been retitled New Avengers, following in the movie's footsteps
Mark Grayson in Invincible season 3
Superhero Shows Invincible's motion comic has been considered lost media for over a decade – but someone has now rediscovered the 2008 hidden gem on their iPod
The Punisher: Red Band #1
Marvel Comics Frank Castle is back in a new R-rated comic that Marvel promises is the "most violent in Punisher history"
Maggie Q in Ballard
TV The 25 best shows on Amazon Prime Video to watch in July 2025
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel Movies Time is running out and The Thing teases his iconic catchphrase in epic final trailer for Marvel's Fantastic Four
Mister Miracle and Big Barda sitting on a beach as reality glitches around them
DC TV Shows DC's Mister Miracle will get his own adult animated series from the writer of the comics
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Action Shows

8 Things That Need To Be In Preacher

Features
By Joshua Winning published 25 November 2013

From comic marvel to TV show...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

A Low-Key Cast

A Low-Key Cast

So Seth Rogen is reportedly producing a TV adaptation of Preacher for AMC , but what are the key ingredients for the series?

Top of the list for us is a low-key (read: non-A-list) cast. Though we’re sure a TV budget wouldn’t stretch to massive stars anyway, the characters in Preacher are so colourful that hiring lesser-known actors for the parts would work in the show’s favour.

That said, James Marsden was attached to a movie adap way back in 2002, and he’d still be an interesting choice for Jesse Custer, the priest of the title. Marsden admitted being “blown away” by the comics in ‘02, so the passion’s clearly there…

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Gore

Gore

This is a must, and considering the show’s potentially being made by AMC, the home of The Walking Dead , we’re not too concerned about any scrimping.

Preacher is one of the goriest comics ever written – its balls-out gore is one of its many defining features – and a TV show would be nothing without it.

A tip for the show-makers: if you’re worried you’re using too much gore, unload another bucket of blood just to be safe.

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Arseface

Arseface

Obviously. Not only is he possibly the most iconic character in the entire comic, he’s also one of the coolest heroes ever created.

Why? Well, his deliciously dark back-story is nothing like Batman’s… or Superman’s… or any of the other better-known comic heroes. It’s messed up, and it’s beautiful (there’s something to do with a shotgun, we won’t give it away), brilliantly detailed in standalone ‘The Story Of You-Know-Who’.

As with the comics, they’d need subtitles for what he’s saying, but that’s all part of the wonderfully kooky world of Preacher .

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Religion

Religion

Clearly religion has to make an appearance (it’s called Preacher for goodness sake), but if Rogen’s serious about doing Preacher justice on the small screen, he’ll need to tackle the religious aspects of the story head-on.

Yes, that means giving Catholicism a bit of a bashing (something that DJ Caruso, previously attached to make a film adaptation, balked at).

It also means keeping in the awesomely-grotesque character of the descendent of Jesus Christ. Grim doesn’t quite cover it.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Messy Relationships

Messy Relationships

If the TV show ends up being a loyal adaptation of the comics, this will happen anyway, but one of the greatest things about Garth Ennis’ comics was the entirely shambolic nature of the characters’ relationships.

Cassidy’s a drunken Irish vampire whose friendship with priest Jesse Custer takes a dodgy turn when Cassidy reveals he loves Custer’s girlfriend, Tulip.

Meanwhile, Custer’s relationship with Tulip is on the rocks anyway because, well, that would be telling…

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Herr Starr

Herr Starr

Herr Starr is a total bastard. Even better, he’s a bald, one-eyed Nazi nutcase – sort of like Walking Dead ’s The Governor, only meaner and way more crazy.

He’s the ‘Sacred Executioner’ of the Grail and a sexual pervert whose ‘pleasure acts’ are probably just a little TOO gross to put on TV. Probably.

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Flashbacks

Flashbacks

There’s a lot of ground to cover in the comics, and the only way of doing any of the many characters’ back-stories any justice would be to take the flashback approach.

It worked brilliantly on True Blood (and, before that, Buffy and Angel ), and would be an easy solution for including, say, the ‘Saint of All Killers’ standalone series, which tells of the origins of the badass gunslinger.

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Funny Stuff

Funny Stuff

When your story contains an evil Executioner who likes urinating in the mouths of prostitutes, it’s pretty obvious you’ll need to balance out the horror with the humour.

Which means Rogen could be the perfect choice for bringing Preacher to TV. With This Is The End , he proved that he could make possession funny (a one-liner-spewing Jonah Hill with demon insides) and even make a demon with a giant wang plausible.

If he does the same with Preacher , we’re golden.

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Joshua Winning
Social Links Navigation

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.  

See more TV Shows Features
Read more
Mister Miracle #1 by Tom King
All eyes are on Superman, but I'm suddenly more excited about this DC adaptation of the only comic I rate above Watchmen
The New Thunderbolts leaping into action
Marvel's upcoming Thunderbolts comic has officially been retitled New Avengers, following in the movie's footsteps
Mark Grayson in Invincible season 3
Invincible's motion comic has been considered lost media for over a decade – but someone has now rediscovered the 2008 hidden gem on their iPod
The Punisher: Red Band #1
Frank Castle is back in a new R-rated comic that Marvel promises is the "most violent in Punisher history"
Maggie Q in Ballard
The 25 best shows on Amazon Prime Video to watch in July 2025
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps
Time is running out and The Thing teases his iconic catchphrase in epic final trailer for Marvel's Fantastic Four
Latest in Action Shows
Ironheart
Fans are sharing their highs and lows from Marvel Phase 5, but some are wondering why the MCU is still bothering with phases post-Avengers: Endgame
Eyes of Wakanda teaser still
Marvel's new Black Panther animated series Eyes of Wakanda gets a remarkably Disney-fied first teaser
Riri Williams in her super suit in Ironheart
Ironheart fans claim it's "one of the best Marvel TV shows" as they call for a second season following its cliffhanger finale: "Don't leave these storylines to die"
Anthony Ramos as Hood/Parker Robbins in Ironheart
Ironheart gave us the Marvel villain everyone wanted, but his true form is hiding in the finale's best Easter egg
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in Ironheart
Well, Marvel finally did it: THAT comic book character is officially a part of the MCU thanks to Ironheart's surprisingly dark finale
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in Ironheart
Does Ironheart have a post-credits scene?
Latest in Features
Alexej Manvelov as Akram Salim in Dept. Q
I’ve seen countless crime dramas, but Netflix’s Dept. Q and Poker Face season 2 are rewriting the sidekick archetype for the better
Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw as Sofia and Rose in Hot Milk
Sun, sea, and strained relationships: Andor's Fiona Shaw and Barbie's Emma Mackey play a mother and daughter on the brink in new drama Hot Milk
Two menacing gingerbread men look intimidating while a candy person waves from a cage
I didn't expect to like the latest D&D book, but after an utterly stupid adventure I'm all in on Dragon Delves
Mion and Rena look uneasy in the classroom in Higurashi: When They Cry
The Silent Hill f writer's debut game was basically the original Doki Doki Literature Club, and it's still terrifying me 23 years later
Quantum Witch screenshots
This stunning 2D "plotformer" is the ultimate cottagecore fantasy with an extra dose of mystery, sapphic witches, and a giant lady who fights you
Superman
Krypto the Superdog - The comic history of Superman's best friend
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
    1
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  2. 2
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  3. 3
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  4. 4
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  5. 5
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...