Seriously. Max sounds like a self depreciating wuss.
He really does, and that's disappointing. He sound like the 10yr old kid, who goes home, get a gun, bring it to school, and shoots the two kids who have been picking on him, while shooting numerous other innocent bystanders. A complete Wuss...and that ladies & gentlemen is your main villain, that many of you are going goo-goo & ga-ga about.
What element of the character of Electro do you have difficulty believing Foxx will be able to portray?
You want to cast someone who's natural persona fits the persona of the character you are asking the actor to play or someone who naturally have similar physical characteristics of the character....and the best possible scenario is a combination of both.
The persona that Webb is characterizing Max, just simply do not fit or even come close to anything remotely thought of as a Jamie Foxx character. They are asking Jamie to play essentially a wuss character and play him seriously. Not in a comedic way like "In Living Color" or in some comedy. Which leads me to terry78:
I mean, what can you really do with Electro? His origin is so straightforward, you kind of have to add to the slate. Guy has an inferiority complex, decides to go on crime sprees.
I agree with that analysis; however, if Webb wanted Jamie Foxx to be his guy, then you have to tweak the character to fit what the actor does best or is known for. In this case, Webb could have re-invented the characters a little, away from what he is in the comics and adapt some of Jamie's persona into the character Max.
In otherwords, Max should have already been a shady guy, with some street sense & hustle to him, much like the street thug that Max is in the comics; but obviously, more urban type-casting given we are talking about Foxx, who is good at playing such a slick role like that. As oppose to him playing a nerdy, engineer, with a comb-over, that appear to be out of touch with vibe of society around him...that certainly is a type-cast that any "white guy" that Picard Sisko has pointed out below, can certainly play.
You don't have to agree; but, do you guys get what I'm saying? You want the actor's persona to somewhat match the persona of the character he is tasked to play. Again, which leads me to Picard Sisko:
Electro is a character that needed added depth and dimension, and that's what the writers have done. They needed an actor who can fit their interpretation of the character, not the Electro we've seen in the comics. Otherwise just about any white actor would fit the part to play this guy:
I understand that, which is why you tweak Max character a little and re-invent him slightly to fit the silver screen version of him.
Again, Webb made Max a nerdy wuss, engineer, who works at Oscorps...which btw is a major re-invention of the character. As oppose to being what he is in the comics, either a street thug or an electrician(he has essentially two backgrounds in the comics).
I say, given that Foxx is your guy, I would have made Max a street muscle in the city's one of many small criminal elements, whom happens to have a background as an out-of-work maintenance electrician. Dib & dab in the underworld to make some ends, to maintain a living. The street punks, some who are guys he grew-up a lifetime with, could be his family and closest companions. They could be on a big time job, with major cheese on the line, for some "Big Man" since there's a hint of underworld elements being set up for future films.
They could breaking into one of Oscorps satellite sites or warehouse. Spidey ruin the heist, as one is killed, Max is involved in the accident that changes his life forever, two or web & captured, and one gets away...whom later informs Max that his best bud got killed, as he is wondering what is happening to him(Max). This leads to Max wanting to go after Spidey. Ties the heist not only to Oscorps, but to what Rhino was going after as well, had Max & friends was able to bring down the electrical security system(background as an electrician).
It don't have to happen like that, just giving an example how the character's persona could best fit Foxx persona, in portraying a type of character that fit what Foxx does best. Foxx is essentially playing a character that is written & best suited for an actor who can portray "deranged white guy" on screen.
Also, I can't really see Foxx just shooting lightening bolts, and not throwing punches, dipping & dodging, slick get away, and using his wits & and smart as quips. We don't seem to be getting that from this character...this is what appear to be lacking, that Foxx would completely own. He just don't fit the persona of this Max that Webb has created, imho.
We shall see.....
