Leonardo DiCaprio as Martin Luther King Jr.? Hey, as long as the Telegraph is reporting that Jamie Foxx is “in the running” to portray Frank Sinatra in the upcoming Scorsese-directed biopic about the singer/actor, why not also suggest Leo for the just-announced MLK bio from producer Steven Spielberg? Surely the actor is anxious to work again with his Catch Me if You Can director. And seeing as this is pure Oscar-fodder, and seeing as blackface can get people nominated these days, playing the civil rights leader may just be what the three-time Oscar nominee (and loser) needs to pull off in order to win the Academy Award.

Okay, we’re done with the jokes. Obviously this MLK biopic is super serious and needs to be cast as such. So, who will actually follow in the footsteps of former MLK portrayers Paul Winfield, LeVar Burton, James Earl Jones, Robert Guillaume and Jaleel “Urkel” White? Actually, Foxx might be a legitimate candidate for this one. But we’re going with an actor who has already played the civil rights leader. To find out who we pick for the lead role and the rest of the likely supporting characters, check out our completely serious casting suggestions after the jump.

Jeffrey Wright as Martin Luther King Jr. (again)

He’s already portrayed Reverend King, in the 2001 HBO movie Boycott. And 8 years later he’s potentially too old for the part. But Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale) is the best man for this job, both in physical appearance and acting chops. Also, this would be a chance for Wright to receive the long overdue Oscar nomination (and win) he deserves. He’s a master character actor who has done an amazing job with his past portrayals of such figures as Colin Powell (W.), Muddy Waters (Cadillac Records), Jean Michel Basquiat (Basquiat) and, already, MLK. Seriously, who else would be a better choice for the part? Boycott costar Terrence Howard? Hmm, maybe.

Sophie Okonedo as Coretta Scott King

This Oscar-nominated actress just recently played another important civil rights leader’s wife, Winnie Mandela, for an upcoming British TV movie. And she made a name for herself portraying Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda. Aside from having relevant experience, though, Sophie Okonedo also kind of bears a slight resemblance to MLK’s wife and fellow civil rights activist, Coretta Scott King. Okenedo is such a tremendous actress that we’d even like to suggest her for a sequel/spin-off following this MLK biopic. Because Coretta continued with great work after the tragic death of her husband, and she deserves a whole feature film of her own.

James Earl Jones as Martin Luther King Sr.

The ideal nod to a past MLK portrayer would be to have Paul Winfield (Emmy-nominated star of the TV miniseries King) play Martin Luther King Sr. But since he’s no longer with us, we’ll go for the next famous name. James Earl Jones apparently portrayed the junior MLK in a 1982 TV series called Freedom to Speak. Even if he hadn’t the connection, though, Jones should be typecast for playing so many other iconic fathers on film.

Keith David as Howard Thurman

Keith David (Requiem for a Dream) doesn’t necessarily resemble Dr. Howard Thurman in appearance, but his deep, distinctive voice is actually quite similar to that of MLK’s mentor and family friend. Thurman was a classmate of Martin Luther King Sr. and continued as a major influence in Junior’s life while he served as Dean of Theology at Boston University, where MLK received his Doctor of Philosophy.

Nick Cannon as Jesse Jackson

It’s hard finding a 20-something actor who’d be good as the young Jesse Jackson, because it’s hard not to picture the man in his later years. But if we can get away from the primary Jackson images in our minds, those from the 80s and onward, let’s try to see Nick Cannon (Drumline) in the role of the presidential candidate to be. Just give him a thicker mustache and more hair and he should look the part just fine. He’s at least had experience acting in the time period, in Emilio Estevez’s Bobby, and anyway it’s doubtful that he’ll have too big a role in the film — no way Spielberg and co. are going Oliver Stone-like and hinting at conspiracy theories of Jackson’s involvement in MLK’s assassination.

Tim Meadows as Bayard Rustin

SNL vet Tim Meadows (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) appears to have never played a serious role, which is too bad, because we think he has it in him to do great work in a dramatic film. That’s why we’re looking to him to portray Bayard Rustin, the openly homosexual activist who taught MLK the non-violence tactics he’d learned from the Gandhian movement while in India. Rustin should have a significant role in the biopic as an influential figure in MLK’s life, as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, and most importantly (in dramatic terms), as a man from whom MLK was advised to distance himself.

Martin Lawrence as Ralph Abernathy

Similarly, Martin Lawrence could use a serious role to earn some due credibility. Ultimately all comedic actors must make the transition to dramatic acting and Lawrence’s first taste will have to be in a supporting role. Unlike his Bad Boys costar, who few people expected to become a multiple Oscar nominee, Lawrence won’t ever garner any attention from the Academy…unless he gains weight (no fat suit this time) and plays MLK’s close associate Rev. Ralph Abernathy. To the naysayers, we say look at Jamie Foxx, another former Fox comedy star who is now taken so seriously that he’s believed to be a candidate for the role of Sinatra. Anything can and will happen in Hollywood.

Edward Norton as James Earl Ray

It’d likely just be a cameo, but Edward Norton is the best fit for MLK’s (lone?) assassin. Not only does he have the looks down, but he’s also already played a murderer to a religious leader (Primal Fear) and a murderer with racist motives (American History X). He might rather not be typecast in such a way, but he is kind of like his generation’s Gary Oldman (Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK), so he should just get his own infamous assassin role over and done with.