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Top 10 Faithful Comic book Characters
4 years ago
Here is my list of comic book characters that were not only faithfully adapted into live action movies, but were pitch perfect in most ways as their comic book counterparts.
10 Tony Stark/Iron Man (2008) Played by Robert Downey Jr.
This was the Marvel movie that gave birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as we know it. It started with Iron Man and ended with Endgame (pun intended). What started as a experimental test drive turned into a stepping stone for many billion dollar comic book blockbusters. And it was all thanks to Robert Downey Jr. This movie alone made Robert Downey Jr. into an overnight sensation, as he went from substance abuse to A-list celebrity. Aside from his charm and charisma, Robert looks exactly like Tony Stark from the comics. Did you know that Tom Cruise would have played Tony Stark instead of Robert?
9 Hank McCoy/Beast from X-Men: Last Stand (2006) Played by Kelsey Grammar
I like X-Men: Last Stand. I saw it twice in theaters. However, even I think that it wasn't perfect, but I was entertained and that's what mattered to me. Whether you like or hate this movie, there are some good things that we can all agree on. That bridge scene still holds up and Kelsey Grammar as Hank McCoy aka Beast. Much like Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Kelsey Grammar as Beast felt like they were born to play these roles. I cannot think of anyone else that can play this character perfectly and yes this Hank McCoy is and will always better than the Hank McCoy from the “First Class” time-line. He doesn't just look great in all that make-up, the personality and mannerisms are also pitch perfect. It's a shame that we didn't get to see him in the first movie or have him share a scene with Nightcrawler (who was also brilliantly portrayed by Alan Cumming).
8 Ben Grimm/The Thing from Fantastic Four (2005) Played by Michael Chiklis
Say what you will about the Tim Story Fantastic Four movies, but unlike the 2015 version, it was made by people that weren't ashamed of making a fun, comic book movie. And while the Roger Corman version was more faithful to the comics down to making the costumes exactly like the comics, it was just made to secure the film rights, just like Fant4stic and we all know how that turned out. The 2005 Fantastic Four movie did had some bad things in it. The acting could have be better, giving Dr Doom super powers and Jessica Alba as Invisible woman. However, Michael Chiklis performance as the thing was awesome. They originally wanted to make the Thing purely CGI, but Michael Chiklis himself wanted the thing to be real and practical all the way. And I appreciate that. In the comics, Ben Grimm didn't always like being the Thing and he wanted to be human again. They even got his character right. However, in order to give him angst and the motivation to have flesh and blood again, they gave him a wife who they made into an unlikable bitch that callously dumps him after he just saved some lives on a bridge.
7 Dr. Octopus from Spider-man 2(2004) Played by Alfred Molina
Another character that looks actually like the comics. Plus Alfred is a terrific actor, so bringing him to life was a good choice. My only nitpick was that the arms had A.I., and that's why Otto turned evil.
6 Most of the characters from Spider-man (2002)
After the success of the first X-Men movie, I was just excited to watch Spider-man on the big screen. I didn't know who Tobey Maguire was, or watched his films, but when I watched Spider-man in 2002, I didn't just enjoy Tobey's performance, I was entertained and happy that this movie was faithful to Spider-man's origin story. I thought Tobey Maguire played a good Peter Parker, Kristen played a good Mary Jane Watson, William Defoe was a great Norman Osborn (when he's not hamming it up during the dual personality scenes, however I kinda liked his costume though), the actors who played Harry, Uncle Ben and Aunt May were also good. However, J.K Simmons role as J. Jonah Jameson was not only super faithful to the Spider-man lore, but he was so good that he alone was EVERYONE'S favorite part of all the Spider-man movies. I like how that even though he views Spider-man as a menace and will do everything to smear his reputation, they somehow managed to make him funny and likable. Now that's impressive. He even voiced the character in various Spider-man cartoons. I liked this movie then and I like this movie now even more than the Sony reboots or the MCU ones.
5 Blade (1998) Played by Wesley Snipes
I was introduced to the character in the 90's Spider-man cartoon and I thought that when they were making this movie, that Blade's design was inspired by the show. Because I was a young kid, I couldn't watch the movie, but by the movie trailer alone, I knew that this movie was badass. Because it wasn't a traditional superhero movie, I didn't think that this was a superhero movie. Just a vampire hunter killing vampires. When I did watch it, I enjoyed most of it. The action was cool, the characters were interesting and the final climax was awesome. Over the years, I have learned that if it was not for Blade's success in theaters, We wouldn't have X-men, Spider-man or even the MCU and yet they overlook these films like they never even existed.
4 Wolverine and Professor X from X-Men (2000) Played by Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart
Once upon a time, there was news about a live action comic book movie based on the marvel property “X-Men”. Due to the success of the Fox cartoon, I couldn't wait to watch this movie. I was so excited that I would count how many months I had to wait for this movie. I saw the trailers, movie clips and behind the scenes specials on TV. I personally wished that the look and style would resemble the cartoon, but it still looked like it had a lot of good things going for it. The most characters look the part, the action was great, the effects were good and it told a decent story. My complaints of this movie were that Beast and Gambit weren't in the movie, there weren't any more members of the brotherhood of mutants and the costumes are not as colorful like the cartoon. It would have been nice to see Wolverine with the mask and yellow spandex. Speaking of which, this movie will always be the movie that made Hugh Jackman into a celebrity. He looked like what Logan was in the comics and the cartoon (minus the superhero costume), and he got his character right, a loner with a heart of gold. Also Patrick Stewart was just perfect as Professor X. If kids were talking about which actor should play as Xavier in a live action X-Men, they would all pick Patrick Stewart. After all, he doesn't just look exactly like Xavier, he sounds like him too.
3 Joker from Batman(1989) Played by Jack Nicholson
Of all the live action Jokers we've seen (The Dark Knight, Suicide Squad and Joker 2019), my favorite is the one with Jack Nicholson. Why? Because this Joker is the most authentic one of the all. In the comics, the Joker fell into a vat of chemicals which bleached his skin and gave him a permanent smile on his face. The 1989 movie did the same thing. He had a twisted sense of humor, he had henchmen with a clown gimmick during the movie and he had his joke weapons like the hand buzzer and the prop gun. Heath Ledger, bless his soul was a good Joker, but I hate that he more of a terrorist than a super villain. I hate the way he moves his mouth, however I thought that him dressing as a nurse to visit Harvey was the only thing that was funny and awesome about this Joker. The Joker in the 2016 Suicide Squad movie sucked, but he did redeem himself in the Synder cut of Justice League. And as for the “Arthur Fleck” version, I'm one of those guys that didn't like or care for this version of the Joker where he's an unlucky nobody with mental health issues that becomes the way that he is, because he was treated like trash by everyone.
2 Bruce Wayne/Batman (1989) Played by Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne and Batman was and still is the best one yet. If the late 80's had computers like we do now, People would have posted angry letters on the internet and demand that he shouldn't play Batman. Because back then, people wrote angry letters about this, but here we are. Michael Keaton did a great job playing Bruce Wayne, a billionaire putting on an appearance of a playboy to hide who he really is. Plus he is also a badass as Batman. While Batman Returns was as good as the first one, I liked how the were moments where Bruce was able to vulnerable as both Bruce and Batman when it came to Selena.
1 Clark Kent/Superman (1978) Played by Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve was a great Superman as well as Clark Kent. He wasn't just a hero in a costume with a cape, he was simple farm boy from Kansas and a smart yet mild-mannered reporter from Metropolis. While many actors, like Brandon and Henry were good versions of Superman, Christopher Reeve owned the role. Even though that the first Superman movie was released in the late 70's, Christopher Reeve embodied the kind, strong and determined Superman from the comics, even after the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Christopher just gives off an aura of charm and likability, whether he's on-screen or off. My only nit pick regarding the character, is that he almost never throws a punch. Yes, I want heroes to be kind and clever enough to find ways to end a problem without always using their fists, but it would be nice to see this Superman really fight back when he has to. It's one of the reasons why I like Man of Steel. Whether you like it or hate it, it was cool to see Superman fight off Zod and his forces. Of all the four Superman movies staring Christopher Reeve, My favorite is the last one, Superman 4. Yes, I know that everyone considers Superman 4: The Quest for Peace to be the worst Superman movie and I know why that is, the budget was cut in half, the special effects were poor and there were plenty of plot holes. However, I still see it as a guilty pleasure. Why? Because there are things to like about this movie. Here's my first big reason why I don't hate this movie despite its flaws, Nuclear Man. While Terence Stamp did have a strong presence as General Zod, I couldn't fear him and/or take him seriously with what he and his team are wearing. Brainiac was supposed to be in Superman 3, but they didn't have the effects or the money to pull it off. Nuclear Man on the other hand, I could definitely see him as a genuine threat to Superman and the world. It's a shame that Mark Pillow didn't have any more movie roles after this. My second reason why I like Superman 4 is because I find it to be less boring than the other three. The first Superman did tell a good origin for superman, I didn't like Superman 2 because that diner fight scene ruined that movie for me and I'm sorry but Richard Pryor just wasn't funny in this movie. Regardless Christopher Reeve was able to make us believe that a man can fly and we will be always grateful for that.
10 Tony Stark/Iron Man (2008) Played by Robert Downey Jr.
This was the Marvel movie that gave birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as we know it. It started with Iron Man and ended with Endgame (pun intended). What started as a experimental test drive turned into a stepping stone for many billion dollar comic book blockbusters. And it was all thanks to Robert Downey Jr. This movie alone made Robert Downey Jr. into an overnight sensation, as he went from substance abuse to A-list celebrity. Aside from his charm and charisma, Robert looks exactly like Tony Stark from the comics. Did you know that Tom Cruise would have played Tony Stark instead of Robert?
9 Hank McCoy/Beast from X-Men: Last Stand (2006) Played by Kelsey Grammar
I like X-Men: Last Stand. I saw it twice in theaters. However, even I think that it wasn't perfect, but I was entertained and that's what mattered to me. Whether you like or hate this movie, there are some good things that we can all agree on. That bridge scene still holds up and Kelsey Grammar as Hank McCoy aka Beast. Much like Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Kelsey Grammar as Beast felt like they were born to play these roles. I cannot think of anyone else that can play this character perfectly and yes this Hank McCoy is and will always better than the Hank McCoy from the “First Class” time-line. He doesn't just look great in all that make-up, the personality and mannerisms are also pitch perfect. It's a shame that we didn't get to see him in the first movie or have him share a scene with Nightcrawler (who was also brilliantly portrayed by Alan Cumming).
8 Ben Grimm/The Thing from Fantastic Four (2005) Played by Michael Chiklis
Say what you will about the Tim Story Fantastic Four movies, but unlike the 2015 version, it was made by people that weren't ashamed of making a fun, comic book movie. And while the Roger Corman version was more faithful to the comics down to making the costumes exactly like the comics, it was just made to secure the film rights, just like Fant4stic and we all know how that turned out. The 2005 Fantastic Four movie did had some bad things in it. The acting could have be better, giving Dr Doom super powers and Jessica Alba as Invisible woman. However, Michael Chiklis performance as the thing was awesome. They originally wanted to make the Thing purely CGI, but Michael Chiklis himself wanted the thing to be real and practical all the way. And I appreciate that. In the comics, Ben Grimm didn't always like being the Thing and he wanted to be human again. They even got his character right. However, in order to give him angst and the motivation to have flesh and blood again, they gave him a wife who they made into an unlikable bitch that callously dumps him after he just saved some lives on a bridge.
7 Dr. Octopus from Spider-man 2(2004) Played by Alfred Molina
Another character that looks actually like the comics. Plus Alfred is a terrific actor, so bringing him to life was a good choice. My only nitpick was that the arms had A.I., and that's why Otto turned evil.
6 Most of the characters from Spider-man (2002)
After the success of the first X-Men movie, I was just excited to watch Spider-man on the big screen. I didn't know who Tobey Maguire was, or watched his films, but when I watched Spider-man in 2002, I didn't just enjoy Tobey's performance, I was entertained and happy that this movie was faithful to Spider-man's origin story. I thought Tobey Maguire played a good Peter Parker, Kristen played a good Mary Jane Watson, William Defoe was a great Norman Osborn (when he's not hamming it up during the dual personality scenes, however I kinda liked his costume though), the actors who played Harry, Uncle Ben and Aunt May were also good. However, J.K Simmons role as J. Jonah Jameson was not only super faithful to the Spider-man lore, but he was so good that he alone was EVERYONE'S favorite part of all the Spider-man movies. I like how that even though he views Spider-man as a menace and will do everything to smear his reputation, they somehow managed to make him funny and likable. Now that's impressive. He even voiced the character in various Spider-man cartoons. I liked this movie then and I like this movie now even more than the Sony reboots or the MCU ones.
5 Blade (1998) Played by Wesley Snipes
I was introduced to the character in the 90's Spider-man cartoon and I thought that when they were making this movie, that Blade's design was inspired by the show. Because I was a young kid, I couldn't watch the movie, but by the movie trailer alone, I knew that this movie was badass. Because it wasn't a traditional superhero movie, I didn't think that this was a superhero movie. Just a vampire hunter killing vampires. When I did watch it, I enjoyed most of it. The action was cool, the characters were interesting and the final climax was awesome. Over the years, I have learned that if it was not for Blade's success in theaters, We wouldn't have X-men, Spider-man or even the MCU and yet they overlook these films like they never even existed.
4 Wolverine and Professor X from X-Men (2000) Played by Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart
Once upon a time, there was news about a live action comic book movie based on the marvel property “X-Men”. Due to the success of the Fox cartoon, I couldn't wait to watch this movie. I was so excited that I would count how many months I had to wait for this movie. I saw the trailers, movie clips and behind the scenes specials on TV. I personally wished that the look and style would resemble the cartoon, but it still looked like it had a lot of good things going for it. The most characters look the part, the action was great, the effects were good and it told a decent story. My complaints of this movie were that Beast and Gambit weren't in the movie, there weren't any more members of the brotherhood of mutants and the costumes are not as colorful like the cartoon. It would have been nice to see Wolverine with the mask and yellow spandex. Speaking of which, this movie will always be the movie that made Hugh Jackman into a celebrity. He looked like what Logan was in the comics and the cartoon (minus the superhero costume), and he got his character right, a loner with a heart of gold. Also Patrick Stewart was just perfect as Professor X. If kids were talking about which actor should play as Xavier in a live action X-Men, they would all pick Patrick Stewart. After all, he doesn't just look exactly like Xavier, he sounds like him too.
3 Joker from Batman(1989) Played by Jack Nicholson
Of all the live action Jokers we've seen (The Dark Knight, Suicide Squad and Joker 2019), my favorite is the one with Jack Nicholson. Why? Because this Joker is the most authentic one of the all. In the comics, the Joker fell into a vat of chemicals which bleached his skin and gave him a permanent smile on his face. The 1989 movie did the same thing. He had a twisted sense of humor, he had henchmen with a clown gimmick during the movie and he had his joke weapons like the hand buzzer and the prop gun. Heath Ledger, bless his soul was a good Joker, but I hate that he more of a terrorist than a super villain. I hate the way he moves his mouth, however I thought that him dressing as a nurse to visit Harvey was the only thing that was funny and awesome about this Joker. The Joker in the 2016 Suicide Squad movie sucked, but he did redeem himself in the Synder cut of Justice League. And as for the “Arthur Fleck” version, I'm one of those guys that didn't like or care for this version of the Joker where he's an unlucky nobody with mental health issues that becomes the way that he is, because he was treated like trash by everyone.
2 Bruce Wayne/Batman (1989) Played by Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne and Batman was and still is the best one yet. If the late 80's had computers like we do now, People would have posted angry letters on the internet and demand that he shouldn't play Batman. Because back then, people wrote angry letters about this, but here we are. Michael Keaton did a great job playing Bruce Wayne, a billionaire putting on an appearance of a playboy to hide who he really is. Plus he is also a badass as Batman. While Batman Returns was as good as the first one, I liked how the were moments where Bruce was able to vulnerable as both Bruce and Batman when it came to Selena.
1 Clark Kent/Superman (1978) Played by Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve was a great Superman as well as Clark Kent. He wasn't just a hero in a costume with a cape, he was simple farm boy from Kansas and a smart yet mild-mannered reporter from Metropolis. While many actors, like Brandon and Henry were good versions of Superman, Christopher Reeve owned the role. Even though that the first Superman movie was released in the late 70's, Christopher Reeve embodied the kind, strong and determined Superman from the comics, even after the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Christopher just gives off an aura of charm and likability, whether he's on-screen or off. My only nit pick regarding the character, is that he almost never throws a punch. Yes, I want heroes to be kind and clever enough to find ways to end a problem without always using their fists, but it would be nice to see this Superman really fight back when he has to. It's one of the reasons why I like Man of Steel. Whether you like it or hate it, it was cool to see Superman fight off Zod and his forces. Of all the four Superman movies staring Christopher Reeve, My favorite is the last one, Superman 4. Yes, I know that everyone considers Superman 4: The Quest for Peace to be the worst Superman movie and I know why that is, the budget was cut in half, the special effects were poor and there were plenty of plot holes. However, I still see it as a guilty pleasure. Why? Because there are things to like about this movie. Here's my first big reason why I don't hate this movie despite its flaws, Nuclear Man. While Terence Stamp did have a strong presence as General Zod, I couldn't fear him and/or take him seriously with what he and his team are wearing. Brainiac was supposed to be in Superman 3, but they didn't have the effects or the money to pull it off. Nuclear Man on the other hand, I could definitely see him as a genuine threat to Superman and the world. It's a shame that Mark Pillow didn't have any more movie roles after this. My second reason why I like Superman 4 is because I find it to be less boring than the other three. The first Superman did tell a good origin for superman, I didn't like Superman 2 because that diner fight scene ruined that movie for me and I'm sorry but Richard Pryor just wasn't funny in this movie. Regardless Christopher Reeve was able to make us believe that a man can fly and we will be always grateful for that.
Kentaro21
~kentaro21
I know the first two Fantastic Four movies aren't the best, but at least they tried. Fant4stic didn't seem to do... anything right. Doesn't help that it's production sounds like it was an absolute nightmare.
