WHY ARE CASTING DECISIONS SUCH A BIG DEAL?
Lets face it, we all want our characters to be portrayed well. Many of us have grown up with these characters and hold a special connection with them. So whenever a superhero is going to played by a fellow human being; made of flesh and bone, fans always take notice. As humans we always have the ability to dig down deep and deliver what we promise. However, like the characters from the pages of the comics, we are also flawed and may fall short at times. When such an event occurs, anger and disappointment is an expected emotion. That is why casting announcements is such a big deal. The mere thought of characters being butchered on screen makes my blood boil and I'm sure I'm not alone.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE "BORN"TO PLAY A CERTAIN COMIC-BOOK CHARACTER?
Now, when I say "born" to play a role I don't mean when an actor/actress makes the role their own or reinvents the character (which I am totally okay with). It goes much deeper than that. It requires something more. Various things may play a factor in my usual evaluation when it comes to casting choices. These factors may include the following...
1) Physical resemblance to comic-book character played.
2) Events that may have occurred in the actor's life.
3) Personality.
So you may not see certain people in the list due to the fact that even though they may have done a wonderful job in the role but lacked the aforementioned features. Now, down to the list.
EDWARD NORTON AS BRUCE BANNER/THE HULK
REASON: It's no lie that Edward Norton's portrayal of one of the most tragic and tormented characters is something I hold dear to my heart. Its what made me a full blown hulk fan but when I came up with the idea of the editorial, I made sure I wrote it with no bias whatsoever. However Norton still makes the cut. Let me start off with how much he looks like Bruce Banner. The guy is almost a copy and paste image of the character. This ranges from his facial features to his skinny frame the guy really looks like Bruce Banner. But that's only the beginning. Norton's similarities to Bruce goes on to their parents. Like Bruce Banner whose mother died, Norton tragically lost his mother in 1996.
We've all heard how Norton can be a little difficult to work with (even though I don't buy Kevin Feige's statement). However, if you watch any of his interviews, it would be hard to believe how such a soft spoken, frail looking guy could be the same guy we hear causes trouble behind the scenes. The same thing goes for Bruce who doesn't give off the impression that he could cause so much destruction. Norton's contribution to the character is astonishing. Not only is his performance a highlight for me but the material he added is something to take notice of too. Did you know that he is partly responsible for Mark Ruffalo's epic 'I'm always angry' moment. I know he had nothing to do with the avengers script but if you take The Incredible Hulk director Louis Letterier's statement
"That's why I left the door open for whoever's going to direct The Avengers with our last shot," said Leterrier. "Edward and I, we consciously decided to make the last shot of the movie when he opens his eyes and he smirks at the camera. Is he enjoying it? Is he malicious? That's what's great about Edward. You don't know if he's a good guy or bad guy. He's always on this edge and we've been sort of surfing that edge, that very thin edge during the entire movie." Source: Firstshowing.net
Had they never added that mysterious scene at the end of the movie, the MCU might have a little difficultly explaining how Bruce Banner can turn into the Hulk at will since he never (and still hasn't) got a sequel.
RYAN REYNOLDS AS WADE WILSON/DEADPOOL
REASON: Not only does he have Deadpool's natural tendency to make funny quips and breaking the forth wall (Ryan has done this in one of his previous films) but he also almost everybody hates him... well at least on this site. There is no point in sugar coating it. Whenever his name gets mentioned in an article, people are quick to show their dislike for him. And that is exactly how it is like in the world of Deadpool. He doesn't have a lot of admires. Whenever he opens his mouth, you can tell that the people around him want to throw him off the empire state building. To top things off, Ryan Reynolds can be considered to be part of Deadpool lore as the Merc with a mouth has described himself as looking like Ryan Reynolds.
. Whatever your opinions on Wolverine:Origins may be... okay we all knew it wasn't very good but what happened to Deadpool by the end of the film wasn't Ryan's fault and his portrayal of Wade earlier in the film proves that the guy
is deadpool.
ROBERT DOWNEY. JR AS TONY STARK/IRON MAN
REASON: Who has ever seen RDJ on the red carpet? Not only has he got the physical resemblance but he also has the charm and personality on lockdown. You might say he plays himself in the Iron Man movies. Downey's career plays like a song to the life of Tony Stark. Who can forget the new reports on his drinking sprees and his decline from fame only to rebuild himself into a steady,awesome and respectable figure. Just like Downey found his way back to the top in the first Iron Man movie that was released in 2008, Tony Stark found himself by becoming Iron Man. Just watching him in the role was a special experience for me. His delivery with his lines were so natural.
So there you have it. The actors I believed their respective roles were came across like they were written for them. I know that all we want is an awesome performance like Heath Ledger's Joker (Legendary) but I believe that there is a difference between making the role your own and being born or even destined to play the role.
Now if you'll excuse me, my girlfriend just said I've been naughty...