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The Geek Beat: Super Careers

by Elisabeth Rappe Jun 24th 2008 // 1:02PM

Filed under: Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek, The Geek Beat




It's almost a rule of comic-book adaptations: with each great superhero movie there must follow great amounts of bitching. With each 2008 summer release, there's a new editorial from some frayed writer, tired of the whole POW-SMASH-BOOM of it all. io9 is eagerly anticipating the end of the trend, while Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty bravely declared his hatred of all things superhero. I can understand their frustrations; I even share a little of the weariness. Try as I might, I can't wind myself up for Thor or Ant-Man.

But I still find myself defending the genre, albeit lamely, as my mom exclaims "Not another comic book movie!" every time she reads one of my stories. I champion it because there is one boon of the superhero surge that goes largely unnoticed: it's becoming the A-list springboard for male actors. Is your career languishing? Land a comic book lead! Think about it. Some of the most avidly buzzed-about names of late owe their status to a two-dimensional illustration.

For instance, look at Hugh Jackman. I know I drop his name a lot, but I am always impressed at how far he's come since the days of "They've got some musical theatre dude playing Wolverine! What the hell?!" At the time, I was championing his predecessor, Dougray Scott, and was skeptical of Jackman's cheery Aussie demeanor. (I still marvel at the casting director who saw him in Oklahoma ! and said "That's the guy!") X-Men is actually the perfect case study for this post, as it launched one career, while another was forgotten. Scott never got a second chance, which is terribly unfair. He should get to be a Wolverine villain someday -- it could be poetic justice and a career overhaul.

These days, many up-and-comers, former character actors, and others just needing a career reboot are looking to follow Jackman's example; there are plenty of actors who managed it. In the "overnight success" category falls Gerard Butler, who was once vaguely known as the Phantom of the Opera and Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider sidekick. But he hooked himself a Frank Miller book, crunched himself an eight-pack, and buckled on a scanty bit of leather, and then he was everywhere -- and he's not the only one.

Christian Bale was one of those "Who?" names to most casual filmgoers until Batman Begins. Now his name is a constant in every geek's dream casting, no matter what the movie. He even topped the Tony Stark wish list at one point, despite a contractual impossibility. Tobey Maguire, pre Spider-Man, was much the same story, though he hasn't gained quite the amount of geek cred that Bale or Butler has. Even Ian McKellen, who had a glorious career in Shakespeare and solid dramas, wasn't a household name until he pulled the one-two geek punch of Magneto and Gandalf. (It is a sad commentary on how solid dramas and Shakespeare count for less with popular audiences and Hollywood than comic book adaptations – but let's not go there.) None of these actors can ever go indie or art house again. They've ascended into the realm of Big Blockbuster Names, from which there is no return.

Robert Downey Jr. is in a category all his own. His career has been on the upswing over the past several years, since he got his drug addiction issues under control, and he's had critically lauded performances in films like Zodiac, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Good Night, and Good Luck. But thanks to his role as Tony Stark in Iron Man, the talented actor's now looking to be the Man of 2008, more popular than ever before. He rivals Bale for geek dream casting, and has overtaken Butler in terms of career surge. And of course, he has a role in another big summer film, Tropic Thunder, which comes out August 15.

Landing a superhero role doesn't guarantee enormous success. There's a middle ground, the place a comic book movie role acts as little more that filler on your resume to show you have a sense of humor and a skill with action scenes. That's where Eric Bana and Edward Norton fall, not really any better or worse off than they were before exposed to gamma rays. Same with Thomas Jane, and most of the X-Men – James Marsden was probably the luckiest of the mutants-not-named-Wolverine -- the rest just got a decent paycheck and something new for the IMDB page.

Of course, tackling the cape-and-tights genre isn't without its risks; the field is littered with the corpses of those who failed. I imagine Ioan Gruffudd, who abandoned the respectability of BBC drama for the big lights of Hollywood , thought Fantastic Four was going to make him the next Jackman. But when picking your superhero role, you should generally look for the ones who won't be subjected to vicious CGI; one's superpower should flow gracefully from the body, like adamantium claws, not be laughably horrific. Richards' stretchiness makes me wince on the comic page, and if I had to pick one character to never see on the big screen, poor Reed would be it. Gruffudd's career would have been spared – as would moviegoers from his stretchy dance scene.

It isn't all about the character you choose. Look at Brandon Routh. Superman conjures up images of truth, justice, and Christopher Reeve. To any young actor, it would be a surefire way to the A-List. But sadly, it takes more than looking like Reeve to embody so iconic of a role – and Routh has languished ever since.

Not even well established actors are safe. Look at those who skidded and burned the moment they said "Make Mine Marvel!" Let us have a moment of silence for Ben Affleck, Nicholas Cage, Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Val Kilmer, George Clooney. (Ok, those last two are DC, but let it slide.) It is amazing to me that any one of them survived with a career intact after the train wreck each one of them starred in. The fact that Clooney has gone on to be the epitome of class and thoughtful drama is, I am convinced, karmic retribution for having to wear a suit with rubber nipples (actually, they bothered me less than the shot of his ass and codpiece at the very beginning. Maybe that is because I immediately turned the film off).

Regrettably, any discussion of comic book movies is male-centric. There has yet to be an actress whose career was made by a comic book character, except Linda Carter. Lena Headey comes close, but 300 reportedly did little in the way of big offers for her. The rest, from Ellen Page to Jessica Alba, have barely escaped with their dignity intact. One hopes that will change someday; maybe Wonder Woman will be some struggling actress' equivalent to Wolverine or Iron Man.

Anyway, my point isn't why some characters succeeded and others didn't -- we all know how precarious comic book movies can be. I seek only to illustrate just how many careers have been made on these movies – or remade, in the case of Downey Jr. This heroic trend, critically dismissed as loud and largely disposable, has delivered audiences some top-notch talent. Who knows what movie gems someone like Jackman or Butler will produce as a result of Wolverine and Leonidas? What future awards may rain on Downey Jr. now that he is rediscovered? More exciting still, who knows what future brilliance may be plucked from obscurity to play an Avenger, Green Lantern, or even Captain ? I think the big screen opportunities of the superhero trend are well worth keeping it around.

Until they decide to make a Jubilee movie. And then it should die a quick fiery death.

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Tags: comic book careers, ComicBookCareers, featured, The Geek Beat, TheGeekBeat

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