Yup that's literally what my uncle said. He broods.
He also said even if you don't set it in the 80s, you want a certain vibe that 80s TV/film had for cops and detective. Brooding, quiet guys with short fuses, charismatic a$$holes, etc. Basically he said you want somebody who fits what MV was doing in the 80s but also what you saw in films like To Live & Die In LA. The guy who played Sonny could have easily played the role in that movie. Butler could play that guy too. And also Colin Farrell has that same vibe too.