Way back in 2015, watching Force Awakens, as Domnhall Gleeson screamed his Nazi speech at thousands of storm troopers, it occurred to me that this remarkable young actor is following a narrow path, laid for by Johnny Depp in the early oughts. Depp, like Gleeson, was taking roles al over the map, from fantasy franchises to indie dramas to major Oscar Worthy Prestige Pictures. Gleeson has/Depp had incredible sensitivity in their on-screen presence, and carry a left-of-center masculinity that brings pays off in unexpected ways. The only thing that separates the men is the slew of Oscar nods for Depp.

Well, that might change, as the idle comparison now turns to concrete reality, with Goodbye Christopher Robin.

Goodbye Christopher Robin tells the origin story of a beloved British children’s story and the tortured adult man who created such a sensation. You may recall, that’s also the plot of Finding Neverland, in which Depp plays J.M. Barie, creator of Peter Pan.

Gleeson, plays A.A. Milne, creator of Winnie the Pooh.

I look forward to countless articles pitting the two against each other in a Hobbit v. Star Wars Prequels manner.

Spoiler: as for the literature: Winnie the Pooh is better than Peter Pan.

-Christopher Zumski Finke

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