Who stars in How I Became a Superhero, and where have you seen them before? Set in Paris, the July 2021 Netflix release follows investigators who team up with local legends known as the Pack Royal. Douglas Attal's film spotlights actress Léonie Souchaud, who is positioned as the co-lead of a potential sequel, but it has a fantastic supporting cast.
How I Became a Superhero begins with detectives Gary Moreau and Cécile Schaltzmann investigating a mysterious street drug that's used by Parisian youths. The product is being supplied by the enigmatic Naja, who plots to kidnap the teenage daughter of a deceased superhero in order to harvest her powers. Moreau and Schaltzmann ultimately team up with the surviving members of Pack Royal, a superhero squad that hasn't been active for approximately 10 years. In a second-half twist, one of the detectives is revealed to be a hidden superhero who seeks to protect the legacy of a fallen comrade.
How I Became a Superhero's main cast includes Pio Marmaï and Vimala Pons, whose detective characters develop a romance that will presumably be explored in a sequel. Swann Arlaud also provides a traditional baddie performance as Naja, while Benoît Poelvoorde adds some light comic relief as a former member of Pack Royal who tracks down people from home. Here's a breakdown of the main players in the summer 2021 Netflix movie How I Became a Superhero.
Pio Marmaï As Gary Moreau
Pio Marmaï stars as Gary Moreau, a Parisian detective who investigates superhero-related crimes. He's revealed to be a former member of the superhero team Pack Royal who inadvertently caused the death of his colleague, Gigaman. In the present, Gary reunites with the surviving members of Pack Royal while developing a romance with his partner, Cécile. Marmaï portrayed Jérémy Deprez in I Kissed a Girl and Antoine Parent in The Trouble with You. He also starred as Dmitri in the 2020 movie The Night Doctor.
Vimala Pons As Cécile Schaltzmann
Vimala Pons co-stars as Cécile Schaltzmann, a former police academy valedictorian and fraud investigator. As a lieutenant, she teams up with Moreau to address supercriminals in Paris. When Cécile is miraculously saved from a fall by Moreau, she realizes that he possesses unexplainable superpowers. Pons portrayed Hélène in Elle and Jean-Louis in The Wild Boys. Her other roles include Marie Quillouch in Bécassine! and Louise in Cléo & Paul.
Leïla Bekhti As Callista & Benoît Poelvoorde As Monte Carlo
Leïla Bekhti portrays Callista, a Pack Royal member who can sense trouble before it happens. She runs the Hero Tracker Network and helps local youths. Bekhti portrayed Zarka in Paris, je t'aime and Djamila in A Prophet. She also appeared as La fille du Fellagah in Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Nadia Skiles in Beirut.
Benoît Poelvoorde plays Henri aka Monte Carlo, a Pack Royal member with Parkinson's disease who investigates missing superheroes in his personal database. Poelvoorde portrayed Ben in the controversial 1992 classic Man Bites Dog and Dieu in The Brand New Testament. His other roles include Bernard Frédéric in Podium and Jean-René Van Den Hugde in Romantics Anonymous.
How I Became A Superhero's Supporting Cast & Characters
Léonie Souchaud (above left) as Lily: The 15-year-old daughter of the famous superhero Gigaman. Léonie Souchaud starred as the title character in Fanny's Journey and portrays Michèle Magnan in Mixte.
Swann Arlaud (above right) as Naja: The main drug-dealing villain who attempts to harvest Lily's powers. Swann Arlaud portrayed Pierre Chavanges in Bloody Milk and Emmanuel Thomassin in By the Grace of God.
Camille Japy as Elisabeth Caghiere: A female psychologist specializing in superhero capabilities who studied Naja as a child. Camille Japy portrayed Isabelle in Taken and Louise in Emily in Paris.
Gilles Cohen as Commissaire Chairmont: Moreau's superior who pairs him with Schaltzmann. He's been deceived by Pack Royal for approximately 10 years. Gilles Cohen portrayed Sami in The Beat That My Heart Skipped and Prof in A Prophet.
Théo Christine as Ismael: Naja's dealer who steals the organization's drugs and then becomes an informant. Théo Christine portrayed Saaid in War of the Worlds and Seb in Play.
Louis Peres as Rudy: One of Naja's primary dealers who helps him escape with Lily in the climax. Louis Peres portrayed Julien in Honey Cigar and plays Simon in Mental.
Clovis Cornillac as Gigaman: Lily's father, a deceased Pack Royal member who recruited Moreau. Clovis Cornillac portrayed Benoît Notre-Dame in A Very Long Engagement and Astérix in Asterix at the Olympic Games.
How I Became A Superhero is based on Gérald Bronner's novel of the same name (Comment je suis devenu super-héros in the original French).