Let’s be real for a second. When you think back to the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans, the first thing that probably pops into your head isn't the nuanced performance of the lead. It’s that infamous, muddy 3D conversion that basically gave everyone a headache in the theater. But if you strip away the dated special effects and that weirdly aggressive Kraken, the 2010 Clash of the Titans cast was actually kind of a heavy hitter. It’s a bizarre mix of established Shakespearean titans, rising action stars, and faces that would eventually dominate the MCU and the Wizarding World.
Watching it now feels like a time capsule. You’ve got Sam Worthington right at the peak of his "Hollywood is trying to make him happen" phase, fresh off Avatar. Then you glance at the throne of Olympus and see Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. It’s basically a Schindler’s List reunion, just with more lightning bolts and shiny chest plates. Honestly, it’s one of those casts that looks way better on paper today than it did back when we were all complaining about the movie's pacing.
The Demigod in the Room: Sam Worthington as Perseus
Sam Worthington was everywhere in 2010. Seriously. If a movie needed a gritty guy with a buzzcut who looked like he knew how to handle a sword or a pulse rifle, Sam was the guy. As Perseus, he brought this specific kind of blue-collar energy to a Greek myth. He wasn't playing the flowery, heroic Perseus from the 1981 original. Instead, he was an angry fisherman. He hated the gods. He spent half the movie refusing to use his divine "gifts" because he wanted to win as a man.
It’s an interesting choice, even if it made the character a bit of a grump. Worthington’s performance is physically intense, which was necessary because director Louis Leterrier (who did The Incredible Hulk) wanted the action to feel heavy. Perseus isn't gliding through these fights; he's getting tossed against rocks. While some critics at the time thought he was a bit stiff, he anchored the film. He was the "everyman" in a world of monsters, and he played that groundedness well.
Zeus and Hades: A Reunion of Icons
The real juice of the 2010 Clash of the Titans cast comes from the guys at the top. Liam Neeson as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes as Hades.
Neeson’s Zeus is... shiny. Like, distractingly shiny. He wears armor that looks like it was polished with the sun itself. But Neeson brings that booming authority he’s known for. He’s not a "good" dad. He’s a god who is desperate for love but chooses to demand fear instead. It’s a subtle distinction that Neeson handles better than the script probably deserved.
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Then you have Ralph Fiennes.
Fiennes is doing something totally different as Hades. While Neeson is all booming baritone and light, Fiennes plays Hades as a raspy, slithering creature of the shadows. He’s barely a man; he’s more like a collection of smoke and resentment. It’s wild to think that while he was filming this, he was also deep into his run as Voldemort. You can see the overlap in how he uses his hands—creepy, elongated gestures that make your skin crawl. He’s the standout. Every time he’s on screen, the movie gets about 20% more interesting because you never know if he’s going to scream or whisper.
The Supporting Players You Forgot Were There
The sheer depth of the 2010 Clash of the Titans cast is what catches people off guard during a rewatch. Take Gemma Arterton, for example. She plays Io, the ageless guide who follows Perseus. She’s basically the emotional heartbeat of the film, and she brings a grace to it that balances out all the testosterone and yelling.
But look closer at the soldiers following Perseus.
- Mads Mikkelsen: Long before he was Hannibal or a Bond villain, he was Draco, the leader of the King’s Guard. He’s arguably the best part of the questing party. He has this weary, veteran vibe. He’s the one who actually teaches Perseus how to fight. Mikkelsen treats the role with 100% sincerity, which makes the stakes feel real even when they’re fighting giant scorpions.
- Nicholas Hoult: A young Hoult plays Eusebios. It’s easy to miss him because he’s tucked under a helmet for most of it, but this was right before he blew up in X-Men: First Class.
- Liam Cunningham: Before he was Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones, he was Solon. He brings that same reliable, sturdy presence here.
- Jason Flemyng: He’s unrecognizable under layers of prosthetics as Acrisius (Calibos). He’s the one hunting the group down, and he brings a real physical threat to the role.
Why the Medusa Scene Still Works
The Medusa sequence is often cited as the highlight of the film, and for good reason. It’s not just the CGI—though the design of Medusa was actually quite cool, blending Natalia Vodianova’s face with a serpentine body—it’s the way the cast interacts with the environment.
In this version, Medusa is fast. She’s a predator. The soldiers have to use the environment to survive, and you see the genuine terror in the eyes of actors like Mikkelsen and Worthington. It’s one of the few moments where the "remake" energy actually surpasses the original 1981 stop-motion version in terms of sheer tension. The cast had to do a lot of heavy lifting here against green screens, yet the frantic nature of the scene holds up.
The Legacy of the 2010 Cast
When we talk about the 2010 Clash of the Titans cast, we have to acknowledge the elephant in the room: the sequel, Wrath of the Titans. Most of the big names returned—Worthington, Neeson, Fiennes—but the spark was different. The 2010 film was a massive financial success, raking in nearly $500 million worldwide, and that was largely due to the star power. People wanted to see "Taken" Zeus fight "Voldemort" Hades.
There was a specific moment in pop culture where we were obsessed with "gritty" retellings of myths. 300 had changed the game a few years prior, and Clash was trying to ride that wave. While the movie itself is a bit of a loud, chaotic mess, the actors never phoned it in. They played it like a serious war movie, which is why it’s still watchable today.
What to Watch for on Your Next Rewatch
If you decide to fire this up on a streaming service tonight, pay attention to the smaller interactions. Look at the way Alexa Davalos (Andromeda) tries to bring weight to a role that is, frankly, a bit thin. Watch Mads Mikkelsen’s face during the Medusa fight—he’s giving a masterclass in "acting at nothing."
The movie is a reminder that you can have all the budget in the world, but if you don't have a cast that can sell the "magic," it all falls apart. These actors sold the hell out of it. They made us believe in a world where a giant owl is a joke and a Kraken is a legitimate geopolitical threat.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of this specific production, here are a few things you can actually do:
- Check out the "Behind the Scenes" on the Kraken sequence: Look for the physical rigs they built. It gives you a much better appreciation for what the actors were actually dealing with on set.
- Compare the Medusa designs: Go back and watch the 1981 Medusa scene by Ray Harryhausen, then watch the 2010 version back-to-back. It’s a fascinating study in how creature performance shifted from external animation to integrated actor performance.
- Follow the "Game of Thrones" pipeline: If you’re a fan of the cast, trace how many actors from this film ended up in Westeros. It’s a fun rabbit hole that includes Liam Cunningham, Ian Whyte (who played several giants and the Mountain), and more.
- Skip the 3D version: If you're buying a physical copy or watching a digital stream, stick to the standard 2D. The 3D was a post-production rush job that didn't account for the dark color palette of the film, and the 2D version allows the actors' expressions and the costume detail to actually pop.