Ed Skrein has been cast as the Alita: Battle Angel villain, Zapan The Alia: Battle Angel villain has been cast today as The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Ed Skrein (who recently menaced Deadpool as Francis, aka Ajax) will play the Manga’s cyborg foe Zapan. In the film version, Zapan will be in possession of the powerful Damascus Blade. RELATED: Ride Shotgun with The Transporter Refueled’s Ed Skrein Ed Skrein joins a cast that currently includes Rosa Salazar in the title role, two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz as Doctor Dyson, and Oscar nominee Jackie Earl Haley in an undisclosed role. Set in the 26th century, Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of Alita, an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by Dyson.