Movies are such an organic thing. Comic books not so much. A film can be shaped and change throughout production by directors, writers, producers, and even what individual actors do with the role. But comics are much more finite. For the most part, a character is who a character is. Throughout the decades. Only the stories change. You would think such laid-out groundwork would be easy for big screen adaptations. Nope. A lot of the time, comic character and accuracy are sacrificed for a big name star, budget restraints or simple narrow-minded thinking.
There have been a lot of great comic castings. Hugh Jackman is an awesome Wolverine. But is he "perfect?" The dude's a 6-foot pretty boy, not short, feral grunt. Tomas Jane as The Punisher? Really? Jennifer Garner can't be Elektra! Why is Liv Tyler in a Hulk movie? Face it. We always have our own choices. And the fact is, in the world of acting, there is always someone who could can do better. Well, except for these:
I present my MOST PERFECT CASTING in COMIC BOOK MOVIES
(No, Catwoman's not on it)
10. CHRIS EVANS as The Human Torch (The Fantastic Four)
Say what you will about the Fantastic Four movies, but there was one thing they completely nailed: Johnny Storm. The young, brash hothead of the team (pun intended) was perfectly portrayed by the easy-going Chris Evans. Macking on girls or just nailing the teasing dynamic between The Thing (Michael Chiklis is also great as Ben Grimm) , Evans was a better fit here than in Captain America.
9. CHLOE GRACE MORETZ as Hit-Girl (Kick-Ass)
Try finding another little girl that could have pulled this off. Ignoring the cosmetic change of costume, and the actual toned down brutality, from comic to film, there’s a reason Chloe became buzz-worthy after Kick-Ass. She nails the balance between innocent child, and efficient super-killer. She steals all her scenes, and for some fans, the entire movie.
8. RON PEARLMAN as Hellboy (Hellboy)
Talk about born to play the role! Pearlman’s rocky mug alone is enough to make it hard to imagine someone else throwing on the red prosthetics. Guillermo Del Toro proved he knew what he was doing with this choice (and Doug Jones’ Abe Sapien) and brought the characters to life better than any of the readers could have ever imagined.
7. JACKIE EARL HALEY as Rorschach (Watchmen)
“The world will look up and shout, ‘save us!’ And I’ll look down and whisper, ‘no’”. For the gravelly voice alone, Haley has put on a performance that almost can’t be topped. Of the entire Watchmen cast, no one was a better fit. Consider the extra mile: In the comics, Walter Kovacs is described as “fascinatingly ugly” and no offense, but Jackie isn’t exactly ‘romantic lead’ material. Nailed it!
6. BRANDON LEE as Eric Draven (The Crow)
A tricky entry, but there’s a reason why none of the others have been as effective as the original. If someone else puts on the face-paint, this is the benchmark they have to live up to. Brandon Lee brought the murdered rock star a sense of melancholy, pathos and icy wrath that is unmatched. His tragic real-life death puts a macabre aura on the role forever.
5. MICKEY ROURKE as Marv (Sin City)
The chiseled jaw, the gruff voice. All Robert Rodriguez needed to complete his masterpiece of a character was a jagged nose. And the breakout character from Sin City came alive. Before The Wrestler completely revived his career, Mickey Rourke was on his way back to stardom playing a brute with a heart of gold better than anyone who’s ever played a brute with a heart of gold.
4. ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Tony Stark (Iron Man)
There have been many actors who played Batman. As great as Christopher Reeves was, there have been many who have played Superman. But I can’t imagine anyone being more right for Iron Man, than Robert Downey Jr. Even his real life exploits feed into why he’s so similar to Tony Stark. This combination, with RDJ’s natural charisma, ensures that he’s set the bar with this character forever.
3. J.K. SIMMONS as J. Jonah Jameson (Spiderman)
The cast of Sam Raimi’s Spidey trilogy leaves much to be desired. Toby? Meh. Kirsten? No way. The best casting in all of the Spider-Man movies? The supporting character of J.J. Jameson. Simmons uncannily channels J.J. in every imaginable way. A nearly 1-to-1 ratio that has doomed whoever must follow up in the new Amazing Spider-Man series.
2. WESLEY SNIPES as Blade (Blade)
Imagine LL Cool J. Denzel Washington. Laurence Fishburn. Now laugh. Wesley Snipes easily showed everyone he was the best man for the job (it helps that he can actually, you know, fight). The TNT TV show helped prove how bad anyone else would be as Eric Brooks. Of all the superheroes in all the movies, Snipe’s Blade is literally, the page come to life.
1. PATRICK STEWART as Charles Xavier (X-Men)
Nothing has made more sense. Not even going on looks, but just in what Stewart brings to the role; his history with fanboys, his history with sci-fi, and that overall ‘beyond educated’ quality that gives him resounding presence as a mentor and teacher. It says something that the best casting in all the X-Men movies happens to also be the best casting in all of comicbook films.