Looking for Some Heroes

Superhero movies.

They typically are hit or miss.  Usually it's because the script and direction for the movie sux ass, which is usually because Hollywood has taken something good and fucked it up like they always do.

There is a glut of comic book movies coming to the big screen in the next 3-4 years, and I'm trying to figure out who is going to be cast for these rolls.  After conversing with Drost about it, we both agree that there just aren't many movie stars out there that we could envision as superheroes.

With Marvel taking control of their comic book characters, we just wonder, who is out there that fits the character?

Here's some past "Heroes" Movies (including DC comics):

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Superman (Original) - Christopher Reeves:  The epitome of Superman / Clark Kent.  The first movie was pretty good for its time.  The next 2 movies...  not so much.

Superman Returns - Brandon Routh:  Who?  A literal no-name, who, I felt, did a pretty decent job re-starting the Superman storyline.

Batman - Michael Keaton:  Holy shit was he a controversial choice for the Dark Knight.  He pulled it off though.  At least the first two movies in this series were decent... for their time period.  Then, Joel Schumacher got his hands on the franchise and fucked it all up. 

Val Kilmer - good choice, but the script and direction sucked.
George Clooney - Great Bruce Wayne, piss poor Batman.  Script and direction sucked.

Batman Begins - Christian Bale:  Awesome choice to play the Dark Knight.  Script was good, director (Chris Nolan) was great, and Bale was simply awesome.  The re-boot of this series was done perfectly all around and are better movies then the originals.  More true to the storyline from the comic.

Hulk - Eric Bana:  I'm a big Bana fan.  Loved him in Troy and Blackhawk Down.  I felt he was a good choice for this role.  Unfortunately, Ang Lee fucked up the story, fucked up the direction, and pretty much almost fucked up the franchise.  If it wasn't for Munich, Bana may never have recovered from this disaster.

The Incredible Hulk - Ed Norton:  I love Norton.  Love watching all his movies.  He probably fits the Bruce Banner "Scientist" role better then Bana did, but since I haven't seen the movie yet, I'll wait to pass judgement on it.  But I think Norton will do ok.

Punisher I - Dolph Lundgren:  What a clusterfuck.  Once again, Hollywood takes a beloved comic book character and fucks it up.  Lundgren...  meh.  Can't act for shit.

Punisher II - Thomas Jane:  I like Jane.  I felt he was a good fit for Frank Castle.  But, yet again, Hollywood fucked up everything.  Script was so-so, and casting John Travolta was a disaster.  I'm hoping that the stink from this film hasn't ruined Jane's chances for better roles.

X-men I, II, III: 
Patrick Stewart - Charles Xavier:  Perfect choice
Hugh Jackman - Wolverine:  Played to perfection
Famke Janssen - Jean Grey:  Great choice
Halle Barry - Storm:  Ok
Ian McKellen - Magneto:  Excellent
James Marsden - Cyclops:  So-So

Pretty good choices all around for the characters.  Some of the scripts could have been stronger, but overall, not a bad series.  (Thank you Brian Singer)

Spiderman I, II, III - Tobey Maguire:  I was hesitant at first, but Maguire did a really good job portraying Peter Parker.  Unfortunately, Spiderman III turned into Emo Spiderman, and Hollywood almost ruined another comic book character.

Ironman - Robert Downey Jr.:  I'm a big fan of Downey.  He's always impressed me with his acting.  He was a perfect fit for Tony Stark's character, especially since he himself has experienced a lot of what Tony Stark experiences in the comic book (substance abuse, playboy attitude, etc...)  Great script and great direction (John Favreau).

Fantastic Four I, II:  Meh on all the actors cast.  Poor scripts and poor direction IMO.

Blade I, II, III - Wesley Snipes:  Perfect for this role.  Scripts and direction were average, but overall, I enjoyed the series.  Casting Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel in III were great choices IMO.

Constantine - Keanu Reeves:  I'm not a huge Reeves fan.  But, other then the The Matrix, I really enjoyed him in this movie.

Ghost Rider - Nick Cage:  I dispise Cage.  I'm sorry, but he does not impress me in his movies.  I put him in the same category as Keanu Reeves.  Limited, yet somehow he's a huge star.  Piss poor script and directing.

Hellboy I and II:  Meh.  Average casting.  Poor script and direction.

V for Vendetta - Not too shabby.  Hugo Weaving as "V" and Natalie Portman as "Evey".  Good casting.  Decent story and direction.

Daredevil - Ben Affleck:  Not a fan of his.  Poor script, poor direction.

Elektra - Jennifer Garner:  Perfect actress for this role.  Piss poor script and direction.

Catwoman - No.  Not even going here.

Judge Dredd - Sly Stallone:  Not gonna go here.

Steel - Shaq:  Ruined.  Should never have been made.

BloodRayne:  Kristanna Loken:  Should never have been made.

Spawn - Ruined.  Poor casting, directing, and script.

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Upcoming:

Wanted (2008) - I need to go see this before I cast judgment.

Batman TDK (2008) - Bale again FTW.  Heath Ledger could play the Joker better then Jack did.  We'll see soon.

Punisher III (2008) - The 3rd re-boot of the series.  This time they are casting Ray Stevenson (Rome) who is an up and coming actor.  Third times a charm?  We'll see.

Wolverine (2009) - Hugh Jackman:  Perfect
Lots of other big name actors in this movie.  We'll see how it goes.  Gambit is going to make an appearance in this movie.  Not sure how he ties into Wolverine's origins, but we'll see I guess.

G.I. Joe (2009) - Not going to cover all the actors in this movie.  I'm hoping it will be good.  But, I'm not holding my breath.

Thor (2010) - No clue who they are going to tap for this role.  Could be interesting.

The Avengers (2011) - Again, should be interesting who gets cast for this.  Will they try and get the actors from the other movies?  (Ironman, Hulk, etc...)  That could prove costly.  But, having Sam Jackson as as Nick Fury is genius.

Captain America (2011) - Yikes.  Who will play this role?  Needs to be shredded and have a lot of charisma.  Who out there in Hollywood would be good for this role?

Green Lantern (2010) - Not sure I even care who they will cast for this role.  We may be burned out on comic book characters by this time.

The Green Hornet (2010) - Seth Rogen:  Comedy?  Unsure how this will proceed.

So, who will be cast for the future movies?  Should be interesting.  We'll see what characters Hollywood can fuck up in their interpretation.