Which Actor is the greatest coup in a superhero film

[Frobisher]

Harry Dean Stanton in Avengers.

[Totoro Man]

No I mean the actor whose talent in the profession far outdistances what we would expect from the genre, at the time they took the role.

Brando seems like the first and most obvious choice.

[Cyke]

I'd add Glenn Close to the list. One of the last people I'd ever expect.

And wherever she goes, Meryl Streep is never far behind...

That Michael Douglas is in three MCU films also boggles my mind, but I'm glad he's there.

[AndrewCrossett]

Have to agree with Stewart and McKellen for the X-Men movies.

[Kieran_Frost]

I don't consider Brando counts, it was a pay check, he didn't try, he didn't learn his lines, and was barely in it. His contempt for the film added NO legitimacy. Jack Nicholson was a HUGE Hollywood star with two Oscars when he stole the show in Batman (1989). He committed 100% and shone in the role, with award nominations to boot.

I'd add Glenn Close to the list. One of the last people I'd ever expect.
And wherever she goes, Meryl Streep is never far behind...

I'm not sure that's true, Glen Close has always been more open to silliness. Think of 101 Dalmations (1996) or the boo-box in Hook (1991).

[Valentis]

Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon and Ian McKellen- X-Men films

Michael Caine, Christian Bale and Morgan Freeman- The Dark Knight Trilogy.

[DrNewGod]

I'd say there are two inflection points:

• Brando and Hackman in Superman demonstrated that a superhero film isn't beneath an A-lister
• Jackman in X-Men demonstrated that a superhero role can actually elevate a career.

Before Superman, superhero properties were for voice actors, camp performances (ala TV's Batman), or children's shows (ala TV's The Adventures of Superman). They weren't big-budget affairs capable of attracting the likes of Brando or Hackman.

Like Jackman, Reeves was a little-known actor when cast in Superman, and he made some other films outside the franchise. However, Hollywood does seem to have pigeon-holed him, and he was never able to move on to as successful a career as Jackman has enjoyed.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I'd say there are two inflection points:

• Brando and Hackman in Superman demonstrated that a superhero film isn't beneath an A-lister
• Jackman in X-Men demonstrated that a superhero role can actually elevate a career.

Before Superman, superhero properties were for voice actors, camp performances (ala TV's Batman), or children's shows (ala TV's The Adventures of Superman). They weren't big-budget affairs capable of attracting the likes of Brando or Hackman.

Like Jackman, Reeves was a little-known actor when cast in Superman, and he made some other films outside the franchise. However, Hollywood does seem to have pigeon-holed him, and he was never able to move on to as successful a career as Jackman has enjoyed.

I'm sure it's already been mentioned, but a stroke of fortuitous timing helped Jackman land the Wolverine role. It was originally supposed to have gone to Dougray Scott, but he was already cast in the second Mission Impossible film, and the rest was history.

[Powerboy]

I don't consider Brando counts, it was a pay check, he didn't try, he didn't learn his lines, and was barely in it. His contempt for the film added NO legitimacy. Jack Nicholson was a HUGE Hollywood star with two Oscars when he stole the show in Batman (1989). He committed 100% and shone in the role, with award nominations to boot.


I'm not sure that's true, Glen Close has always been more open to silliness. Think of 101 Dalmations (1996) or the boo-box in Hook (1991).

Brando's attitude doesn't really change the coup of getting him and it was common for him to try to create a more realistic dialogue by not memorizing his dialogue albeit part of that was just not wanting to memorize a lot of dialogue. I wasn't impressed either and had to see his older movies to see his greatness. But when the studio went to the bank to finance the movie, the first thing asked was "Who is in it?" They say Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman. They don't even have to get further than Marlon Brando. Sold. Here's your loan. Bankers being like executives, they don't understand that the movie will sell if well made because Superman is in it.

I think one reason I chose Brando over Nicholson was because I was neutral towards Brando. On the other hand, I remember seeing Batman (1989) and it got to the scene where the Joker was prancing around the museum breaking things. Mind you, by this time in the movie, it had already been padded by numerous trivial scenes dragged on and on. As the museum scene dragged on, I did something I have seldom done in a movie. I looked at my watch to gauge how much longer before this movie would be over and done with and I thought, "This is all well and good but they are just wasting valuable time in a movie that can't go more than about two hours. I get the point. The Joker is breaking things. You don't need to drag it out for five minutes or more. I really want to see and learn more about this other character, this Batman guy". In fact, while my opinion of that movie has gotten more positive since then, I do agree wholeheartedly with what Roger Ebert said about "Batman Begins", that this is the Batman movie I wanted to see back kin 1989.

Also, Brando had two Oscar wins and another three nominations. I don't think Nicholson was ever considered to be the greatest actor of his generation. But he's not the greatest coup or the biggest name ever to do a comic book movie.

[Powerboy]

I'm sure it's already been mentioned, but a stroke of fortuitous timing helped Jackman land the Wolverine role. It was originally supposed to have gone to Dougray Scott, but he was already cast in the second Mission Impossible film, and the rest was history.

Also, someone saying getting Hugh Jackman to play Wolverine was a great coup is like saying getting Chris Reeve to play Superman was a great coup.

"They got big movie stars like Jackman and Reeve".

"Um, those were the roles that made their careers. They were unknowns to most people".

[Powerboy]

Just as a funny side note to self, if I was going only with someone I already knew of as a very famous actor before he was in a superhero movie, I would choose Redford.

I had no idea who Brando was before Superman or Hackman other than having seen Hackman's cameo in "Young Frankenstein".

I had seen "The Shining" and thought of Nicholson as "That guy that always plays the same crazy character". Not true or fair but my opinion at the time of Batman 1989.

And so on.

But Robert Redford? The Sundance Kid? The Way We Were, etc., etc., etc. He is the actor I was most aware of before he ever did a superhero movie and before I ever thought he would.

[Cyke]

I don't consider Brando counts, it was a pay check, he didn't try, he didn't learn his lines, and was barely in it. His contempt for the film added NO legitimacy. Jack Nicholson was a HUGE Hollywood star with two Oscars when he stole the show in Batman (1989). He committed 100% and shone in the role, with award nominations to boot.


I'm not sure that's true, Glen Close has always been more open to silliness. Think of 101 Dalmations (1996) or the boo-box in Hook (1991).

Glenn Close may be more open to silliness, but that doesn't mean Meryl Streep is immune, necessarily. Death Becomes Her is pretty slapstick, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe in, of all movies, the Roseanne Barr vehicle She-Devil.

But it's better summed up in four words: "Two Mamma Mia movies."

Ultimately, getting Streep in a superhero movie would be a major coup.

[Mister Mets]

Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.

It's not that he was a better actor than Nicholson, McKellan or Redford, but he ended up giving the greatest and most acclaimed performance.

[Flash Gordon]

Jack Nicholson as the Joker

[Kieran_Frost]

Brando's attitude doesn't really change the coup of getting him and it was common for him to try to create a more realistic dialogue by not memorizing his dialogue albeit part of that was just not wanting to memorize a lot of dialogue. I wasn't impressed either and had to see his older movies to see his greatness. But when the studio went to the bank to finance the movie, the first thing asked was "Who is in it?" They say Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman. They don't even have to get further than Marlon Brando. Sold. Here's your loan. Bankers being like executives, they don't understand that the movie will sell if well made because Superman is in it.

I think we are 'attacking this' from two different trains of thought. In my mind, in the industry, Brando's attitude to the film and it's "worth" very much mattered. It continued the narrative 'take the paycheck, but this is garbage and not worthy trying in, it's beneath real actors' which wouldn't have helped encourage other actors who are serious and respect (and therefore add 'legitimacy' to the superhero genre).

I don't think Nicholson was ever considered to be the greatest actor of his generation.

Glenn Close may be more open to silliness, but that doesn't mean Meryl Streep is immune, necessarily. Death Becomes Her is pretty slapstick, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe in, of all movies, the Roseanne Barr vehicle She-Devil.

But it's better summed up in four words: "Two Mamma Mia movies."

HA! Fair point!

To me, Chris Evans is the best actor.