Top 10 Comic Book Movie Castings

There have been a lot of comic book movies in the past and sometimes the success or failure depends on the casting of the characters. These characters are already developed in comics and it is the actors job to portray them on the big screen that is believable and does the character justice. I wanted to look back at all the comic book movies over the past 20 plus years and celebrate the best comic book castings. I've come up with a top ten list of my favorite casting based on not only looks but the acting and their take on the character. We will count it down from 10: 

#10 - Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/ The Thing

Chiklis played orange stoned bodied hero known as The Thing in 2005's Fantastic Four and 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I thought the cast of Fantastic Four was done well but Chiklis was a stand out performance. The most interesting part his job as The Thing was the fact that he did his own voice. I originally thought it was done with affects but he did a great job on his own.

#9 - Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Hiddleston played the super villain and trickster god Loki in Thor (2011) and in The Avengers (2012) and will be playing him again in Thor: The Dark World coming out in November this year. Hiddleston took a not so well known character to the non-comic book reader and made him a house hold name. He did an awesome job being an evil and twisted but yet likable villain. He has an accent that you would imagine an Asgarding would have and played the trickster role very well. I've heard that fans are even petitioning to Marvel for a "Loki" solo movie staring Tom Hiddleston. Sounds like I'm not the only one who felt he has done an incredible job.

#8 - Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/ Beast

Kelsey Grammer played the highly intelligent blue X-Man Hank McCoy aka Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). I'll admit, I didn't like the idea of Fox casting Frasier as one of my favorite X-Men but turns out he was the perfect choice. He definitely surprised me with his performance. He sounded like I imagined Beast would and he did a great job during the action scenes. My hat is off to you Kelsey.

#7 - Michael Clarke Duncan as King Pin

The unfortunate late Michael Clarke Duncan played the super villain crime boss King Pin in Daredevil (2003). Regardless of what I think of the movie, I have to give Fox credit for ignoring the fact that in the comics King Pin is white and casting the part to the best actor. I loved Michael Clarke Duncan in anything he was in but his raspy voice, huge frame and his his tough guy "I'm the boss" attitude is exactly what this character needed.  

#6 Tie - Michelle Pfeiffer & Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/ Catwoman 

I could not decide who did a better job portraying the manipulating seductress we love and know as Catwoman, so I had to make it a tie. Michelle Pfeiffer played Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992) and Anne Hathaway played her in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Although both are different in their own ways, they brought the perfect performance for those styles of movies. Not to mention both are easy on the eyes.

I remember hearing a lot of negativity over Hathaway being cast in The Dark Knight Rises before the movie even began filming. I have always liked her and wanted to give her a fair shot before making a judgment but after her first scene in the film I knew they got it right. I know a lot of people were eating their words after seeing the film.  

I was really young when Batman Returns came out but I remember liking Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. The movie was a little dark for me at the time but watching the movie again not to long ago I think they cast her very well. Pfeiffer has always been a great actress.

#5 - Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/ Professor X

Stewart plays the wheel chair bound telepathic leader of the X-Men Professor X in the 2000 X-Men trilogy. For starters, he looks the part but he also has the acting skills that made him the perfect choice to play such a key role in the X-Men. Professor X was an important role to get right if the movies were going to be successful.  The worst part of the whole trilogy was when he was killed early in X-Men: The Last Stand. 

#4 - Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/ Iron Man

Downey Jr. plays the billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer we know and love as Tony Stark aka Iron Man in the 2008 Iron Man trilogy plus The Avengers (2012). I think Downey Jr. was made for this role. Sometimes I don't think he has to do much acting. I think my wife thinks he really is Iron Man. But seriously, his style, attitude, and personality made for the perfect casting for Iron Man. He has been the glue that has brought everything Marvel was doing in their cinematic universe together.  

#3 - Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

Jackman has played the iconic, nearly indestructible X-Men Wolverine in five (going on six) films over the past 13 years. He is the most beloved character in the comic book movie genre. I love Hugh Jackman not only as Wolverine but as an actor and person. He maybe one of the most down to earth actors in Hollywood. Despite that, he was a perfect choice to play the animalistic Wolverine. His adaptation to the character on the big screen is a perfect balance of edgy crazed animal and likableness. I know he can not play the character forever and I don't know how they will ever replace him. 

#2 - Heath Ledger as The Joker

Ledger played the notorious supervillain The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008). This is one of the most surprising standout performances not only in comic book movies but all movies in the past ten years at least. It was unbelievable how people hated the idea of Ledger playing the part of The Joker but that hatred turned into praise after seeing his take on the crowned prince of crime. His take on the character and what he brought on screen was everything you hoped to see. I remember watching the movie and not seeing Ledger playing the part but just seeing The Joker on the screen. And that's the way it should be. It's sad that Ledger died before the movie even came out but he will always be remembered, if for nothing else, for his role as The Joker.

#1 - J. C. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson

Simmons plays the humorously obnoxious editor and chief of The Daily Bugle J. Jonah Jameson in the 2002 Spider-Man trilogy. Of all the comic book movie castings this is my favorite. Simmons totally looked and sounded the part and sold the character on every level. He is even doing the voice of Jameson in some current Marvel cartoons. Even though Jameson is more of a supporting character than all the others, it's like they pulled him straight out of the comic books. His role in the Spider-Man trilogy was by far the most consistent part of the films and I don't know how they could ever get a better J. Johah Jameson.

I found a video of the Top 10 J. Jonah Jameson moments to help prove my case: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgL8h_u2PHw

Honorable Mentions:

Jay Choe as Kato in Green Hornet (2011)

Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005)

Fantasy Football Superhero Draft

Well football season is upon us and as usual, fantasy football is a hot topic. This year I ended up in three fantasy football leagues which my wife may not be to thrilled about. But all this fantasy football talk got me thinking "What if we drafted superheroes and what position would they play?" So I've come up with two teams, a Marvel team and a DC team and put them in positions I think they would best in. I'll break it down my position and who I feel would be best in those positions. 

Quarterback
The quarterback position has to have the best leader and the one that can think on his feet the quickest. For my Marvel team I pick Captain America and for DC I pick Batman. Both are exceptional at making quick last second decisions and making changes if they need to. They both would be great at reading defenses and calling audibles if they felt the need. I think Cap would be a better mobile quarterback and be able to allude tacklers better than Batman though. And well, although Batman is good with a batarang, Cap is use to trowing his shield with skill and accuracy. 

Running Back

Most fantasy teams have two running backs. You need to have a big strong tough runner who could break tackles and not go down easy. For my DC team I would definitely pick Superman for his pure power and strength and second could go a few ways but Hawkman would be my choice. Hawkman is a tough dude and will get the job done. 
For my Marvel team, these two picks are easy. The Hulk and Thor. I couldn't imagine anyone trying to stop these two coming out of the back field. If there wasn't a hole to run through they would make one. 


Wide Receiver

Like the running backs, I'll pick two for this position. For my Marvel team I'd first go with Spider-Man first because of his quickness and agility. Plus he could use his webs to catch the ball. And second I'd go with Iron Man. He could propel him self to anywhere on the field rather quickly and if the defender tried to block him at the line of scrimmage he would just take him out. If Iron Man didn't work out I might would go with Nightcrawler or Mr. Fantastic for obvious reasons.

My DC picks are a lot easier. First, I'd for sure pick The Flash. With his speed he would be waiting on the ball to get to him. And my second pick would be Wonder Woman. She would be awesome at slot receiver. She is smart and could run any route and easily make adjustments on the field. She's fast and strong and would fight for those extra yards. 

Tight End
Most fantasy leagues only have one tight end so we'll follow suit with this too. This is a tough one. You can look at this in different ways but I think for my DC pick I would go with Martian Manhunter. He is big and tough and he would would be a big target to throw to. Plus as a blocker he would be unstoppable. 

My Marvel pick would be Wolverine. He might get penalized to much but he's as tough as they come and you know he won't miss a play.

Kicker 
As far as kickers go, this is a no brainier. Marvel would be Hawkeye and DC would be Green Arrow. Now I don't know how good they are with their feet but I know they would have the accuracy. 



Defense
Now in fantasy football you choose a defense for one team and the points are based on how well they do. For my defense teams I'll just choose five heroes that I haven't chosen already to make up the defense. Let's start with my five DC picks. I'll go with Green Lantern, Shazam (or Captain Marvel), Red Tornado, Aquaman, and Power Girl. As far as my Marvel picks I'd go with The Thing, Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, Beast, and She-Hulk.

So that's my fantasy superhero teams. There are a lot of heroes but I tried to stay with the more well known ones. Looking back at each team I think DC may have an edge but maybe not. I know there is an argument for most of the picks but just like fantasy football, it's all for fun. . Tell me what you think. What would you change?