Glad to be among the Faithful. I have been a fan of Judge Dredd for years, and as I was growing up (so to speak) he was one of my favorite characters (along with John Constantine, who I still refuse to accept as Keanu Reeves; so much so I cannot bring myself to actually watch see the film. That role was made for Tim Roth and Tim Roth only) so I imagine my dismay upon seeing Sylvester Stallone shouting "I am the Law!" at the top of his lungs.
While the production design of the film was good–though a bit too shiny and optimistic for my liking–I was angered by such a blatant desecration.
As a result I have come to believe that Judge Dredd can only be played by an actor as iconic as he is.
And here is that actor: Clint Eastwood.
Just look at him. He's already Judge Dredd, he just doesn't know it yet. Sure he's getting on in years, but what other actor has the weight, the gravitas, to pull off the role WITHOUT TAKING OFF HIS HELMET! Cause let's be honest here, I don't recall ever reading a Judge Dredd/2000 AD comic where you see Judge Dredd's face, so he must never remove it.
And Eastwood could actually pull that off (plus it make it easier to use a stunt double for when the going really get's rough, though Eastwood would hopefully do as much of his own stunts as he could).