This was a hard Top 5 to make. Seriously. For every bad comic book movie casting there's, like, five good castings. And after seeing Jessie Eisenberg's Lex Luthor I decided the best way to wash away that distasteful performance was to reminisce over some of the industries' best heroes and villains. Remember, this is my personal list narrowing down my favorite casting choices. Now then, on with The Panel Biter's Top 5 Casting Successes!
5. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman
Appearing in 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises", Anne Hathaway's version of Selina Kyle is one of the only bearable parts of the film. Rather than be the stereotypical seductive thief, Hathaway provides a mysterious and clever spin on the character. She's still seductive and she's still a thief, but she's clearly got a talent for what she's doing. She pulls criminal deals, she fools people with actress-quality bluffs, and Hathaway's physical performance is respectable. When I saw her and Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne play off of each other I didn't buy the instant love thing, but I could believe the two characters had a beyond-physical attraction to each other. I felt this Catwoman-more than others-was able to be independent and bad on her own, but clearly deserved a better life more than the one she lived.
4. Ben Affleck as Batman
One of the only good performances from 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", Ben Affleck disproved a lot of fears from fans when he took on the Batman role. It helps that Affleck is a fan of Batman lore and so clearly worked hard to nail the performance. Affleck's Batman is the most accurate to the comics, and his Bruce Wayne has a "I'm rich and old and dumb and I don't care if you hate me" kind of tone. His fight scenes are on point, his smart-guy scenes are on point, and more than anything Affleck's Batman is so obviously the most broken Batman on film. Not just because of what we see in the film, but because Affleck's performance alone tells you how much Bruce Wayne is holding inside himself. In a horrible disgrace of a movie, Affleck's Batman is a shining star. Sadly he's a murderer.
3. Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool
Another casting of an actor who's a legit fan of the comics, Ryan Reynolds reprises the role of Deadpool for 2016's "Deadpool". Ignore "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". Reynold's Deadpool is as funny as the comic version, breaking the fourth wall, making crude jokes and just being an overall enjoyable character to watch. But what really impressed me was Reynold's non-comedic performances. He does romance so well, he does serious so well, he does tragic so freaking well! Reynold's comedic lines become all the more laughable when put them in perspective with how beautiful he makes Wade Wilson's sob story. Reynold's Deadpool goes through such a roller coaster of tragedy and victory, I feel as bad for him as I feel happy to watch him shoot people. It's thanks to Reynold's commitment to the character and his inner workings that I enjoyed that movie as much as I did.
2. Vincent D'Onofrio as The Kingpin
You had to have known this guy would be here. And yeah, he's the only non-film casting. Like I said, it's my list! Taking the role of Wilson Fisk in 2015's "Daredevil" Netflix series, D'Onofrio takes the trophy for best villain in the MCU. Shut up about Loki and take a look at this guy. D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk is-in the best way I can describe it-unnerving. He's a ticking time bomb of potential destruction, and you know he's aware of his strength and rage. But he keeps himself so orderly, so professional that when he gets angry he's terrifying. D'Onofrio's Kingpin can destroy your life with one phone call or with one swing of his tree trunk-like arm. He's like a toddler in the body of a gorilla and it's fascinating to watch him play up this civilized persona. His range is far across from itself and yet you don't see it as a "many shades" kind of thing, you just see a man on a leash that he tied himself. His backstory may be unattached to D'Onofrio, but when you know Fisk's origin you believe that the man you see was once a victim. He plays a villain with heroic intentions. Vincent D'Onofrio deserves all the praise he gets for turning a blubbering mob boss into one of TV's greatest antagonists.
1. Chris Evans as Captain America
This is an unexpected choice for a number one. Of all the heroes in the MCU-and in comic book movies as a whole-what makes Chris Evans' Steve Rogers the best? One word: Translation. In the comics, Captain America is the pinnacle of righteousness, he's a moral anchor who doesn't do anything wrong. Steve Rogers is the kind of guy who hires a lawyer for himself and for his court opponent just to keep things fair. He's the kind of guy who won't sacrifice the freewill of others for a sense of security. You're looking at a guy who was frozen in the 50's, wakes up in 2011, and doesn't say "A black man is president!? Men can marry each other!? Women get abortions and coffee costs three bucks!? What in the Hoover happened". With such high standards, you'd think it'd be difficult to translate that kind of person on screen without him coming off condescending. But good ol' Chris Evans nailed it! Since 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger" Chris has made a country believe in the perfect superhero. Instead of being everybody's wise father-figure, Chris plays Cap more like the best friend who turns your life around. Cap isn't going to judge you for your shortcomings, he's going to remain loyal and do his best to help make you a better person. Nobody in their right mind would hang out with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, but Evans' Cap? He hangs out with him AND calls him out on his crap! I adore Evans' Cap because he makes the concept of an always right character seem possible! He's strong on the inside and out and yet he's so humble and inspiring. It is not easy to make a likable character 100% likable, but Evens' Cap does it, he's the only person who does it. Which is why-unlike Superman-I'm gonna cry when he dies at end of a movie.
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