Comic book movies are getting better and better as the years go by. Of course The Avengers ruled, but so did Dredd, The Dark Knight Rises and X-Men: First Class. The bar is rising and the studios need actors to fill the shoes of their leading comic book characters fast. Here's a list of the top 5 actors who I think deserve to fill the shoes of the heroes and villains that already exist in the comic book universe.
JOEL EDGERTON AS THE FLASH
Warrior is the best sports movie I've ever seen. It has performances that reel you in at every second and actors that are convincing at every turn throughout, after such a terribly edited trailer, it turned into the surprise of a lifetime and I was happy to see it in theatres. With that said, if I can buy this guy as a chemistry teacher, I'm sure that we could all buy him as the scientist who gets struck by lightning in order to become the Scarlet Speedster. Brad Bird should direct this movie for sure, he'd be perfect.
RYAN GOSLING AS DAREDEVIL
With Nicolas Winding Refn in mind as the director, Ryan Gosling would be absolutely perfect in a no-holds barred take on the Man Without Fear. Gosling was great in The Ides of March and especially Drive, where he plays a mostly silent stuntman who moonlights as a driver for robberies by night. His silence is his most dominating attribute because he has just the right presence to hold it over, making him a blind man would be a nice twist because it puts a spin on the playboy attitude that he has (which is perfect for Matt Murdock).
JUSTIN THEROUX AS DOCTOR STRANGE
For his strange ability to maintain my interest in such mediocre pictures like Your Highness and especially Wanderlust (which was actually good thanks to his strong supporting performance), as the most down-to-earth guy I've seen in a movie in quite some time, I nominate Justin Theroux for the role of Doctor Strange. He was great in Mulholland Drive, and, not to mention, he did the screenplay for Iron Man 2, so he's already got ties with Marvel. Though he's not the greatest writer, the fact that he's a decent enough actor, and the fact that he's able to captivate even in the weakest of movies, proves that he should be a top contender for the potential career-defining role that it is indeed.
JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME AS RED SKULL
After being utterly disappointed by the dullness of The Expendables 2, I checked out some of Van Damme's direct-to-video work and watched the two recent Universal Soldier films. I didn't think I'd like them too much, but to my complete surprise, they turned out to be a pair of solid action movies (especially Regeneration). Van Damme is great in these movies and ever seen JCVD he keeps on getting better and better. With Expendables 2 not giving him enough to do with an otherwise great performance, and for being the only bright spot in that plane wreck, I nominate Van Damme as the next Red Skull. Imagine Cap versus a Red Skull who can actually fight for a full take... that's what I'm talking about (watch the opening of JCVD and you'll know what I mean).
JAKE GYLLENHAAL AS BATMAN
Speaking of another actor who keeps getting better and better, Jake Gyllenhaal has been on a role nowadays (literally). The roles he's taken have been nothing short of solid: from his great turn in Brothers, to his nuanced turn in Source Code and most recently (and most effectively for Batman) to his excellent partnering role in End of Watch. I nominate Jake Gyllenhaal to unite with Warner Brothers for another take on the Caped Crusader; especially since the route he took with Disney didn't go so well after the mediocre openings for Prince of Persia arrived, I don't think he'll be looking to Disney any time soon for a role in the Marvel universe (if he does, good for him though because he deserves a role either way).