How Marvel Casting Has Changed Superhero Movies

I recently had the pleasure of attending a film symposium. I wasn't covering it but thought I'd gather info for a later piece. Besides, I don't need an excuse to spend a day talking about movies. Don't let the word get around, but I'd do it for free.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered a rep casting Marvel movies was there. It was embarrassing. Instead of bombarding her like the nerds, I stalked her until she innocently stepped out of a restroom. The initial alarm in her eyes dissipated after a few minutes. I think my first question eased her mind.

"How do you think," I asked, "the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man changed super-hero movies?"

I'd written on the subject before, but this was the first time I'd presented the idea to a person that had actual worked on the films. Before "Iron Man," superhero casting was usually based on the idea that it didn't matter who played the character. Actors like Adam West, Lynda Carter and Christopher Reeve were relative unknowns before becoming international stars after putting on tights. It wasn't until Tim Burton boldly cast Michael Keaton as Batman that we first saw a recognizable face in a superhero costume. Fans were outraged as Keaton had no reputation for heroics. Keaton himself was weary, but had faith from working on "Beetlejuice" with Burton.

She agreed that, despite Downey's storied past, is was a fortuitous move. Downey was an Oscar nominated performer and praised for his performances in even bad movies. His choosing to act in Marvel movies created a cache not usually seen in the genre. He was lauded for his performance in "Iron Man" and became the anchor for what an actor could bring to any performance.

The acting in the first "Iron Man" film and its success (as well as the influence of performers like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the X-Men films) made Marvel fertile ground for actors that stopped seeing superhero movies as being beneath them. Leading men like Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth came into the fold. We both agreed actors like Paul Rudd and Mark Ruffalo - serious actors not known for popular fare - made a second-tier character like Ant-Man and the misused Hulk into viable audience draws and characters, respectively. It's why the upcoming "Dr. Strange," headlined by the intense Benedict Cumberbatch, is highly anticipated.

It was a great conversation. Though I think I pushed it too far when I pressed - I mean, pressed! - for info about Marvel's plans for Spider-Man, Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy. She couldn't get away from me fast enough. And I did my damnedest to keep up.

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