Marvel. DC. Anything resembling a comic book. Containing a superhero. Or villain. We all know just how insanely popular these movies are nowadays. They draw in the best casts, the biggest audiences and the highest grosses. So being the inquisitive people we are as Maniacs, we thought it interesting to see what some of the biggest Superhero actors in history may have done in the wake of these blockbusters!
1. Christian Bale - The Dark Knight
Christian Bale *hats off* was already a megastar before he got cast as Batman in The Dark Knight. However at the ripe young age of 15 he scored one of his first movie roles. Not tussling it out with Heath Ledger or Tom Hardy buthauling suitcases. He played Robin the Luggage-Boy in Henry V.Kenneth Branagh played the lead role of King Henry V.
2. Robert Downey Jr - Iron Man
9th on the all-time highest grossing actors list and another already highly regarded actor before taking on the almighty role of Iron Man, butRobert Downey Jrdid have to start somewhere! Up TheAcademycame out in 1980 and was a roughmash up of Animal House and Police Academy.Anyway, the-legend-that-is played the modest role of a boy on a soccer team.DidI forget to mention that his father directed it? And that they left him out the credits? Hmm.He was 15 at the time. He would have been a kick-ass soccer player in that Iron Man suit though aye?!
3. Tobey Maguire - Spider-Man
Spider-Manis easily the most successful Superhero trilogy to date. Tobey Maguire is recognized as Spider-Man and it remains his stand out role. The Wizard is a family film and Tobey plays a short-lived role as Lucas’ (another minor part) goon when they go to a video game tournament. Another uncredited role which probably worked in Tobey’s favour in the long run.
4. Patrick Stewart - X-Men
The mighty Charles Xavier a.k.a Dr-X a.k.a the leader of the X-Men.Patrick Stewart himself is a bit superhuman! Although he had been in the game for a while by 1985,Stewart was cast as an unnamedRussian General in Wild Geese II,a mercenary film,which was a massive flop. Maybe it would have turned out differently if they’d given him a bigger part?!
5. Hugh Jackman - X-Men: Wolverine
The Wolverine is undeniably the most consistent, bad-ass of the X-Men crew. Although Jackman rarely picks a naff flick he was drafted in to play a rather random role as Arthur, a Mandarin-singing nightclub owner in 19th century China film, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. He was the only non-Asianactor on set.
6. Chris Hemsworth - Thor
Modern day Marvel Thoris iconic to say the least. The fledgling, AustralianChris Hemsworth was lucky enough to score the role as the strong ego’d, powerful God. As his popularity at such a young age is so great he was not easy to find in obscurity. He did play a slight backseat in A Perfect Getaway, the story of two pairs of lovers who are being stalked by murderouspsychopaths. Kale, Hemsworth, gets framed. I think he prefers rulingas the God of Thunder. They’d probably choose someone else to pick on.
7. Ben Affleck - DareDevil
I don’t get the hate Ben Affleck gets. He’s been in some crackers and directed his fair share including an Oscar-winner. Although DareDevil was one of the poorest Marvel films I’ve seen that didn’t stop it grossing over $100,000,000US.The lowest point for the newly appointed Batman would have to be the extra role he played in heavilycriticizedhorror film Office Killer. The one scene he shot was deleted. Let’s hope his scenes don’t get deleted in Batman vs Superman as I can’t sit through another sole Superman movie!
8. Chris Evans -Captain America
United StatesdefenderCaptain Americawas always going to be zooped up to the max byHollywood. Man’s manChris Evansnabbed the role following not a great deal to shout about. I bet you didn’t know this though. He appeared inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2007version! VoicingCaseyit apparently took him a while to get into the ‘Captain America zone’ after he got so attached to his vigilante role alongside the Ninja Turtles.
9. Edward Norton - The Incredible Hulk
This one was afterbut had to be included.One of the most highly regarded actors on the planet, Edward Norton has arsum to behold. Hence the shock that came when he pulled over Ricky Gervais on police duty in The Invention of Lying. Cameo’s tend to be 'in’ nowadays but that was not something I expected to see from the Fight Club and American History X star.
