Avengers Question 1
Considering that Bruce Banner has traditionally been drawn as scrawny character to contrast with the enormousness of the Hulk for the purpose of highlighting the potentially unbounded rage within people, should they either have reprised Ed Norton, or have chosen an actor with a similarly small build or stature, to play the part in the Avengers?
I’m not familiar with the Hulk comic books, purely from inexperience and disinterest, but I always think things transfer differently from book/comic book to film..
For one, finding a shorter/smaller stature actor may not have fitted the role as well, not come across with the right attitude, or have been as dynamic or even interested in the role, which may have been the reason Marvel dumped Ed Norton as The Hulk in the first place. It’s also easier with the special effects now days to make the actual Hulk juxtapose the normal actors size, despite whatever size he may be. The Hulk is a monster, and therefore monstrous, who would dwarf any man, no matter his size.
I also think that visually, Mark Ruffalo looks like a nice guy! Ed Norton, to me, always looks kind of… sinister is probably not the right word but just kind of off, like you don’t know if you can fully trust him, that he could be that psycho lurking beneath the surface. (Tbh, I never did watch The Hulk though)
So the discourse here is whether you want to highlight the potentially unbounded rage within people as something you can clearly see from the outside, physically, in the persons face, or if you would like it to be more unexpected coming from an average looking nice guy (neither short or tall or skinny or fat or muscular or weak)?
-note, this is my subjective response to Mark Ruffalos announcement as The Hulk, and I actually really, very thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal in the movie. When you see it, you’ll know what I mean.-
Avengers Question 2
Since Chris Evans is not blonde, is not heavily built, his ears are too big and he is a poor actor: doesn’t he just suck as Captain America? (I don’t even like Captain America, but if I was to collect the Avengers set, expecting fully detailed and articulated figurines, only to find that Captain America is an unpainted plastic soldier, I’d be very annoyed.)
… I must confess, I’m extremely easy to please in movies. I’m not highly or overly critical, unless it is extremely terrible, and sometimes I even like movies despite that (read: my Ghost Whisper obsession. I can list the flaws, but I can’t look away). I always go into movies with an open mind, even ones that are sequels or are based on books, and I very rarely don’t enjoy a movie.
So… I didn’t mind Captain America. I watched it once, and it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me other than that I liked the steampunk/bioshocky buttons on the contraption that made him super-human, and that his head looked far too big for his body at the start (the way they did that was just… all kinds of weird).
However, because none of these characters on their own ever appealed to me as I gradually dipped my toe into the ocean of Comic Book/Graphic Novel lore, I don’t know who Captain America is supposed to be, so I am quite fine with how Chris Evans plays him.
To me, he comes off as the perfect soldier: Stoic, solid, stone faced, reliable, religious, the traditional triangular shape (broad shoulders, skinny waist) and perfect poster boy physical suit. I think he opens up really well in the leadership role thrust upon him in the movie, his lack of super-sized ego & overt obnoxious personality supports the dynamic of a group including someone with a personality like Tony Stark.
-Obviously, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, my those are just my uninformed thoughts on the subject :)-
