The idea seemed out of this world. Based on the comic book of the same name, Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World wasn’t a box office hit, but turned an eventual cult classic.
The movie follows Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), a slacker rocker and his technicolour quest to defeat all seven ex-boyfriends of Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), his dream girl, in order to win her heart. But things aren’t so easy, Ramona comes with plenty of baggage and a trail of ex-boyfriends who are incensed at any guy who even looks at her twice. So Scott finds himself having to battle sinister skateboarders to supercharged rock gods in order to win Ramona’s heart.
Shaun of the Dead’s Edgar Wright directed this quirky gem nine years ago. Starring a star-studded cast that includes Captain America Chris Evans himself, his fellow Avenger Brie Larson, and one-time Superman Brandon Routh, Scott Pilgrim is a movie filled with up-starts. Here’s a look at where are the cast now.
Before he became Scott Pilgrim, Cera is best known as George-Michael Bluth in the cult TV series Arrested Development. He got his start in doing commercials and TV work, and after his Arrested Development success, he made a successful crossover to the big screen in 2007’s Superbad and Juno before Scott Pilgrim. Cera’s charm lies in his earnest/nerdy look, and that’s what endears us to his valiant efforts at trying to win the heart of his dream girl.
Since the movie, Cera continues his TV work in Arrested Development and reprises his role in the soap opera General Hospital, while occasionally taking on movie roles, like 2013’s This is the End, and 2017’s Molly’s Game starring Jessica Chastain. He also stars opposite Juno Temple and Emily Browning in the 2013 thriller Magic Magic.
Ellen Wong
Wong stars as Scott’s vengeful ex Knives Chau. Who can blame her? She and Scott were happily dating until one day, she discovers he has lost interest in her and instead, fantasisng about a girl he met in his dreams. Wong’s Knives is the relatable scorned girlfriend that we would be in a comic universe. Her anger is justified, although her methods are a little over-the-top.
The Canadian actress got her start on TV, and was picked for her role as Knives because she was able to easily master the intense fight choreography. Since Scott Pilgrim, Wong has gone back to TV, appearing in the short-lived series following the teen years of Carrie Bradshaw in The Carrie Diaries, and most recently, in the much-acclaimed TV series Glow.
Without Ramona, there really isn’t a story to follow. It’s easy to see why Scott fell hard for Ramona- her huge beseeching eyes are quite hard to ignore.
After her stint in the movie Sky High in 2005, Scott Pilgrim was the movie that got Elizabeth Winstead noticed. Since then, she appeared in the critically acclaimed independent film Smashed (2012), for which she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Elizabeth Winstead also played Bruce Willis’s daughter in the Die Hard movies and appeared in the much talked about 10 Cloverfield Lane. Most recently, she settled in TV, appearing opposite Ewan McGregor in the TV series Fargo, which actually sparked romance between the two.
Elizabeth Winstead will next appear as the Huntress in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) in 2020, starring Margot Robbie.
Webber plays Stephen Stills, the lead singer and guitarist of the band Sex Bob-omb. He is Scott’s uni and band mate. Webber started acting since 1998, but prefers mainly off-beat roles (Scott Pilgrim included).
Also a screenwriter and director, Webber has spent his last decade dabbling into directing, often casting his wife- actress Teresa Palmer in his movies.
Pill plays Scott’s ex-girlfriend Kim Pine, who broke up with Scott when he moved away. They later reunite and she became the drummer of his band Sex Bob-omb. Pill, prior to Scott Pilgrim, has appeared in Milk (2008), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), and Dan in Real Life (2007).
Post-Scott-Pilgrim has been good to Pill. She starred in the critically acclaimed TV series The Newsroom, and American Horror Story. She will next appear in the series Star Trek- Picard, starring Patrick Stewart.
Johnny Simmons
As "Young" Neil Nordegraf, Stills’ room-mate, Simmons plays the eager fanboy of Sex Bob-omb to perfection. He somewhat worships Scott and wants to be like him. Before Scott Pilgrim, Simmons was in Jennifer's Body (2009), Hotel for Dogs (2009) and Evan Almighty (2007).
After Scott Pilgrim, Simmons continues to work in movies, scoring roles in 21 Jump Street (2012), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and more. He was most recently seen in the series Girl Boss.
The comedian plays Julie Powers, the bitch and a half in Scott Pilgrim. Snarky and mean, she’s the girl you’d want to avoid in any social situation. Plaza already has a long list of credits under her belt before Scott Pilgrim, having appeared in Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock (2006), Mystery Team (2009), and Funny People (2009).
Since appearing in Scott Pilgrim, she has stayed on the big screen, appearing in movies such as Dirty Grandpa (2017) and shines as the titular character in Ingrid Goes West (2017), about a social media stalker who moves to LA to stalk her favourite Instagram star. She will next appear in the new Child's Play.
The younger, less famous brother of Macaulay plays Wallace Wells, Scott’s gay college roommate who may be interested in Scott. He loves to eavesdrop on Scott’s conversations and has an uncanny ability to type at super-fast speed.
Culkin has been acting since young, sometimes alongside his more famous brother, in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). When he could tear himself away from the shadow of his big brother, Culkin appeared in She’s All That (1999) and The Cider House Rules (1999). After Scott Pilgrim, Culkin acted on and off, mostly in bit parts in TV series such as Fargo and Succession. Wallace remains his most famous role to date.
Now that’s a name that needs no introduction. Kendrick plays Scott’s younger sister, Stacey, who’s miles more mature than her brother. She has no issues injecting morals and life lessons into Scott’s life. Scott Pilgrim came at a time when Kendrick was riding high in her Oscar-nominated performance in Up in the Air (2009) and post Twilight, where she played Jessica, one of Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) classmates in high school.
Out of the cast of Scott Pilgrim, Kendrick is arguably the biggest star, having struck gold with Pitch Perfect series. And she is keeping busy, on top of taking on voice-acting as Poppy in the upcoming Trolls World Tour (2020), she has three big productions and two TV productions in the works.
Schwartzman must be the most familiar face in the movie then. He plays Gideon Graves, Ramona's seventh evil ex-boyfriend and the leader and founder of the League of Ramona's Evil Ex-Boyfriends. Oh and he is also the main antagonist of the Scott Pilgrim comics series.
Schwartzman, the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, got his acting start in 1998’s Rushmore, and followed that with a string of movies such as Marie Antoinette (2006), The Darjeeling and Limited (2007).
After Scott Pilgrim, Schwartzman was involved in not just acting, but writing and executive producing as well. His writing credits include Isle of Dogs (2018) and he took a stab at directing the TV series Mozart in the Jungle.
