‘The Franchise’ Cast and Character Guide: Who’s Who in the New HBO Comedy?

Yes, there are some real-life superhero franchise actors in the series

“The Franchise” (Photo Credit: HBO)

October 6, 2024 @ 4:00 PM

It takes more than a village to make a movie; it’s more like a small army. And in the case of “The Franchise,” that army has a lot of faces you’ll recognize.

Streaming on Max and airing on HBO on Sundays, the comedy series tells the story of a film crew working to put together the next installment in a major (fictional) superhero franchise. Along the way, they run into the many hurdles of Hollywood, with the show lovingly poking fun at how real superhero films seem to be made.

Like we said, you’re going to see a lot of familiar actors, some of whom have actually starred in real-life franchises. We’ve rounded them up for you below.

Here’s who’s who in “The Franchise.”

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Daniel (Himesh Patel)

Daniel is the First AD on the fictional movie “Tecto,” and he basically keeps things afloat in the series. He’s played by “Station Eleven” star Himesh Patel, who’s also starred in films including “Yesterday” and “Don’t Look Up.”

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Anita (Aya Cash)

Anita is one of the producers on “Tecto,” and has a bit of a history with Daniel. She’s played by Aya Cash, who fans will most immediately recognize as Stormfront from “The Boys.” She also starred in FX’s beloved “You’re the Worst.”

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Adam (Billy Magnussen)

Adam is the star of “Tecto,” and plays Tecto himself. A little meta, we know. But the man playing Adam is Billy Magnussen, who you might recognize from “Into the Woods,” the live-action “Aladdin,” “No Time to Die” and more.

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Eric (Daniel Brühl)

Eric is the director of this fictional superhero film, and he’s played by a man who definitely starred in a real-life superhero franchise. That would be Daniel Brühl, who plays Baron Zemo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, non-superhero fans might recognize him from “Inglourious Basterds” or “The Alienist” TV series.

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Dag (Lolly Adefope)

Dag is the Second AD on the film, who’s pretty much down for whatever, but definitely has dreams of her own. “Ghosts” and “Miracle Workers” star Lolly Adefope plays her.

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Steph (Jessica Hynes)

Steph is the script supervisor on “Tecto.” She works side-by-side with Eric the director and is played by Jessica Hynes, who played Yvonne in “Shaun of the Dead.”

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Bryson (Isaac Powell)

Bryson is the assistant to Shane, the mysterious head of the studio that’s creating “Tecto.” Bryson constantly has an earpiece in to communicate Shane’s thoughts and feelings, and rarely gets a moment of free time. He’s played by “American Horror Story” and “Dear Evan Hansen” star Isaac Powell.

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Pat (Darren Goldstein)

Pat is a higher-up at the studio responsible for “Tecto,” who is monitoring the movie (and others in the franchise) on set. He’s played by “The Affair” and “Ozark” star Darren Goldstein.

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Peter (Richard E. Grant)

Peter is No. 2 on the “Tecto” call sheet, and definitely thinks he’s too high-caliber of an actor to be part of this franchise. He’s played by Richard E. Grant who, of course, has experience in the MCU also, playing a Loki variant in “Loki.” Grant’s esteemed roles include “Withnail and I,” “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” and “Henry and June.”

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