The actor taking on Dexter Morgan has big shoes to fill in the Dexter prequel, but there are a handful of contenders for the role. While it will feel jarring to have anyone other than Michael C. Hall portraying the psychopath, with the right casting, young Dexter can pay homage to the original character while becoming the perfect prequel.
Dexter Morgan is a serious character who is often unemotional and detached from others. Plus, Dexter is a secret serial killer, so the right casting will make Dexter’s transition to killing humans feel natural. Based on previous roles, these are the best contenders to be young Dexter Morgan in the Dexter prequel.
7 Tanner Buchanan
Tanner Buchanan is mostly known for the role of Robby Keene on Cobra Kai, but he has the potential to portray a young Dexter Morgan. Still a rising star, Buchanan’s Cobra Kai character is preparing him for more dramatic, adult roles. Robby is tough and impulsive, always fighting with others. His karate skills can easily help him become Dexter because Dexter took advanced jujitsu in college.
At only 24 years old, Buchanan seems like a young choice for Dexter. However, the Dexter prequel timeline sets up a retcon concerning Dexter’s age. Dexter will be graduating from college and beginning his work at Miami Metro, putting Buchanan in the perfect age bracket.
6 Will Poulter
Parhaps best known for his comedic role in We’re the Millers, Will Poulter has far more dramatic credits to his name. Poulter appeared in The Revenant opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and will be portraying Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Poulter has a recognizable face with even more recognizable eyebrows. Poulter’s facial expressions add volumes to his acting ability and could come in handy playing young Dexter.
Dexter is a very serious character and communicates his thoughts right on his face without saying a word. Poulter would excel in communicating like Dexter and bringing vitality to a character that is hardened by the time he’s introduced in Dexter.
5 KJ Apa
KJ Apa is best known as Archie Andrews on the teen drama Riverdale. However, that is exactly why he should play young Dexter. Apa is capable of playing more than a teenager. Archie is a dramatic and emotional character, giving Apa the experience he needs to be young Dexter.
Archie and Dexter have a few similarities. Archie’s father, Fred, dies in a hit-and-run accident, leaving Archie wanting revenge on the killer. Dexter’s father, Harry, takes his own life after seeing what Dexter has become. Archie and Dexter are tortured souls that want what’s best for the world. Dexter murders criminals whereas Archie forms a vigilante crew to protect the community. Apa has significant experience portraying a character similar to Dexter, making it easy to transition into the famous killer.
4 Evan Peters
Evan Peters has proved his versatility by starring as multiple characters throughout American Horror Story. Peters can portray serious, charming, or dangerous characters with ease and those are the skills necessary to pull off playing a young Dexter Morgan. Peters’ role as Jeffrey Dahmer in Netflix’s Dahmer has solidified him as an incredible dramatic actor.
Considering Dexter is a psychopath, the role is not far from Peters’ Dahmer character. Peters has immense skills to fully embody a character so would be able to convey Dexter's complicated personality. Peters could introduce an entirely new Dexter Morgan while paying homage to the original.
3 Cameron Monaghan
Cameron Monaghan is known for his role as bipolar gay teenager Ian Gallagher on Showtime’s Shameless. However, Monaghan’s recurring role on Gotham proves he can portray a young Dexter that grows more sadistic with every kill. Monaghan portrays twins Jeremiah and Jerome Valeska who each exhibit characteristics of DC supervillain the Joker.
Jerome spreads chaos throughout Gotham City while Jeremiah is an unhinged boogeyman figure torturing those around him. Monaghan’s characters are essentially what Dexter could be like without Harry’s code. Monaghan has set himself apart from other Jokers and could bring his own twist to the young Dexter role.
2 Devon Graye
Devon Graye already has experience portraying Dexter and could assume the young Dexter role. For nine episodes of Dexter, Graye portrayed teenage Dexter in flashbacks. Now that Graye is older and there’s a Dexter prequel in the making, he should return to play the character full-time.
There are discrepancies in how old Dexter was when he started killing, so the Dexter prequel has different timelines to offer, making 36-year-old Graye a real contender. It’s not often an actor already has experience playing the younger version of a character and the creators should really consider Graye’s previous Dexter experience to pay homage to the original series while giving Dexter a solid backstory.
1 Dacre Montgomery
After portraying Jason, the Red Ranger in 2017’s Power Rangers, and Billy Hargrove in Stranger Things, Dacre Montgomery is ready for a new role as young Dexter. Montgomery could pull from his Stranger Things character as inspiration for Dexter. Billy and Dexter have similar traumatic childhoods that could help Montgomery portray Dexter.
Billy was abused by his father as a child, and it impacted him as a teenager. Dexter’s childhood was more gruesome as his mother was killed in front of him, but it still impacted the person he would become. Montgomery would be a seriously tortured version of Dexter as he transitions into a full-fledged serial killer in the Dexter prequel, drawing on his experience from Stranger Things.