Since we’re on a string of superhero posts, let’s throw in “Building Better Superheroes: Who Pulled Off the Superhero Look Best?” from the folks at Direct2TV.com.
While I agree that Henry Cavill looks more like a superhero than Christopher Reeve did 35 years ago, Reeve looks more like Superman. Indeed, he remains for me the iconic live action Superman. (Dean Cain, who played the role on the WB “Lois and Clark” series, is the gold standard for Clark Kent.)
Of course Christian Bale looks more like a superhero than Michael Keaton, who was always a ridiculous choice to play Batman. He had the acting chops to pull it off but not the physical presence. The solution was to turn a character whose origin story (in those pre-Dark Knight days) was that he trained himself into a superb fighting machine over a course of years in order to avenge his parents’ murder into essentially Iron Man without the repulsor rays. That is, it was the suit that made him a superhero. Aside from a few gadgets, the “real” Batman was a superhero and the suit simply added to the intimidating persona.
And, yes, a green Lou Ferrigno is more representative of the Hulk character as it existed than the CGI monstrosity of the current film incarnation. I haven’t read a Hulk comic in more than twenty years, though, so don’t know if the character is now a 15 foot monstrosity.
As for movie incarnation of Spiderman, Tobey Maguire is the better Peter Parker whereas Andrew Garfield is the better Spiderman.
