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Movies & TV

04th Oct 2018

Who was better? Superheroes then vs now

JOE

Who do you think did the better job?

Some superheroes never really take off until they find the right actor to fill the role, like Robert Downey Jnr as Iron Man. We can’t really imagine anyone else filling the role any time soon, and when they do, the original actor will always be the benchmark.

Others, like Batman, have passed from actor to actor. Looking at both TV and movies, we’ve overlooked some of the crappier superhero portrayals to compare two actors who had at least a decent run at things.

Superman (Christopher Reeve vs Henry Cavill)

The original superhero, there has been no shortage of actors willing to don the red cape. Christopher Reeve is the first person many people think of when talking about Superman, and the late actor’s chiselled look was ideal for the role.

Cavill shared a lot of the same features however, and his modern take on it has brought Superman to a new generation. While DC’s recent outings have arguably not done justice (league) to the roles, Cavill’s performances have been solid.

Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire vs Tom Holland)

For a whole generation, Tobey Maguire will always be Spider-Man. His performances in the first two movies deserved a better finale than the bloated Spider-Man 3 (2007), but it didn’t tarnish his reputation as a very believable Peter Parker.

Tom Holland is already proving to be a hit with fans of the web-slinger, and his third outing is already in the pipeline. Plus, his performance at the end of Infinity War was one of the saddest moments in the MCU.

Batman (Adam West vs Christian Bale)

As different a portrayal of the same character as you’re ever likely to find. Some may laugh at West’s camp portrayal of the Caped Crusader, but you’d be hard set to find many TV shows that span as many generations.

Christopher Nolan directed Christian Bale in what is rightly thought of as one of the best movie trilogies of all time. Bale had grown into the role by his second outing in the Dark Knight, and Ben Affleck’s recent efforts don’t really compare at all.

Professor X (Patrick Stewart vs James McAvoy)

Now, we aren’t trying to suggest anyone could ever beat Patrick Stewart at anything. He looks better at age 78 than most do at 40, and his portrayal of Professor X will be impossible to top.

That said, James McAvoy was the perfect choice for the role. While obviously there are huge differences with the younger and older versions of Xavier, McAvoy does the job of making us believe he is the younger version of Stewart’s character.

The Punisher (Thomas Jane vs Jon Bernthal)

Like Tobey Maguire’s third outing as Spider-Man, Thomas Jane deserved better. While the movie wasn’t great, Jane had the perfect look as Frank Castle, and probably would have been a lot more successful with a better script.

Then, along comes Jon Bernthal in Netflix’s Daredevil (2015-present), and The Punisher (2017-present). He had the perfect look and physique, not to mention his acting was totally believable as the tortured Frank Castle.

The Hulk (Lou Ferringo vs Mark Ruffalo)

Lou Ferringo might not be a name that comes to mind when you think of The Hulk, but he has been bringing the character to life for decades. Going as far back as 1977, he varied between acting and voicing the superhero until as recently as Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

Even after Mark Ruffalo had made his debut in the role in The Avengers (2012), Ferringo was still the template that was used. That said, Ruffalo was the perfect choice as scientist Bruce Banner.

Magneto (Ian McKellen vs Michael Fassbender)

Just like with Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, it was never going to be easy to replace Ian McKellen. The legendary actor had made the complex hero/anti-hero/villain his own for well over a decade, and never looked off his game either.

Michael Fassbender might not have yet reached those kinds of heights, but no one could doubt his acting ability. He managed to keep a lot of the complexities that McKellen brought to the table, but at the same time put his own explosive stamp on the character.

Just like these superheroes, Coca-Cola is always reliable. Whether it’s a Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar or Original that you go for, you can’t go wrong!

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