***Note: I chose this group by finding IGN's top 30 villains and picked the most appropriate, IMO. I could've chosen Superman and Luthor but I felt that Luthor's story had changed from mad scientist to tycoon and that complete character makeover disqualified him. There are plenty others and, maybe Ill do a part 2, but for now this is my list.
1962
Mr. Fantastic vs Dr. Doom
It was in his first appearance that defined this ageless rivalry. Thus my actors are from that very year.
Jeff Hunter (age 36) as Mr. Fantastic
Known at the time for... King of Kings
It is said he was the illustration inspiration of Richards. Personally, he looks too "Hollywood Headliner" for me but who am I to argue.
Paul Newman (age 37) as Dr. Doom
Known at the time for... The Hustler
I was going for an A-lister with looks. Newman was known for his heroic features and I felt that Doom's arrogance was his short coming. He should have the appearance of a hero but be a vengeful villain.
1963
Thor vs. Loki
In Marvel comics, Loki pitted The Incredible Hulk, Earth's strongest being, against the Midgardians Thor loved. That's worse than breaking his brother's favorite toy. This act of treachery resulted in the formation of the Avenger's. Oops!
Charlton Heston (age 39) as Thor
Known at the time for... Ben-Hurr
Heston is Thor. I used him in my '72 cast and it's so good (and he's 10 years younger here) that I'm sticking with it.
Joe Turkel (36) as Loki
Known... Paths of Glory
Turkel edgy, criminal features are exactly how I picture The God of Mischief.
1963
Professor X vs Magneto
Again, it was his 1st battle against the teens Xavier trained that cemented him as the extreme opposite of the mutant telepath. Light and Dark; Malcom X and MLK Jr. Passovism and Terror. This is it. Magneto's age has fluctuated over the years, but as this was his 1st appearance he was in his mid-30's to mid-40's.
Yul Brynner (43) as Xavier
Known... The Magnificent Seven
I believe I heard that he was the model for the mind-bending mutant. If not, this still works wonderfully as Yul was and awesome action star and would serve to give cred to the "handicapped" mentor.
Lee Marvin (40) as Magneto
Known... Donovan's Reef
Marvin has that "Don't screw with me look." His angry demeanor and gray/white hair sparked me as a dead ringer for the Holocaust survivor as the Master of magnetism has no real defining features. Also, it doesn't hurt that Marvin is a truly great actor.
1968
Captain America vs Red Skull
Sure, one's a Nazi and one's a red-blooded American soldier and they've had the battles to prove they're hatred. Yes, Skull killed a lot of people during WWII but, he made a personal enemy of The First Avenger when he cloned the patriot's body in order to become young once again, as he, the Skull, was aging quickly and near death. He would insert his own brain into the body of his enemy. Your mortal enemy now has your body, not cool.
Steve McQueen (38) as CPT America
Known... The Sand Pebbles
Cast in my '72 Avengers and 4 years younger here he still works perfectly. McQeen has the rugged look of the seasoned vet I prefer. Some (most) prefer Newman but I like this hard-nosed WWII veteran over an activist. To each his own, I guess.
***Military Service
After [a lapse in judgment] McQueen resolved to focus his energies on self-improvement and embraced the Marines' discipline. He saved the lives of five other Marines during an Arctic exercise, pulling them from a tank before it broke through ice into the sea. He was also assigned to an honor guard responsible for guarding then-U.S. President Harry Truman's yacht. McQueen served until 1950 when he was honorably discharged
Henry Fonda (63) as Red Skull
Known... 12 Angry Men
A much better actor than his son, Fonda exemplifies the aura of Red Skull. Aged and deadly, Fonda would make this role legendary, as he always has.
1973
Spiderman vs Green Goblin
Enemy= "Hey, I don't like you so I'm gonna commit crimes and cause you misery." Arch nemesis= "I'm gonna kill your girlfriend OR directly cause you to kill her and you'll never know if it was the push or the pull that murdered her, HAHAHAHA."
Richard Thomas (22) as Spiderman
Known...
I was in search of a dweeb that could lead a movie. I also needed a boy on the verge of becoming a man, not a man pretending to be a boy. Parker was in college and that is the necessary age. Thomas Had been around for a few years and was capable of becoming the Wall-crawler.
Richard Harris(43) as Green Goblin
Known... This Sporting Life
Harris is a very well known actor whose presence demands respect, similarly, Osborne is a financial wizard whose presence demands the same respect.
1986
Wolverine vs Sabretooth
Their 1st encounter defined their vendetta. It was expained that their hatred for one another went much further back. The bloodlust and competition is historical.
Robert De Niro (43) as Wolverine
Known... Raging Bull
De Niro has this uncanny ability to become anything requested of him. He can be a savage killer, to a caring father. His acting would be perfection. His size would only add to the believability.
Brion James (45) as Sabretooth
Known... Blade Runner
I need a hulking man with a savage look. A wig (he's balding) would dismiss the little doubt anyone would have of this man (6'3") personifying the lethal Sabretooth.
1988
Batman vs Joker
Sure, Joker is Batman's worst enemy. Why? He killed the 2nd person to wear the Robin costume. The death of Jason Todd will never be forgotten by Batman or his fans. The killing Joke might make him Gordon's worst nightmare but beating Todd to death puts him at the front of Batman's hate list.
Alec Baldwin (30) as Batman
Known... Married to the Mob
Finally, I can appropriately cast Baldwin as Bruce Wayne. It's easy to assume that The Capped Crusader is a few years older as Todd was his 2nd sidekick so casting Baldwin is ideal. Keaton fans worry not, I am choosing not to use him for the sake of originality.
James Woods(39) as Joker
Known... Once upon a Time in America
I used him in my '84 Fancast and, as he was almost the Joke rin Burton's '89 Batman I see no reason this choice should change.
1988
Dare Devil vs Kingpin
Sure, I almost used Bullseye as he was the man who murdered DD's beloved, Elektra, in association with his employer, Kingpin. Sure, I almost used Elektra, as the worlds deadliest woman tried on several occasions to assassinate The Man Without Fear on behalf of her employer, Kingpin, and, of course, she was his former/on again off again lover. However, the source of all of that and that whole 'destruction and dismantling of one's personal life through manipulation of week and desperate loved ones' kind of made me lean towards the puppet master of the Born Again story line, the Kingpin.
Dennis Quaid (34) as Dare Devil
Known... The Big Easy
I, Honestly don't know what it was that appealed to me about Quaid playing DD but it fits wonderfully. In my '93 X-Men cast I used him as Graydon Creed so he must strike me as a proper type with a bit of a dark streak. DD, like Batman, would've been around a few years for all of this to have happened, so at 34, Quaid is perfectly aged.
Fred Gwynne (62) as Kingpin
Known... The Boy who Couldn't Fly
Only one year away from starring in the thriller Pet Sematary, Gwynne can go to there terrifying level of seriousness that is needed by Kingpin. in my '93 Dare Devil cast I chose Frank Langella however with this being a few years earlier I wanted a different actor, older and just as intimidating, if not more so. He is 6'5".
1990
Cable vs Apocalypse
What a wild sci-fi thriller this would be. These 2 carried their issues with one another through space and time. En Sabah Nur infected the infant summers with the techno organic virus and cloned and rules his timeline and... Look, Cable hates the First Mutant and that's that.
Lee Majors (51) as Cable
Known... The Six Million Dollar Man
Cable needs to be slightly aged. He needs to have gruff demeanor and very soldier-like. Majors has all of those qualities and more. I did not even juggle around with other options, that's how confident I am in this one.
Tony Todd (36) as Apocalypse
Known... Voodoo Dawn
Todd's voice gives you goose bumps and you can't deny it. Tony Todd is as intimidating as they come and a much better actor than given credit. He towers at 6'5".
2006
Green Lantern vs Sinestro
Yup, enemies forever, these 2. It wasn't until Sinestro formed his own core that was able to match the entire Green Corps that the "alien Adolph" became the villain of DC IMO. created as the opposite of Hal's coin, Sinestro upped his game tremendously in '06.
Nathan Fillion (35) as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern
Known... Serenity
Although Fillion doesn't bare a resemblance to Jordan he optimizes the chosen one in every way. He was my pick for Alan Scott in my JSA/JLA Fancast and here, as he is younger, for Sinestro's greatest enemy, Hal Jordan.
Christopher Meloni (45) as Sinstro
Known... Oz
Meloni is an outstanding character actor and would kill as Sinestro. I'm surprised he isn't cast more in these Fancasts or, for that matter, that he hasn't transcended to movie-stardom.