#SuperheroCasting
When scrolling through my facebook feed, I'll see different comic and movie pages obsessively posting about who should appear on the silver screen as different superheroes. I think it's a fun exercise, but honestly, they've all gotten lazy.
They typically include the same actors for every role:
Idris Elba
Charlie Hunnam
Armie Hammer
Any of the men named Chris in Hollywood
I get it, those guys are hunks... but I despise casting that is trying to fit a famous person into a role just because they are famous.
I think that the most underrated aspect of the MCU is their casting. It's not simply that every actor seems so well suited for their roles, but because almost every lead hero was pretty much an unknown quantity before the success of the MCU. Sure, all of these actors were in other things, RDJ was on Ally McBeal. Evans was in like 4 other superhero flicks. ScarJo had done tons of other movies... but none of them enjoyed true superstardom before the MCU. Except maybe Eddie Norton, and whelp, that didn't work out.
I think in order for us to truly suspend our disbelief, we need to see the character on screen and NOT the actor. When people see RDJ, they actually see Tony Stark first. They desperately want Tony Stark to be the real-life person. And thats my point. Conversely, it's the same reason why Jonny Depp has lost his star power... I don't think people can see him as anything but Captain Jack Sparrow now.
Casting Ben Affleck as Batman holds true to this theory too. There was outrage over his casting. There are expectations that come with such a well-known actor. I thought he performed wonderfully in the role... but ultimately, I felt like I was watching Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne instead of just watching Bruce Wayne. When Superman was on screen, I simply saw Superman. I really didn't know Henry Cavill from his previous work, and now I only see the character when I see him.
To simplify further, think: Kevin Hart, The Rock, Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrel or Will Smith. They essentially play themselves in almost every movie they're in. It's hard to see beyond them before seeing the character.
So, I've challenged myself to think outside of the box and try to find interesting, lesser-known actors that could be perfect in different roles for different reasons. Some ideas will be recasting roles for a new generation, some will be filling roles for movies that might never get made. Either way, I think it will be a fun, random exercise!
Join me in my #SuperheroCasting Challenge.
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Cover photo found at: https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/superhero-couple_761391.htm