Posted in: Movies, Recent Updates | Tagged: british, film, superman

Why Are All The Superheroes British?

Published Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:39:21 -0600

Last updated Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:10:38 -0600

America is the home of the superhero. Both in comics, TV and film, America is where the superhero has had most commercial success. So why does it seem that Hollywood is now turning to the Brits to play them all?

Because, for a clean cut, musclebound guy with a pearly white smile, Britain doesn't feel like the obvious choice. But with Christian Bale playing Batman, Andrew Garfield playing Spider-Man and now Henry Cavill playing Superman, something's going on. The three most famous American superheroes in the world are being played by Brits.

When you throw in Aaron Johnson's Kick Ass, Patrick Stewart's and James McAvoy's Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen's Magneto, Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler, Jason Flemyng's Azazel, Tom Hiddleston's Loki, Nicolas Hoult's Beast, Idris Elba's Heimdell, Anthony Hopkins' Odin and more, it seems some kind of colonial conspiracy. And with Commonwealth members Ryan Reynolds taking Green Lantern and Deadpool, Chris Hemsworth playing Thor, and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine (originally meant to be played by the Brit Dougray Scott) and the Irish Michael Fassbender playing Magneto one might wonder what the hell is wrong with the Americans.

Of course, this is just how it played in the comics. The likes of Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, Grant Morrison, Steve Yeowell, Alan Grant, John Wagner, Mark Millar and many more invaded American comics and for a time seemed to be running their superhero universes.

Now, Grant Morrison aside, the Americans seemed to regain their control. So on't worry folks, in ten years you'll have Justin Bieber playing Superman and everything will be all right with the world.

Oh wait, no, he's Canadian isn't he? There must be someone…

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