Hayden Christensen as Ant-Man.

My fan casting for who should play Ant-Man.

Editorial Opinion
By themcdougalbugle - Sep 16, 2012 12:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Fan Fic


I never do conform to these fancasts, but not long ago in a movie theater a few miles away, I saw the final Star Wars film, Episode III: Revenge of Sith. In short, it was the best of the prequels, but still frustrated the hell out of me with it's countless plot holes, vomit-retching dialogue, and bad story and character choices like giving everyone a lightsaber. It's probably the most frustratingly good movie out there because I did enjoy it. It still wasn't good enough to save the prequels, so I still mourn to this day at the rape of Star Wars.

Then a few years later, I was watching a movie review from one of the funniest companies on the internet, RedLetterMedia. I also make reviews at TheMcDougalBugle.com, so while appreciating all the work that went into his review, I was trying to take in everything he was saying. The review of course was of Episode III.

One thing I like about Mr. Plinkett is that he tries to hold the right people accountable for a movie's failure, not just everyone involved. In the Star Wars prequels and as evident by the films, everyone around George Lucas seemed to be putting their all into doing their part. And why shouldn't they? Afterall, they are working on arguably the greatest sc-fi franchise of all time and probably just trusted George Lucas because he's proven himself. How were they supposed to know Lucas was ruining Star Wars. I encourage you to read this Interview from 1977. I don't want to go off track, but since I'm mentioning this, I just want to say you can't be to hard on Lucas. If you read that interview or others, you'd know that making the original Star Wars trilogy wasn't an easy task. It may have been traumatizing for Lucas. It played apart in the downfall of his first marriage, he overworked himself to death, had to go to the hospital because of stress, and was just an awful experience. Sure it made for great entertainment, but you can't ask a man in his 60's with the experience to do that all over again. So that's reasonable he just wanted to make everything with CGI and from this quote, you'd know that one of the reasons Lucas made these movies was simply to make toys:

"One of my motivating factors for doing the film, along with all the other ones, was that I love toys and games. And so I figured, gee, I could start a kind of a store that sold comic art, and sold sevety-eight records, or old rock 'n' roll records that I like, and antique toys and a lot of things that I am really into; stuff that you can't buy in regular stores. I also like to create games and things, so that was part of the movie, to be able to generate toys and things. Also, I figured the merchandising along with the sequels would give me enough income over a period of time so that I could retire from professional filmmaking and go into making my own kind of movies, my own sort of abstract, weird, experimental stuff."

I think what he should have done was let other crazy, foolish, courageous young filmmakers who would sit in the hot sun all day to get a shot because they love Star Wars to direct the prequels.

Anyhow, the point I'm trying to make was it was an excuse for Lucas to direct the prequels, but that he is somewhat justified in his poor decisions. In RedLetterMedia's review, he recommended viewing Shattering Glass and not to blame Hayden Christensen's acting but Lucas' direction. So I watched Shattering Glass and damn, Hayden Christensen can act. And if you watch the documentaries, Lucas was telling Christensen how to act, not giving him any range. The bad performance is the result of a bad director, not a bad actor.

So in mine and few others' books, Christensen is a great actor and if there's a great director behind him, his role can be outstanding. Regarding Takers, I haven't seen but again, I can't blame him if it sucked. The director hasn't done anything good, the screenwriters suck, all the other actors suck so I don't think I'm alone in not blaming him.

And yes, he has a lot of annoying fangirls. Just search his name on Youtube, watch some videos, and read the comments and you'll know that, but again, how is that his fault?

I think he is a case of a great actor down on his luck, but I think if cast as Ant-Man, which even if he doesn't look exactly like Henry Pym, the movie does not have to be the same as the comic. And I believe with make-up, he resembles him close enough. Plus he can act.

You know how people say "In Nolan we Trust." Well, to the doubters, say "In McDougal, we trust." Because I'm making this recommendation. It's not yet confirmed. When it is, then you can say, "In White, we trust." I hope that the comments bellow are saying this is a terrible idea. That's a good sign. The obvious choice is never the right one. To quote Indiana Jones when told there's nothing to fear hear, "That's what scares me." Yes, I know Iv'e spent a lot of time trying to show that this decision is logical. That's because I'm not saying bad actors should get great roles. I'm saying actors with known talent should get roles, just not your first guess. Would you have thought of Joss Whedon to direct Avengers at first? But then, weren't you like, "Oh, that's perfect." I'm making this fancast because it is totally consistent with Marvel's casting history. It's a good choice, but not everyone's first choice. (Dear Marvel, I'm not a normal fanboy. I'm smart like you guys, listen to my cast, go with Hayden Christensen!) Despite the doubts of Ledger and Hathaway being cast in Nolan's Batman trilogy. There were people that made logical arguments for their casting. Here's mine if they cast Hayden Christenseen. So there. When do choices for comic book movies please everyone? Look at all the casting choices so far in the MCU and the director choices. Did you have doubts? Anyone remember when Ledger was first cast at the Joker or Hathaway as Catwoman? I know film, I know my sh*t. Yes, I have completely unrealistic dreams of being a filmmaker of top grossing movies. But like I said, I'm not your average fanboy, Iv'e put my thinking mode in the heads of Marvel and this is what should happen.
DC & Marvel Team Up In Awesome Fan-Created Infinite Crisis Video
Related:

DC & Marvel Team Up In Awesome Fan-Created "Infinite Crisis" Video

Bill Cosby Says He Wants To Be In A Superhero Film
Recommended For You:

Bill Cosby Says He Wants To Be In A Superhero Film

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

MrBlueSky
MrBlueSky - 9/16/2012, 12:54 PM


Dude, Hayden's a terrible actor. He was the worst part about the Star Wars prequels. If anyone should be Ant-Man, its Simon Baker:

Nimibro
Nimibro - 9/16/2012, 1:05 PM
This is a very well-versed article, i gotta say that even if Hayden isn't my choice this article makes some great points both about the Star Wars prequels and about Christensen as an actor, when you think about it he could make for a pretty competent Nightwing.
MrCameron
MrCameron - 9/16/2012, 1:22 PM


I mean seriously dude, Christensen is one of THE WORST ACTORS EVER!!! WTF are smoking??!!

itzayaboy
itzayaboy - 9/16/2012, 1:31 PM
no [frick]in way. no [frick]in way. shitty actor. shitty character.
themcdougalbugle
themcdougalbugle - 9/16/2012, 1:46 PM
You missed the whole point of the blog. The whole point was that some of the best casting decisions were for people everyone was against. Was Anne Hathaway in bad movies? Yes! Did everyone doubt her as Selina Kyle? Pretty much! Was she awesome as Selina Kyle! Yes! Was Heath Ledger in bad movies? Yes! Did everyone doubt him as the Joker? Pretty much! Was he awesome as the Joker! Yes! Did you watch Mr. Plinket's review? No! Did you see Shattering Glass? No! Was Christensen excellent in it? Yes! So has he shown acting capabilities? Yes!!! Is Edgar Wright a good director? Yes! Are you proving my point? Yes!
IwasGroot
IwasGroot - 9/16/2012, 2:23 PM
You're dead to me. @themcdougalbugle Dude you can't use those actors as defenses for the casting of this tool. Those particular actors you mentioned have shown that they are competent in their craft even in bad movies! Hayden has never proven to be a capable actor. Have I seen Shattered Glass? Yes! Was it a good movie? NO! Was he good in it? NO! I think you have a completely different view of what makes someone a good actor as opposed to 99% of everyone else in the world lol
TerminatorMode
TerminatorMode - 9/16/2012, 3:16 PM
@mrbluesky

Simon Baker, YES! Dude's a fantastic actor. It would be interesting to see what kind of role he went for if he was offered a choice from marvel or dc's pantheon of heroes.
Zarog
Zarog - 9/16/2012, 3:17 PM
FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 9/16/2012, 3:41 PM
Why did you publish this? For attention?
Kalel219
Kalel219 - 9/16/2012, 3:44 PM
Don't let all the "acting experts" on here bother you. This was a well written and interesting article.
Avengers2012
Avengers2012 - 9/16/2012, 3:54 PM
Doesn't matter how well written this article is. This would be one of the worst casting decisions of modern times. Like terrible. He's a dreadful actor and there's no way around it.

Simon Baker, like someone said earlier, is the perfect choice(The Mentalist anyone? Such an awesome choice and if you have seen this then you will know why he is perfect). If not Baker then Patrick Wilson, though I would still rather have Baker for sure.
themcdougalbugle
themcdougalbugle - 9/16/2012, 4:03 PM
@nerdman81 I'm far from the only one. Like I said, watch Red Letter Media's review of Episode III. He is one of the most watched online reviews today. Hear what he has to say. And thousands of fans agree with him. Also, you must be in the minority. Shattering Glass has received critical acclaim. It has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Want another example? Life as a House wasn't very good but Christensen was very good in it. Besides Channing Tatum is a pretty mediocre, ok at best actor but was decent in 21 Jump Street and under the direction of Steven Soderburg, was actually quite solid in Magic Mike. That movie also good reviews. Even if you think he can't act, at least realize how a good director Edgar Wright knows how to pull performances out of people. Besides, these MCU movies don't need oscar caliber acting. They're comic book movies. Don't get me wrong, I love comic book movies just as much and Avengers I gave 5 Bugles out of 5. I loved the Avengers and am a big fan. For Dark Knight trilogy, yeah oscar acting works for that but not these MCU movies. There should be good actors but no one's asking or expecting these movies to have groundbreaking super dramatic performances. No one goes to see these movies for acting. Star Wars IV didn't have super great acting but there was still great chemistry and care between and for the characters.
themcdougalbugle
themcdougalbugle - 9/16/2012, 4:07 PM
Same goes for Avengers. I want good actors, I'm just saying that so far, Marvel hasn't aimed for oscar winning performances so far in any MCU movies.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 9/16/2012, 4:27 PM
Lets pretend for a second that Hayden is a good actor. I know thats really tough to do, but just for a second, okay?

He's too young looking to be Pym. Period. He has a baby face. Thats all there is to it.

Now, stop pretending he's a good actor.

Basically, you cant say someone is a good actor based on ONE good performance. Look at all the other TERRIBLE performances he's had. Is that fhe kind of track record you would want an actor to have in a movie you were making?
95
95 - 9/16/2012, 5:36 PM
Sorry, pal. I just can't see it. Even with your points considered. Edgar Wright is writing and directing. Hayden Christensen hasn't displayed any traits that would convince me that he could embody that filmmaker's style.
ellispart3
ellispart3 - 9/16/2012, 5:41 PM
first, i really enjoyed your article. second, i can't disagree more.

hayden christensen may have suffered from poor direction during the star wars prequels and came across wooden, but is that the excuse we will use for his stale performances in jumper, takers, awake, and yes shattered glass? i won't knock shattered glass, it was entertaining, but his performance throughout was truly lack luster to be honest. you can say an actor is handicapped by poor direction, but at the end of the day the actor needs to..well, act.
heartscarvedintotrees
heartscarvedintotrees - 9/16/2012, 7:19 PM
I know people make fun of Hayden Christensen's "wooden" delivery of lines in Star Wars. I thought it was wooden, too, which at first made me think he just wasn't a very good actor. I thought this until the end of Episode III, when Darth Vader had the mask on for the first time and James Earl Jones' voice could be heard. And you know what happened? I could still hear Hayden Christensen saying it. And then it dawned on me that he delivered lines the way he did to sound the same as how Vader spoke with his mask on. Even still, I'm always struck by how similar the cadence of Hayden and James Earl Jones's voices are for that role.

Do I think he's an amazing actor? Not at all. I do think he deserves more credit than he gets, though, and I think he could make a good Ant-Man. He'd fit quite well in this universe, actually.
RidiculousFanBoyDemands
RidiculousFanBoyDemands - 9/16/2012, 7:34 PM
SSSSSSSwing and a miss. Very well written article though, mad props.

@Heartscarvedintotrees

Ummm, I think your grasping at many, many straws there. The reason Vader talks like he does is that he has trouble breathing, and articulating words.

Anakin Skywalker was just played by an emotionless actor, being directed by an equally emotionless director, producer and whatever else George calls himself.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 9/16/2012, 7:46 PM
^and even Bane was extremely articulate, so Hayden really doesn't have an excuse.
ThunderKat
ThunderKat - 9/16/2012, 9:53 PM
Agree with the others! He cannot act in a good film or in a bad film such as any of the two prequels.
StormLoganSummers
StormLoganSummers - 9/16/2012, 10:44 PM
Logging back on, before going to bed, just to say [frick] no!
Boekelaar
Boekelaar - 9/17/2012, 1:49 AM
Am I the only one who saw Jumper? Probably and he was shit in it. I saw the Star Wars Prequels when I was still unable to form critical opinions of films (because I was younger) so I thought he was shit is Jumper before Star Wars. And then when I went back and watched the prequels again I thought he was terrible too. I still have to fast forward through the scenes on naboo during Attack of the Clones. Cringe worthy crap that is.
AC1
AC1 - 9/17/2012, 5:35 AM
This is a really bad casting suggestion, if anyone from a Star Wars film should be playing Ant Man, it's Ewan McGregor.
themcdougalbugle
themcdougalbugle - 9/17/2012, 4:47 PM
Avengers 2 could be a mini-Star Wars Episode III reunion, Nick Fury, Jane Foster, and I guess Ewan could work. He's four days older than Nathan Fillion. Though I always think they should try to aim for young actors when casting these Marvel movies, because we all know Marvel is planning to make like six Avengers movies total with the sixth one coming out in like 25 years so the younger they start, the longer we'll see them in the role.
themcdougalbugle
themcdougalbugle - 9/18/2012, 4:35 AM
I never said age comes first. I just said it's wise to think ahead if you're dealing with something so ongoing as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I work for a company just as good as Marvel, the McDougal Bugle.
View Recorder