Stereotypes of the Superhero

[ant3ros]

More fans are up in arms about Thor or Wonder Woman being tall on screen than Hugh Jackman's Wolverine not being short.

I thought that Wolverine's height was a really important characteristic because it relates with his name and personality. He's always bullied and picked on by bigger guys, but he ends up kicking ass.

Singer's Superman still has blue eyes, but now has dark brown hair. It doesn't seem like a big deal compared to the changes of his costume.

Does height really matter when it comes to on screen superheros. When is height, race, or other characteristics changeable?

 

[jaymes_e06]

Great thread. I believe yes. To me if you change everything about a character (especially in comic book movies) it really disconects with the core audiance that you are trying to build on. After all you are trying to get good word of mouth. I think that Wanted could be a really great film but it is nothing like the comic and that will unerve people who are the the ones that probably wanted the film the most.

Case in point EVERYONE universally to my knowledge wished Phoenix would have had a firebird or atleast flames in X3 or how Kingpin was turned black for Daredevel I never understood why that happened; that's like turning a black character white for a movie adaption. Staying as true to the source material as possible is best (Spider-man
Iron Man)

I do think some departures need to be made (ie X-Men's costumes) and some things need to be updated and rerealized to make it fresh.

Still at the end of the day at first I think that Hughs hieght really pissed me off but his protrayal was great and won me over. So I think he's the exception to the rule.

 

[ANTOINE X]

Yes it's important. Superman did it with Christopher Reeve, spide-rman with Tobey. So I don't know why it has to change. I Don't like the idea of Brad pitt for Thor, or Tyrese for Power-man. First thing we see about a superhero is that they 've got muscles and they are huge!

As for Wolverine Hughs won me over as well, he did pretty good in X-men but that's an exception and don't want it to be an example. If they need a new wolverine I always tough that Michael ironside could do the role ( But now he's too old, I mean physically).

As for the color issue, Well I am black my self and I don't like the idea of changing the color of a well known character like Kinping ping or Nick Fury or even wasp. I Think it's lazy, they need to create more ethnic superheroes.

Also like I said many times Hollywood needs to stop the prejudice that big actor can't act. Stop using the same 5ft10 guys like Tom cruise, brad pitt and try bigger actors. I know the rock is try to change that but unfortunately he still getting only fighting roles.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

You guys need to step back and chill. They're imaginary characters.
(Routh had brown hair?)

What height was Howard Hughes? Was Achilles right handed? Does Bruce Wayne have a lisp and brown hair?

What hell does any of this matter? DiCaprio made a great movie, Brad Pitt sucked, and Christian Bale is awesome. You guys would rather sacrifice a good actor for someone that makes you cream your pants for how much they look like a comic character. No one's muscles look like a comic characters. Wonder Woman's beauty is just something people say. Like Helen of Troy.Everyone's image of beauty is different.

People need to learn that translations are going to lose something. Wolverine's height fluxuates in the comics. Wonder Woman was originally 5'7. Is she less of an Amazon in comparison to her modern day incarnation?

 

[ANTOINE X]

For a guy ;like thor and Luke cage size mater my friend. Are you telling me that if they were about to do a movie about Jordan who's 6ft6 with Denzel Washington that would be ok? C'mon man!

 

[wolfboy]

People need to learn that translations are going to lose something. Wolverine's height fluxuates in the comics. Wonder Woman was originally 5'7. Is she less of an Amazon in comparison to her modern day incarnation?

Wolverine's height is part of his character. He was always drawn considerably shorter. His height doesn't officially change the same way that Wonder Woman does. It's true that each artist has their own minor changes, but it's not like one guy draws Wolverine 6' 1" and the other draws him 4' 5". No, he's always around the same height. You'd have no problems if someone drew Superman as 5' 3" tall? You would brush it off as a fluxuation? Please...

 

[TheComicbookKid]

The OP asked when was Height, race, etc. changeable. I'm saying that the reason many of you are putting forth as to why these characters are needing this and this aren't important parts of the characters in relation to their translation to screen.

I've never seen Wolverine's height as a major factor in the characters profile,imo. It's his abrasive attitude that was key to the character. Jackman nailed it. Bale nailed Wayne's tortured psyche. He's didn't look like a rich playboy(batman's hair is black). What the hell height is Blade?

If Superman was only 5'11, I wouldn't care. 5'3 is short even for a woman.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

For a guy ;like thor and Luke cage size mater my friend. Are you telling me that if they were about to do a movie about Jordan who's 6ft6 with Denzel Washington that would be ok? C'mon man!

Even though I get what you're saying, it's a very exaggerated way of putting it through.

1. There's already a black Green Lantern for Denzel to play.
2. Hal Jordan is an easy role to cast. There are plenty of white actors I can think of that would make a great Hal.
Name two white actors even remotely the size of Micheal Clarke Duncan that can act. Kingpin's large size is important to the character.
3. Even though Catwoman sucked, WB wasn't stupid enough to change Selena just to shoehorn her into a movie.

 

[Mutagen]

You guys need to step back and chill. They're imaginary characters.
(Routh had brown hair?)

What height was Howard Hughes? Was Achilles right handed? Does Bruce Wayne have a lisp and brown hair?

What hell does any of this matter? DiCaprio made a great movie, Brad Pitt sucked, and Christian Bale is awesome. You guys would rather sacrifice a good actor for someone that makes you cream your pants for how much they look like a comic character. No one's muscles look like a comic characters. Wonder Woman's beauty is just something people say. Like Helen of Troy.Everyone's image of beauty is different.

People need to learn that translations are going to lose something. Wolverine's height fluxuates in the comics. Wonder Woman was originally 5'7. Is she less of an Amazon in comparison to her modern day incarnation?

That's what I'm thinking, it would be a big deal if they changed certain aspects of the character who fits the role better than most people.

Wolverine's height in X-Men bugged me, especially since I read the novelization, but I learned to forget about it.

Although, people might feel more strongly about a character than most, and having the exact look maybe more important than other aspects. For me I'm rather half and half; At first I might feel strongly about a short Captain America, but if they guy was good enough, it would make me get lost in the movie.

 

[terry78]

Wolverine's height does matter, as you never expect guys that short to be able to handle the **** he does. I'm only 5'4, so having someone 6'2 play him was kind of an insult to be honest, as Logan is that short guy that we all are like, "damn right."

 

[Squidarella]

Bale's actually REALLY close to Batman in real height.

Also, huh, what? How does Bale not look like a vain rich playboy?

 

[Squidarella]

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000288/bio

gives Bale's height as 6'1.

Batman's supposed to be 6'2.

It's my understanding that Bale came in at 220 pounds (Batman's supposed to be 210, I think) and they told him to slim down and he was about 190 for Batman Begins.

So, nah. Body wise, Bale is a damn near perfect Batman fit.

 

[Heretic]

This stuff is very important to me, and since the last time I read Wolverine was when he didnt have his adamantium, I expect them to hire an actor who does not have a nose.

 

[OctaviusINC]

I had no problem that Kingpin went from white to black. Kingpin's supposed to be this huge intimidating guy and Duncan had that down seeing as that's what he mostly plays. I'd rather have that then some pro wrestler that can barely act. Duncan was the least of the problems Daredevil had anyway. But I do remember I was pissed when they were considering Cuba Gooding Jr to play Matt Murdock/Daredevil.

 

[Heretic]

I'd rather have that then some pro wrestler that can barely act.

And you would rob King Kong Bundy of the role he was born to play. How do you sleep at night?

 

[terry78]

And you would rob King Kong Bundy of the role he was born to play. How do you sleep at night?

Haha. Now if Kingpin was a dumb as a brick character, I could see it...but considering how thespian-like he is, you need at least a B-list actor to play him.

 

[cerealkiller182]

I believe some changes can work. Kingpin being black isnt a big deal. If you made Iron Man or Spiderman or Captain America black that would be weird in the same way that mkaing Luke Cage or Black Panther or Black Lightning black. Some characteristics are just more important than others. In general race in comics tend to be used for token reasons
`

 

[RockSP]

For a guy ;like thor and Luke cage size mater my friend. Are you telling me that if they were about to do a movie about Jordan who's 6ft6 with Denzel Washington that would be ok? C'mon man!

Even though I get what you're saying, it's a very exaggerated way of putting it through.

1. There's already a black Green Lantern for Denzel to play.
2. Hal Jordan is an easy role to cast. There are plenty of white actors I can think of that would make a great Hal.
Name two white actors even remotely the size of Micheal Clarke Duncan that can act. Kingpin's large size is important to the character.
3. Even though Catwoman sucked, WB wasn't stupid enough to change Selena just to shoehorn her into a movie.

Uh...he wasn't talking about Hal Jordan...geez, only on a comic board would people not know that.