Greatest casting ever of a comic character?

[enyawd72]

I gave this a lot of thought, and while some might argue in favor of Christopher Reeve as Superman or Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, I feel like both of them are more of the actor's interpretation of the character than capturing the actual comic version.

Reeve's Superman was a lot more humble than his comic counterpart and his Clark Kent much more timid.
Downey Jr's Iron Man is also much more manic and funnier than his comic counterpart.

I even considered Heath Ledger's Joker, but again, it's an extreme re-imagining of the character.

In the end there was only one winner for me. J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. He was the spitting image of his comic counterpart both in looks and personality. I can't even read the character anymore without hearing his voice.

[thunderbolt]

Easy, Ron Perlman-Hellboy

[thunderbolt]

following that for me is Frank Gorshin as the Riddler tied with Burgess Meredith's Penguin. Gary Oldman's Gordon was perfect to me, also

[Brown Bear]

Reeve as Supe, hands down for me. To me...he IS Superman.

[johnnystorm]

Julie Newmar as Catwoman
Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne ( but not as Batman )
Bruce Lee as Kato
George Reeves as Superman & Clark Kent
Noel Neill as Lois Lane
Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen

[Earth 2 Chris]

In the end there was only one winner for me. J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. He was the spitting image of his comic counterpart both in looks and personality. I can't even read the character anymore without hearing his voice.

I was reading the "Death of the Stacys" tpb on the couch the other night, and Simmon's voice was playing in my head as I read JJJ's latest tirade. Then, out of nowhere, a Farmer's Insurance commercial came on, and I had to check and make sure I wasn't going nuts. That's perfect casting for a supporting character.

I still have to go with Reeve. He was less arrogant than the Silver Age Superman, but by the Bronze Age, writers like Elliot S. Maggin had portrayed a much gentler compassionate Superman, and Reeve fit that bill perfectly. His Clark Kent wasn't far off the character whom Steve Lombard was forever punking as well.

Chris

[Hedji]

Jameson was criminally underused in the Spiderman movies.

[kingdom warrior]

Bill campbell -The Rocketeer perfect Cliff Secord

[Starroid Raiders Dagon]

George Reeves as Superman & Clark Kent to me is perfect. I think it was because for years I would see Curt Swan' version being the standard comic version.
J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson = Win

I will never guess the "who would be best as *******?" game. I thought Clooney would be perfect as Batman, then he got the job, and whoa, was I wrong. Sorry to anyone who thought he was a good fit, but I figured he would have been worlds better.

[samurainoir]

Maria Bamford as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman in a musical theatre production of The Fantastic Four.

You can just see Kirby's drawings come alive as she eats butter and twitches.

[samurainoir]

Also, no one has performed the depth of pathos in Benjamin Grimm, The Thing as well as David Cross. Remember how he yearned to be cured of his condition? All those scenes from the comics where he begged Reed Richards to help him get his rocks off?

[bobws]

Serinda Swan as Zatanna in Smallville, the best thing to come from Smallville.

[The Bat]

Chris Reeve-Superman
Chris Evans-Captain America

[Brazoo]

I think interpretation is necessary, so I don't think getting it 'just like the comic' should be the goal of the casting director. Not just because it's a different medium - but also because everyone reads the characters in the comics a little differently in their heads. I don't think there is one single way to read how Superman delivers a line, or uses the power of his voice. I think that's why reading is such a powerful experience - we all make the characters our own in subtle ways. In fact I think people get the most excited about the really creative choices, like Ledger and Downey Jr. because the audience gets to think of the characters in completely new ways.

Personally, I had a lot of fun watching Hackman as Luthor, or Kingsley as Mandarin. I don't care if they're "like the comics". To me, those were entertaining and inspired choices.

BUT playing by the rules of the thread ---

I loved Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin in "Spider-Man". He was so great he even almost pulled off the incredibly horrible Power Rangers type pantomime scenes when he was in costume. The costume was terrible, but I thought he was fantastic. As far as I'm concerned they could have painted his face green and he would have been perfect.

I was not crazy about the movies - but Chris Evans as Captain America and Chris Hemsworth as Thor ended up being a lot more interesting than I thought they would be. Both injected some personality in otherwise fairly flat and stoic comic characters while also not diverging too much from the comic versions to be unrecognizable.

I positively HATED this movie, but I have to admit that whats-his-name Garfield was a good choice in "Amazing Spier-man". Maguire could never convincingly deliver the snarky humor as Spider-Man to me. I did love the Maguire/Raimi take on Parker's own sense of wonder about his powers - that magic was severely lacking in the other movie - but Garfield was fine.

It's impossible for me to see how Christopher Reeve was not as close to a real-life Superman as possible. Maybe just because I knew that movie more than the comics when I first saw it - but I think the credit also goes to the people who cast him - and finding an unknown to play such an iconic roll in such a big movie took a lot of genius and guts.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I had absolutely no faith that Chris Evans could pull of the idealisitc Steve Rogers...but he did in spades. He is my favorite apsect of all the Marvel films. RDJ gets all the credit, but it's easier to play the arrogant hot dog than the quiet, morally-focused hero.

Chris