‘Die Hard 6’: Actors Who Could Play a Young John McClane

With the news that the next Die Hard film will be titled John McClane and will focus on both old John and young John, comes the question,”Who could play a young John McClane?”

According to reports on the film, the narrative will flip back and forth and show the hard-edged cop — played for years by Bruce Willis — as both an aging detective and a fresh-faced officer in his younger days.

At this time, there is no word on who might play the young John McClane, but we here at PopCulture.com have some ideas and we’ve shared them below.

Scroll down to see our list of actors who would make a great young John McClane, and let us know in the comments who you think would be perfect for the part!

Dacre Montgomery

What You’ve Seen Him In: Power Rangers (2017), Stranger Things

Hailing originally from Perth, Western Australia, 23-year-old Montgomery is easily the top name on our list to play young John McClane.

On top of the fact that he’s fully suited for action films, he bares a small resemblance to a young Bruce Willis. Which certainly doesn’t hurt.

Jeremy Allen White

What You’ve Seen Him In: Shameless, Rob the Mob

There’s no denying that 27-year-old White is mostly well-known from his eight years as Phillip “Lip” Gallagher on Showtime’s hit series Shameless, but he is currently in a great position to move to the next chapter of his career.

Boasting the same no-nonsense swagger that Willis has come to be known for, White would seamlessly fit into the role of young John McClane.

Miles Teller

What You’ve Seen Him In: The Divergent Series, War Dogs

Already taking on another resurrected ’80s franchise in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, Teller is capable of just about anything.

There’s no good reason to say he couldn’t pull off playing a young John McClane, and tons of reasons why he could.

Logan Lerman

What You’ve Seen Him In: The Percy Jackson franchise, Fury

Lerman may look young, but in reality he is 26 years old, and a perfect age to play a young John McClane.

Especially when you consider that Willis was in his early 30s when the first Die Hard was released. Going further back in his legacy will surely require an actor who can look younger than they are, which Lerman pulls off easily.

Josh Hutcherson

What You’ve Seen Him In: The Hunger Games franchise, Hulu’s Future Man

At first glance, Hutcherson does not seem like he would fit as a young John McClane, but when you look deeper it makes more sense.

Hutcherson often plays roles of unassuming heroes, which is exactly the point of Die Hard, that McClane is not a typical hero, and certainly not the first guy you would call to save a floor full of hostages in a high-rise building on Christmas Eve.

Zac Efron

What You’ve Seen Him In: Neighbors, Baywatch

Zac Efron may come from a “teen heartthrob” background, but he has spent the last several years trying to shake it.

He’s funny and knows how to handle himself in action films, so Efron could be an interesting choice to play a young John McClane.

Patrick Schwarzenegger

What You’ve Seen Him In: Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Midnight Sun

Arguably, it would make more sense for Patrick Schwarzenegger to play a young version of his father, Arnold, in a film, but this could work too!

Schwarzenegger is an up-and-coming actor in his mid-20s and could very well be the right fit for a young John McClane.

Colton Haynes

What You’ve Seen Him In: Arrow, American Horror Story: Cult

Colton Haynes would be perfect for a young John McClane mainly because the guy is perfect for anything and everything.

He’s got charm and he is more than capable of holding his own in action sequences. Somebody get Willis this man’s headshot and sizzle reel, ASAP!