10 Actors Whose Casting Made Comic Book Movies More Credible
1. Robert Downey Jr.: Tony Stark in Iron Man (2008)
This list is typified by heavyweight actors who were brought in to bolster the credibility of a film. Notably, that actor is not the movies lead. Not so with the eponymous Iron Man. I must confess, when I first heard that there was to be an Iron Man film back in 2008, I was a tad underwhelmed. Id enjoyed a few Iron Man comics as a kid. I liked him when he popped up in other Marvel comics, and I was a fan of The Avengers. But I never thought of him as an A-List hero. A bit like Thor. And Ant Man. And Wasp. Not really Hollywood blockbuster material. I feared this film would be akin to Daredevil or Catwoman. But thankfully no! Complementing the sharp script and War-on-Terror edginess is a hero who steals the show and every scene he is in. Downey Jr. is simply brilliant as Tony Stark. He plays him like an action-hero version of J.R. Ewing: hard drinking, womanizing, morally suspect in his business dealings but with such fun, style and a smile. His confidence and bravura is so watchable. By the time we get to the opening of Iron Man 2, with his OTT arrival and performance at the Stark Expo, youre just cheering along with the enraptured crowd. Hurrah for the man who privatised world peace! Like this article? Who have we missed? Let us know in the comments section below.