The post The Great Casting Challenge: Part III appeared first on Rookerville.
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It seems this Ben Affleck casting caused quite a stir. As the news was dropped and the debris laid rest, fans were up in arms over their fallen hero, Christian Bale. The thing is the Batman recasting would’ve had to happen eventually. Just as all comic book movie stars will have to be recast eventually. So to avoid another commotion we’re here to help. We want to help plan ahead for these comic franchise, both new and old, released and unreleased. So this is our 3 part series to give Hollywood a blueprint to deal with the future of their franchises. We will cast comic book characters based on 3 categories; 1) “Please don’t fuck this up”, where we’ll cast comic book movies not yet made, but we think should be; 2) “You already fucked up but we’ll see if we can save it”, where we’ll recast the movies Hollywood ruined in a bad way, i.e. Green Lantern; and lastly 3) “That’s a tough act to follow”, where we’ll recast the best cast characters in an attempt to prepare the franchises when their star actors move on.
Part III
This is the part we try to recast some roles that have some really tough shoes to fill. Lets hope we succeed in continuing these already great franchises.
Wolverine (Hugh Jackman is Wolverine and Wolverine is Hugh Jackman, but one day he will have to step down. I’ll hate it, but we need a plan)
Nichole – Aidan Turner, if we’re going younger. He has the look and he seems to be into fantasy/sci-fi stuff as his credits include The Hobbit trilogy and Being Human. He has that lightness (i.e. Kili) that can fulfill the comedic side of Wolverine.
Michael - Let me begin this by saying that despite his height and good looks, Hugh Jackman did a hell of a job as Wolverine. Hugh Jackman is a dope actor man. For serious. I honestly think that he could have had a crack at any major heroes, if he didn’t play Wolvie. He could have been Batman. He could have been Superman. Hell He could have even been Bruce Banner, and lest I forget James Fucking Bond. These are all pretty good looking guys, and maybe with the exception of Bruce Banner, they all exceed 6’0”.
Having said all that, I want a new Wolverine to be closer to his characterization in the 1970/1980s. Back in the days where he was kind of the opposite of the heroic ideal. I want someone who isn’t dashing with a kind of John McClane’esque flair. Someone who is short, hairy, and maybe even losing his hair. The thing that strikes me about Wolverine is that although he is immortal, he’s not that sexy, airbrushed, Twilight-y, Forever 21 version of immortal.The dude is 40. Maybe perpetually his late 40s. In a perfect world, I’d like for them to cast a younger actor, but then age him up a little with make up or CGI even. I want my perfect Wolverine, who when you see him, you know he’s a mutant. There’s one artist that gave him really thick forearms like Popeye (Wolverine & Havok: Meltdown), and that’s kind of what I want. I want a Wolverine that is an animal. Not an obvious action hero. Not James Bond. I want him to be short. And I want him to not always be the most likeable guy. I mean a guy who looks 40, who is actually much older hitting on some young post-teenage red head? And then banging her whilst her innocent childhood sweetheart boyfriend broods through his 20s? Wolverine is a dick, but we should learn to like him.
Having said all of this, I would like to see Aaron Paul don the claws. Give him the hair, the chops, and a few months in the gym, but acting wise he has the height, and I think he has the range. Read Origin and just picture Aaron Paul as a younger Wolverine. Killing the love of his life. Going through Hell. Joining Weapon X. Enduring so much pain, and never dying. This is the Wolverine I want to see. I think that a new actor as Wolverine should really be transformed into the character, straight from the page, but they should also add more of what we don’t always get to see. Wolverine is a living wound. Sure i could go with an obvious guy like Joe Manganiello or Josh Brolin, but I can’t think of many actors already in their 40/50s that have the time to grow into this part. I think Aaron Paul could really sit into something like this and really convince us that he is this man. Quite frankly, if I could have my way, Harvey Keitel would have been my DREAM version of Wolverine, but time passes… I think that a new Wolverine should have the depth and grit of a movie like Taxi Driver…with a little bit of Platoon spliced in.
Cargile - I might still be on a Breaking Bad bender, and it may never leave me, but Aaron Paul does sound like a great choice. One, he’s young enough to carry this franchise for a while; and two, he has the proper emotional spectrum for Wolverine. He would need to hit the gym and put on a good amount of muscle, but with how dramatically good Need For Speed looks, which is has no business looking that good, I’m convinced he’s perfect for this. Plus he plays a tortured soul really well.
Iron Man (RDJ took Iron Man from a tier 2 super hero and made him a tier 1 guy. That can’t be given enough credit. Not sure anyone can Tony Stark like he can)
Nichole – I think this is the hardest of the entire list because RDJ has made his Tony Stark iconic. It’s a stretch to think of an actor who can embody the humor, confidence, toughness, sarcasm, and thoughtfulness that go with this role. (Also, RDJ pretty much acts likes Tony in real life.) I keep thinking of possible actors, but there always seems to be one or two pieces missing. For example, Ben Barnes has the look. He can be suave and charming, maybe even a tad menacing. But can he do humor? He’s done action in the Narnia films…but can he do Iron Man-grade action? What about Tyler Hoechlin? I’ve never actually seen him in anything, but I know he was (supposedly) in the running for Superman and Batman.
Michael – Leonardo Dicaprio. I don’t really think an explanation is needed. But if you MUST pry me open, I think that Leonardo could be our chance to see a Demon In A Bottle interpretation of Tony Stark. I think that what RDJ has done has set a wave in motion that really forced us to examine the inner life of our heroes. Who are they really? Flaws and all? Watch The Aviator because that movie pretty much is the story of Iron Man. Howard Hughes IS Tony Stark.
Cargile - Alright so I think there’s no way you can Leo for more than 2 films. I think you let him do the whole Demon in a Bottle storyline, but you put it off in some future, so that the Avengers continuum is not screwed up. You then employ one of these younger guys to take the franchise back up at the present time line. I like Tyler Hoechlin. So that’s the final choice.
Blade (I mean I think we should all thank Wesley Snipes for revitalizing the new era of comic book movies. And he wasn’t the perfect comic version of Blade, but that blade was lame. He took a tier 4 hero and made him easily a tier 1 hero)
Nichole – We need some Chalky White up in here! And by that, I mean Michael K. Williams. Is he too in-your-face for this role? Maybe that’s a good thing. I can also see Chiwetel Ejiofor, although he might be too “high-brow” for the role.
Michael - I’d be interested in seeing a brand new interpretation of Blade. Maybe even something closer to an origin story about Blade. In the comics he was born in London in 1929, So maybe it might be a little cool to give Blade the hypothetical MCU Marvel Knights treatment, in the sense that his story can be removed from the present day happenings of the MCU Universe. I think it might be cool to connect him to a branch of SHIELD. You could call it “Howling Commandos” and combine the horror/mystery side of the MCU with the espionage part. This would be the “Journey Into Mystery”/Doctor Strange/Giant B Movie Monster part of the MCU. I think that it would be a cool move to “high brow” Blade up a bit to distinguish him from other harder-edged black heroes in the MCU. Treat him more as a samurai-type or cursed wanderer type. Blade would be a cool hero to see fight Nazi-Vampires, and Werewolves with weapons of mass destruction… it could be very fun and far-fetched. I’m just speculating here.
And I want him to be English-y since he was born there. Chiwetel Ejiofor for the win. I’m sorry if this show is basically Doctor Who with vampires, but I’m not sorry. I desperately need to get into fan-fiction.
Cargile - Blade has a special place in my heart. I’m usually a sucker for comic book movies sticking to the source material but there’s no doubt in my mind the cinematic version of Blade is cool as shit. The only bad thing is, that since it was an original take, it essentially is Wesley Snipes. For those who don’t know Wesley took this role more seriously than he probably should’ve. Rumors of him holding fighting tournaments in warehouses as a way to train lead me to believe he might’ve thought he actually was Blade. It got to the point that he legit hated Ryan Reynolds in the third one because he thought he wasn’t taking it serious enough. Still, Blade 1 and 2 are amazing. But I think if it’s not Wesley Snipes you’re going to need a new route to go. Had he not signed on to do Spider-man I would’ve said Jaime Foxx, but since he’s not available, I like the sound of Michael K. Williams. I think his more intimidating demeanor might be the perfect fit.
Jean Grey (Look Fox fucked up, but the casting was great. She fit the mold quite nicely and at some point Fox is going to want to make amends to this character, but who shall they employ)
Nichole – Lily Cole!! My other choice would be Karen Gillan, but since she’s going to be in GotG, that wouldn’t really work. Lily Cole is a model who has been acting more and more in recent years. She’s a 5’10” redhead with this ethereal look that would be perfect. Phoenix is probably my favorite character in the entire Marvel universe, so my very biased opinion is that she needs her own movie. Also, the Phoenix force is one of the most powerful entities in the entire canon! I think that deserves a movie! And I think that movie should be an adaptation of the Dark Phoenix Saga!
Michael - I second Karen Gillian. Talk about a missed opportunity. I’d like to see a reboot of the X-Men franchise from the perspective of Jean Grey since she is basically, kind of the center of the story when you really think about it. I’d like to see something a little bit closer in characterization to her Ultimate Universe counterpart because she was bubbly and fun. I think that Jean Grey is way too much of a plot device in the mainstream U. I feel like my dream for Jean Grey is for her to be the anti-Bella Swan. If they were to go in one direction and put her in high school, I’d like to see someone like Brie Larson take one the role. I think it would be wise to kind of make her like an older sister-type of character. Put her in grad-school and put her days of working in the field behind her. I see her as an academic (like Prof X) and an example of what mutants can be in the mainstream world. I would love to see Taylor Schilling take on this kind of a role. Someone who is afraid of their power, and done being a hero. I mean she was known as Marvel Girl for Christ’s sake. I feel that she’d be this uber waspy girl who sort of has the same kind of regret that a former child star would have. Also I wanna see Dagny Taggart make out with Jesse Pinkman. Just sayin.
Cargile - My job here is to play pseudo arbitrator so I’m not going to rock the boat. Karen Gillian wins on principle but since we’re worried about crossing comic book lines I’ll throw my vote for Rose Leslie, from Game of Thrones. She can obviously be tough and yet compassionate. If we’re starting with a young Jean Grey this is who I want.
The Joker (Probably the hardest recast ever. This will not go over easy. But it has to be done eventually. It was hands down the best comic book performance ever. No Hyperbole)
Nichole - Would anyone even touch this role again given the unique circumstances of the last Joker? I cheated and have several possibilities, which is inevitable in this category. If we’re going for campy-comic-booky, cosplayer “Harley’s Joker” has the perfect look and has the act down. But, this is the film world, and that’s probably not going to happen for him (even though he has attracted ample internet fame.) That being said, what about Gaspard Ulliel? He has that angular face and the ability to play someone off the hinges (i.e. Hannibal Rising) He’s usually cast in male lead/male heart throb roles, so it would be interesting to see him as the Joker. Gael Garcia Bernal keeps coming to mind too; I don’t quite know why. Both these actors are also not American…so maybe I subconsciously think the Joker can’t be played by another American…? Also, Aiden Gillan – we know he can play sly and cunning through his role as Littlefinger in GoT – I also suspect he can play crazy quite well.
Michael - Sam Rockwell. Although I have to say that Aiden Gillan is a bomb-ass choice. I just can’t shake wanting to see his take on Harvey Dent or Commissioner Gordon.
So yeah, Sam Rockwell is a “great fucking actor.” I’d be interested in seeing him explore the origins of the Joker. Specifically his :Killing Joke” origins. Yes. The Joker a homicidal maniac, and we’ve seen that done. I think now what I’d like to see more of is the side of him that we can relate to. Lest we forget, the Joker was created by Batman in a sense. They are almost brothers. They define each other. I’d be interested to see Sam Rockwell find the happy medium between the showman that Nicholson was, and the cerebral terrorist that Ledger was. And maybe, just maybe, it might be cool to give him a little “puddin’” to banter with.
Cargile – Man both these choices are great. I wouldn’t be mad at either choice. I almost think the Joker is something that should be played by different people all the time. It adds to the psychosis of the character. If you can make them as unrecognizable as Heath was in the Dark Knight I don’t see why you can have a different actor take on the role as is needed. But I’ve always thought of the Joker’s next phase being more pessimistic. That sounds weird cause you’re probably thinking he was already pretty pessimistic. But think about it. He was rather hopeful he could change the ideology of the Batman. He was convinced he could get him to kill him. He thought he had the human psyche figured out. But now he’s less sure of himself, and therefore more brooding and angry. I present to you Sam Witwer. On the show Being Human alone he’s played a ton of different characters just to fit the historical mold of his character’s storyline. He’s done a ton of video game voice acting so we know his voice is compelling, which is what you need when it comes to wearing makeup for a whole movie. And he’s got pretty awesome facial structure for the part. I think if you want someone to be the Joker, much like RDJ is Tony Stark, or Hugh Jackman is Wolverine, this guy can BE the Joker.
BONUS RECAST- Gambit (So Gambit isn’t really established and the shoes that were put in place were not that great, but I did recast him on my own in a cavalier fashion in part II so we needed to put this up for everyone on the committee.)
Nichole - I love Gambit! When I was younger and watching the 90s animated series, I loved him and Rogue together – so she would have to be in this movie. Garrett Hedlund. He has the face, the tone, that ease about him that is so Gambit. I am also suggesting David Oakes, who is often cast in “baddie” roles. I don’t want to type cast him though, I just think he has the look and I know he can play arrogant confidence really well. I also want to note that I didn’t think Taylor Kitsch was that bad – he was pretty good for Gambit, actually, he was just way under-used.
Michael – I wish to god that Kitsch had a real moment to shine as Gambit. Honestly, if you’re smart, you’d know that his performance as Riggins on FNL was probably the best version of Gambit that I’ve ever seen. But shit happens.
All that said. Channing Tatum wants to play Gambit. LET HIM DO IT.
Cargile – When I brashly picked Colin Farrell for Gambit I was unaware that Channing Tatum wanted the role. I can’t say no to that man. I do think a younger McConaughey would’ve owned this, but alas his time passed for this role. So while I would like to give Farrell another shot at the comic book world I’m going with Channing.
That does it for this casting challenge. However we’ve received such a good response form this that we’re thinking of what portion of Hollywood we should save next. Maybe action franchises where we pick the next Bond, Bourne, and Mission Impossible stars. Who knows. Either way we’ll be back.
About Matt Cargile
Matt Cargile is the Editor in Chief of Rookerville.com. He also works in finance, but refuses to read any news printed on pink paper. He is a child at heart with adult means. His childhood dream was to either become a magician or the leader of the next great empire and somehow both these things make complete sense. He's contradictory in nature, but is always consistent.
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About Michael Stevens
Michael is a writer for Rookerville and an aspiring writer at the beginning of his first significant meltdown: the Quarter-Life Crisis. He likes to think of himself as 'the alien of the group' or 'the android attempting to be human.' He is interested in many things so it would be easier to describe all the things he is not interested in: Sports. Read his stuff if you want to hear everything but sports. He is currently at large.
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The post The Great Casting Challenge: Part III appeared first on Rookerville.
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It seems this Ben Affleck casting caused quite a stir. As the news was dropped and the debris laid rest, fans were up in arms over their fallen hero, Christian Bale. The thing is the Batman recasting would’ve had to happen eventually. Just as all comic book movie stars will have to be recast eventually. So to avoid another commotion we’re here to help. We want to help plan ahead for these comic franchise, both new and old, released and unreleased. So this is our 3 part series to give Hollywood a blueprint to deal with the future of their franchises. We will cast comic book characters based on 3 categories; 1) “Please don’t fuck this up”, where we’ll cast comic book movies not yet made, but we think should be; 2) “You already fucked up but we’ll see if we can save it”, where we’ll recast the movies Hollywood ruined in a bad way, i.e. Green Lantern; and lastly 3) “That’s a tough act to follow”, where we’ll recast the best cast characters in an attempt to prepare the franchises when their star actors move on.
Part II
This is the part we break down who has been treated very poorly. We try to rectify the transgressions of hollywood. And we try to resuscitate some possibly dead franchises.
Daredevil (I’ll give them the excuse that this was before Hollywood had learned how to handle a comic book franchise):
Michael – DISCLAIMER (Daredevil is a character close to my heart.) So when I was 12 and impressionable, I loved this movie. I watched the DVD and special features hundreds of times. As I got older, I began to realize that this Daredevil was missing a lot. I watched it recently and saw folly not in the casting, but with the actual production of the film. The script, style, and structure of the story had far too much in common with the previous Spider-Man movie. (Not to mention they totally left out Karen Page and Stick…VERY important pieces to the DD pie.) Yes, they are similar characters, but not enough was done to really illustrate Daredevil as a character cut from a totally different cloth. Tonally, they are different stories. Daredevil is a far rougher character, with more tragedy and if you were to ask me, he is really defined by the grim n’ gritty era of the late 1970s – 1980s. There were no wisecracks. Spider-Man is cut from the same cloth of hope that Superman is cut from. Idealistically, I consider Spider-Man a left over from the 1950s “Curt Swanian” Silver Age. In the way that I consider Spider-Man a response to Superman, I consider Daredevil a response to Spider-Man. He came out as a byproduct of the Silver Age, but really found his voice with Frank Miller in the anti hero 1980s…
So. In a perfect world, you can all bet that I would love to see a Daredevil TV series. I loooooove TV series’. They are a great way to tell a story, and the medium has gotten better at creating contained stories. So lets play with what we know: Marvel has the rights. The last Daredevil project with David Slade was going to take place in 1973. Now lets play with franchises.
Let’s say Marvel strikes a deal with Netflix for a VOD series about the early Marvel Cinematic Universe called Marvel Knights. This would be a nostalgic look at a darker more mature side of NYC in the 1970/1980s. Taxi Driver-esque you could say. I would say then and only then can you cast Benjamin McKenzie as ol’ hornhead. I’d believe him as a superhero with good ole’ Irish Catholic guilt. and in a looser Marvel Knights branded world, you could have him meet up with the likes of characters in their appropriate time periods to add a sense of history. Luke Cage. Iron Fist. Punisher. Hell. Even a younger Nick Fury. You’re welcome Marvel.
…But if we have to go plain-ole movie, Josh Hartnett is my guy. Just watch Sin City. Shit is simple.
Nichole – I’m torn on my casting picks for Daredevil. So I’ll offer my two. Jack Huston is the actor who brilliantly portrays Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire. I think he’s so underrated, despite Richard Harrow being a fan-favorite. A comic book movie might be just what Jack needs to up his presence in Hollywood. He definitely has the chops to fill the role. My second choice is the lesser known Aneurin Barnard. Aneurin was recently in The White Queen playing the brooding and complex Richard III. I’d never heard of him before, but his performance in TWQ really stood out for me. The only downside with Aneurin is that he’d be on the “younger” side of the spectrum, as he is 26. Bottom line, Jack or Aneurin, they both do interesting, brooding characters very well.
Cargile - I hate to be the guy to do this, but I guess with my penchant for being likable it’s shouldn’t be a surprise I want a little of both your ideas. I like this use of Netflix to create back stories for what I would assume would have to hit the theaters eventually in some form. With that being said we aren’t debating the strategy of Marvel and how they will release these franchises, so on a pure character level, I like the idea of a great character actor for this. Jack Huston already knows how to overcome a mask and still seem compelling. With that his face is relatively unknown (the first time I saw those Guiness commercials I found myself wondering, “who’s this jamoke?”). And if we’re going to strategize out a blueprint, I like the Marvel Knights idea and I say they take an “American Horror Story” approach and create mini series’ wrapped around certain characters who they will later make movies for (I am now going down a long rabbit hole of planning Marvel’s next 30 years). Jack Huston it is. However I am a sucker for Benjamin McKenzie, but I think his broodiness might be better fit for a guy like Havoc, which without warning I now just recast. Deal with it.
Green Lantern (So is it me or does this seem oddly similar to the Daredevil situation. Hollywood hunk gets casted and no care for the quality of the movie, as long as they get their catch phrase moments. This movie sucked. Although Colin Farrell was a good Bullseye and Michael Clark Duncan made a very good Kingpin.):
Michael – (DISCLAIMER: I’m not going to rant on this very long, BC I could give a shit about Green Lantern.) I think they should toss away continuity and cast a totally different guy and a totally different character. My issue with Green Lantern, and with the Justice League, AND with superhero groups is that they are generally a group of orphaned white guys. In a perfect world, I’d be able to cast Lizzy Caplan as Kyle Rayner, but this will never happen. Having said that, I think they should go with John Stewart since he gained visibility in the cartoon, and I think it would be best if they cast an actor like Derek Luke, since he has a name and could be reintroduced easily in an Justice League movie. Maybe a comedic relief character can make mention in reference to the changing face of the Green Lantern. I honestly don’t think that this character needs his own movie. Unless they retooled the concept of a Green Lantern film to be more like an intergalactic Saving Private Ryan. Then we could see more of an ensemble film, which I think would be more interesting than the last thing we saw. He’s just not that interesting unless he’s with a team. Alone he’s just a green dude making green balloons.
Nichole – I am 100% for Idris Elba as the John Stewart Green Lantern. I pretty much want Idris to be in everything, but this role in particular would be perfect. With Sci-Fi credentials like Prometheus and Pacific Rim, Idris has a powerful, effortlessness about him which would make for a great Green Lantern. And ‘an intergalactic Saving Private Ryan’ approach sounds awesome!
Cargile – I too would cast Idris Elba in everything if I could, but I already casted him as Spawn. Here’s the thing, if you’re going to make a whole origin story movie, you’re going to want someone seriously good, like Elba. But hear me out on this idea. What if DC comics decides to forgo making another movie based around this character and instead just had him show up in the Justice League movie. And what if the Justice League movie was going to be bad, which there’s a good chance it will be. Then what if they said fuck it and decided we’ll just revel in our badness ala Fast and Furious. Then and only then do I say cast Tyrese. For some reason this is wildly entertaining to me and I actually want to see this movie. If somehow we could spare Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman from needing to be in this movie, I’m all in. But if somehow DC surprises me and makes a good run at the Justice League franchise, I’d say give the full reboot to Green Lantern and cast Michael B. Jordan. If anyone can do it, he can.
Deadpool (I like Ryan Reynolds. Right?!? I don’t know maybe it’s a bad sign that he’s had his hand in 2 of our ruined franchises):
Michael – Keep Ryan Reynolds. He wasn’t ever the problem. I blame the producers for this. Reynolds is the perfect asshole to do this part. But if a gun is to my head, my dream Deadpool would have to make fun of every superhero movie in a Tarantino fashion. It would almost have to be a metafictional farce in the vein of Community + Crank. I’d like to see someone like Matthew Vaughn take on Deadpool. Someone with a really fun kinetic style. I mean. Deadpool is kind of the James Franco/Charlie Day of superheroes. Actor wise, I’d love to see someone funny like Adam Scott don the mask. I’d want it to be sort of in the spirit of the 90’s joke the Deadpool is. It’s a shame Joss Whedon can’t get his hands on this.
Nichole – I’m going to have to say Zachary Levi, although I don’t know how that’d work canon-wise as he’s replaced Josh Dallas as Fandral in Thor: The Dark World. He’s got the physicality and the nerd street cred. Most importantly, I think he could bring that light, comic element to Deadpool.
Cargile – Okay I know I’m supposed to help us come to a consensus but for this one I’m going to throw another hat in the ring. While I agree that Ryan Reynolds isn’t to blame for Fox turning him into Baraka from Mortal Kombat, I still can’t help but remember that Ryan Reynolds did also have a hand in the Green Lantern fiasco so I think maybe he should just stay away from the comic book movies. But fortunately for us there’s another brawny actor that plays the dickhead almost too well. And if we’re going to do a Community-esque satire type of thing, I’d say why not take from the source. Joel McHale. I mean seriously. The guy lampoons pop culture for a living on Talk Soup and his network show lampoons network shows. He essentially is Deadpool of Hollywood already. Cut and print.
Mr. Freeze (honestly one of the best motives among villains, can we get this guy done right):
Michael – I’d love a return to the kind of villain we hate to love. The Dr. Frankenstein types that start out with good intentions. I think that Batman villains evoke a great deal of sympathy from their tragedies. Vic Fries was once just a guy who wanted to love, but wanted to preserve everything in ice. He’s a guy holding onto love, life, and I think in today’s world, he’s hold onto his youth. He’s a Shakespearean tragedy. I think an update on Mr. Freeze would give him a slant in the vein of Dorian Grey. For these reasons, and Hollywood’s obsession with preserving youth, I’d select Paul Dano, who has the fat face of a baby, but the soul and acting chops of a much older man. Yes, I could have picked an old English guy, but I just don’t think that would make sense with the character if he was in our world today. Dano could do it.
Nichole – Okay, Okay, my choice is English – but! …For some reason, my split second gut reaction when I saw “Mr. Freeze” was Dominic West. Dominic West is another one of those underrated-why-don’t-more-people-know-you? actors. I think he has such gravitas and presence, as well as charm and charisma – which could make for an interesting, more sympathetic, Freeze.
Cargile – So first let me paint you my vision. I’d love to start seeing some comic book movies that gave origin stories for the villains. I mean if they can make Hannibal walk the grey line of protagonism than why can’t we do this for our comic book villains. Most of them are certainly not as evil as Hannibal Lecter and are in most cases governed by some pretty empathetic motives. And Mr. Freeze has one of the most empathetic stories around. IT’S FOR LOVE DAMMIT. Now I also have a vision of DC completely blowing people’s minds and filming 4 villain origin movies simultaneously, but doing so in complete secrecy. Then releasing them all with less than obvious titles and making it so the actual reveal of said villains is the surprise ending. They release all four in one year, and the final one shows them all meeting up in some post credit clip, leading to a super-villain super team movie. It’s Avengers, but flipped. And the one guy leading the bunch is the guy who rightfully should never get an origin and he walks out of the shadows at the end of the clip just laughing maniacally and closes the clip with him saying, “wait till they get a load of us.” (for those not keeping up I’m referring to the Joker). Rewind now, cause I think the first of these secret origin movies should be Mr. Freeze. You make the movie about a love so great, so passionate it just can’t last, and it doesn’t. And make it about a man who loses his mind after losing everything he ever wanted and subjects himself to grave danger in an attempt to save the only thing that matters to him. Cue the teary eyed ending where everything goes dark and sad and all that emerges is Mr. Freeze. And the one man I keep seeing playing this part so perfectly emotional in the early acts and cold and brutal in the final, is Ryan Gosling. DC I’m available via email. Lets make this summer of DC happen.
Rogue (I know people love true blood, but she was not Rogue. We discussed a Ms. Marvel movie, and for that we’ll need a Rogue that works)
Michael – Chloe Grace Moretz. I am forever glued to the idea of Wolverine having a ward, and who better than Hit-Girl?! I can just tell from the Carrie trailers that she’d be perfect to play Marvel’s most reluctant and unmerry mutant.
Nichole – I never felt Anna Paquin fit the role of Rogue, and I was doubly disappointed when we never saw a Rogue/Gambit relationship in the movies. My pick is Juno Temple. A sprite-like actress, Juno’s been gaining momentum ever since her role in Atonement. She even had a small part in The Dark Knight Rises. My second choice is Eleanor Tomlinson. She was (unfortunately) in Jack the Giant Slayer where she didn’t get to do much with her role. She was more recently in The White Queen (second actor from this, I know, but BBC period pieces are good at casting up and coming unknowns!) as Isabel Neville and was great in the part.
Cargile – Nichole you took the words out of my mouth. As my first crush as a kid, Rogue was the first female comic book character to catch my attention. Her surface charm and sass that covered her deep seeded depression and loneliness always got me. And Anna Paquin never even came close to that kind of gumption on screen. And leave it to you two to make this way too hard. Honestly I like them both. Is there a way we can cast them both. I guess with a gun to my head I’m tempted to go with Chloe, but if that’s the case I want to cast Juno Temple as Domino. Although Chloe might be better at interacting with our newly casted Deadpool as she’s a bit more snarky, so I vote both these girls for both these parts. Honestly Hollywood just have them pull straws. And while we’re at it, I too need the Gambit-Rogue romance and will say they should cast Colin Farrell as Gambit (who’s origin story is great for a stand alone movie. Come on, bad guy turns good, people love that sort of story)
And there you have it. Another batch of comic book franchises saved again by Rookerville. We’ll be back next week with probably the hardest part of this series which is recasting the guys who were done almost too damn well.
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It seems this Ben Affleck casting caused quite a stir. As the news was dropped and the debris laid to rest, fans were up in arms over their fallen hero, Christian Bale. The thing is the Batman recasting would’ve had to happen eventually. Just as all comic book movie stars will have to be recasted eventually. So to avoid another commotion we’re here to help. We want to help plan ahead for these comic book franchises, both new and old, released and unreleased. So this is our 3 part series to give Hollywood a blueprint to deal with the future of their comic book movies. We will cast comic book characters based on 3 categories; 1) “Please don’t fuck this up”, where we’ll cast comic book movies not yet made, but we think should be; 2) “You already fucked up but we’ll see if we can save it”, where we’ll recast the movies Hollywood ruined in a bad way, i.e. Green Lantern; and lastly 3) “That’s a tough act to follow”, where we’ll recast the best casted characters in an attempt to prepare the franchises when their star actors move on.
Part I: Please Don’t Fuck This Up
Lobo (I’ve heard rumors of Lobo, the bounty hunter from the Superman universe getting his own movie, he’s a good character):
Nichole- Jason Mamoa. He’s got the look and the GoT following. He’s definitely gained more popularity since portraying Drogo (we won’t mention Conan…) I think if given the chance, he could pull Lobo off.
Michael- The Rock. While I do love the idea of JMamo’s physicality, I don’t think he could bring the humor of the character to the table. Unless they go with the inferior New 52 characterization of Lobo, this movie NEEDS to be funny. I kind of always saw him as DC’s Deadpool anyhow. Even though Ron Pearlman is my dream casting for the part, I think The Rock would make this movie too hot to pass up at the box office.
Cargile- While I like the idea of Jason Mamoa and how much that would please Game of Thrones fans, I just don’t know if he can match the star power of the Rock. I think without makeup Mamoa is much closer to the image of Lobo, but the charisma of the Rock is undeniable. I can’t say no to the man that saved the Fast and Furious franchise.
Spawn (I know this was technically done already, but it wasn’t terrible and it was prior to this era of Hollywood, so I’m treating it as new):
Nichole- This one was kind of hard, seeing as how Spawn is pretty much covered up most of the time. But I’m going to have to say Common. I regularly watch Hell on Wheels, and Common’s acting ability has surprised me. I’m pretty sure he’s into comic book movies, too.
Michael- I dig Spawn. I don’t think his original movie get enough credit for really keeping the superhero movie alive during the Dark Ages of Fandom where everything was rubber nipples. But since it’s too late to do a sequel to that tonally perfect film, I think it would be dope if they brought a live-action series to the small screen. Imagine a Wire-esque procedural show in a superhero/horror universe. I think that would be the dopest. So my casting for Spawn would be contingent on marketability and cost. Though I’d love to see Jamie Foxx or Anthony Mackie take the lead on the big screen, my hands down pick would have to be Chad L. Coleman. Many of you will remember him from The Wire or The Walking Dead. I think overall, he has the physicality and the acting range to portray a man brought back from the dead to fight in a metropolitan hell.
Cargile- Oddly enough, I like a combination of both your ideas. I think if Spawn was ever to hit the big screen again I’m going to offer my own opinion and say Idris Elba should be approached. His work in Luther alone should be enough for casting directors. But now I like the idea of Spawn being a TV series and in which case I might like the sounds of Common. My only fear would be it turning out like Blade the series which was actually good but I’m not sure Sticky Fingaz ever got taken seriously, which is what held that show back. My final vote is Idris Elba, big screen.
Ms. Marvel (I think this movie could be an awesome prequel to Rogue movie. Plus then you have Ms. Marvel for the new Avengers, just saying):
Nichole- Katee Sackhoff all the way! Starbuck is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. She even seems to be a fan favorite for this part (well, based on the amount of photosets and fan art floating around tumblr.) With a large Sci-Fi following, Katee possesses a great balance of toughness and wit. She’s even expressed a desire to play this part! http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/notyetamovie/news/?a=80314
Michael- Now many of you know how I like to be a little “avant-garde” with my fantasy casts, but I’m going to have to agree with Nichole 100%. Katee Sackhoff FTW. I think it would be awesome to see a Ripley-esque superhero in the MCU.
Cargile- I can’t buck the trend too much. And I just listened to an interview with Katee Sackhoff and she’s awesome. Plus she’s in Riddick and was awesome in Battlestar, Nichole you nailed this one. Katee Sackhoff it is.
Wonder Woman (This one has to be done for the inevitable Justice League Movie):
Nichole- Katie McGrath. I didn’t watch Merlin, but I believe it has a considerable following. Katie has that whole light-eyed, dark haired thing going for her that Lynda Carter has. She’s going to be in the upcoming Dracula series, so no doubt she’ll garner more attention and popularity from that. She also has training with a sword: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_SH5D0BRQ4
Michael- Lucy Goddamn Lawless. I don’t care that she’s 45. Hollywood didn’t just miss the boat on this one. They woke up late for train and now there are delays, so now they have to hop on a shuttle bus to the boat which already left. Subsequently, the boat crashed into an ice cap and years later the whole event was turned into a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett. Yes there are tons of sexy young people that could be cast in the role, but I think Wonder Woman should be like Wolverine and Thor mixed into one film. She’s a goddamn warrior. She even killed Ares recently, so now shes the new god of war. I want to see the new god of war give the man of steel a run for his money. I think that Lucy Lawless should have had the chance to do this a million times. I can think of a million girls who could play this part, but Lucy Lawless has always been the Wonder Woman we deserved, and it’s a shame the character doesn’t have a movie or a TV series post Lynda Carter.you could focus on many things with Wonder Woman, but aside from the beauty, elegance, and majesty of the character, she is a violent protector. I’d love to see a film about her moving to america in WWII, and protecting Themyscira from a Nazi invasion with the aide of Steve Trevor… I’d die happy.
Food for thought: If I had to cast young…I wonder what Rebecca Hall or Jennifer Garner could bring to the table…?
Cargile- So I like where your heart is at with Lucy Lawless, but that ship has passed I think. If we’re going with the origins movie first, I tend to lean towards a lesser known actress. I think it’s always good when a comic book character can become synonymous with the actors that play them, so with that I lean towards Katie McGrath, but if they are saving Wonder Woman purely for the ensemble movie, you can take a bit of a chance. If so I’m going to nominate Olivia Wilde. She has the angular face that’s gorgeous and tough looking at the same time. I think if she took the role seriously she could bring an interesting twist to it.
Well that’s it for Part I. Next we’ll be exploring the franchises that need resuscitation in Part II: “You already fucked up but we’ll see if we can save it”. Share your casting thoughts below. I’m sure everyone has their own opinions.
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When we think of media representations of the Old West, we think of a hyper-masculine world filled with manly men like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. It was in these same movies in which female characters were mainly found in the whorehouse or the saloon. The Old West woman was a one of loose morals, a feather boa, and a ribboned garter around her thigh. She was a characterture. There have been few substantial roles for women in the Old West film genre, a few of which include Katherine Ross as Etta Place in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cate Blanchett as Magdalena Gilkeson in The Missing, and perhaps (hopefully) Natalie Portman as Jane Hammond in the upcoming Jane Got a Gun. In Hell on Wheels, however, substantial female roles plentiful, prevalent, and often integral to the main storyline.
Once fitting the role of prostitute, Eva once lived (against her will) with the Mojave natives where they tattooed her face (see the real person, Olive Oatman.) Eva did not have much success in the Whorehouse, as many viewed her as tarnished by the Mojave – made evident by her facial tattoo. It was through her profession that Eva met Elam, and the two began a doubly controversial interracial relationship. Eva seems to really own her identity in that she doesn’t care that her life choices and relationships do not fit the social norms of the time, especially for a woman. In Season 2 and now in Season 3, Eva really begins to come into her own as a valued member of the Hell on Wheels town as a healer. Despite her rough life being kidnapped by natives, Eva is a compassionate character. Whenever someone is hurt, they are brought to Eva, as they know she has the knowledge of native healing methods. It is this same compassion that drives her to help and form a friendship with the English “fair-haired maiden of the West,” Lily Bell.
Lily Bell came to the American West with her surveyor husband. We are introduced to Lily through her intense experience of surviving a native attack, which resulted in the death of her husband, and fighting her own way back to civilization. With this introduction alone, we see up front the strong stuff Lily is made of – and I feel that it was this series of events that really made Lily a fan favorite. What endeared her even more with audiences was her business-savvy sense in securing her husband’s job as surveyor for the railroad. Lily quickly learns, and chooses, to fend for herself in the harsh, muddy world of Hell on Wheels. We see her eating the sub-par food she is not used to, putting floorboards in her tent, and conducting business with Doc Durant. What is so striking about Lily is that she could have easily returned to her life, away from the frontier, but she chooses not to. This choice is probably a combination of fulfilling her husband’s wishes and her own desire to make something for herself for once in her life. Lily’s relationship with Doc Durant was heavily debated as well, as Lily essentially used her own sexuality in exchange for keeping her position in the railroad business. For a woman, of course using one’s sexuality isn’t her first choice, but given Lily’s time and social context, I’d say it was quite out of the box for a woman of her standing. She was willing to do anything to keep her position in the railroad,, which shows her commitment to her new career and life on the frontier.
Lily’s relationship with Cullen, however, is solely for herself. There are a handful of beautiful, tender moments between Lily and Cullen and we really get the sense that they truly understand and accept each other – regardless of their histories. But in a world where there is no room for romance, this storyline is fleeting. To the contrary of many fans’ desires, Lily Bell was “fridged” at the end of season 2. “Fridged” essentially means that a woman is killed off in order to advance a man’s storyline. In Hell on Wheels, Lily’s death is only one more stake in the revenge-fueled coffin of Cullen’s journey. Because Lily was such a strong character, and so integral to the story, I believed that she wasn’t really dead. And because she was a fan favorite, many other viewers held the same opinion. But now that Season 3 has started, we know she’s not coming back. This fact still breaks my heart, as I really loved Lily and what she brought to the show. I really do think this story-choice was a misstep of the writers, as Cullen had already gone through the murdered-woman-revenge-fueled storyline. Dominique McElligott, the actress who portrayed Lily, has not given many interviews after Season 2 – and I feel like perhaps she wanted to leave to the show and that’s why she was written off? Or maybe I’m just still in denial about why she was “fridged.”
On a lighter note, we have the positive character of Ruth, the late Rev. Cole’s estranged daughter. On the outside, Ruth is God-fearing, sweet, and doe-eyed. But there is more than meets the eye, as Ruth engaged in a physical relationship with a Christianized native – Joseph Blackmoon. I found the relationship between Ruth and Joseph to be so interesting because this was, like Eva and Elam, not condoned by mainstream society. However, unlike Eva, Ruth keeps her relationship with Joseph secret. Alas, we see a woman who embraces her sexuality and desires, despite what her religion tells her to do. But feeling the watchful eye of God, Ruth ends her relationship with Joseph and takes up the mantle of the leader of the tent church after the death of her father. Before his death, Ruth was not afraid to speak her mind to her father about his alcoholism – again, this action is indicative of someone who is confident and in control of her life. In the latter part of Season 2, however, Ruth seems to slide a bit. She catches the eye of Sean McGinnes, and despite his advances and eventual marriage proposal – she denies him. Again, we have a woman choosing a path less traveled. Alone after the death of her father, Ruth could have easily found security in a marriage to the wheeling and dealing Sean McGinnes, but she chooses her faith instead. And, if my hopes for her character are realized, she’ll still figure out a way to be with Joseph again despite the whites/natives tensions. Like Lily, Ruth chooses to live independently and to not overtly ask for help from a man.
Yet another woman who has chosen the hard road is Season 3’s new character, Louise Ellison. We haven’t learned much about Louise’s backstory yet, but we do know she’s a journalist who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Like many of the aforementioned women, Louise seems to have chosen to go out West by herself despite the dangers. I am hesitant in accepting Louise, however, as I am scared she might be used as a “quick fix” replacement for Lily (which no one can replace!) If there truly is no room for romance in this show, then hopefully Cullen and Louise will not have a token romantic relationship just because he might recognize the same strength in her that Lily had.
Another new, intriguing female character to the show is Maggie Palmer. A widowed cattle-farmer, Maggie has been seen making business deals with both Doc Durant and Cullen. Although we don’t know much about her yet, I expect that Maggie is in both these deals for herself, as she seems to be made from stern stuff. For example, when Cullen brought the dead man into the saloon to sit across from Doc, Maggie amusedly sipped her soup from a few tables away while all other patrons scurried out. Maggie also reminded me of Hannah Durant, Doc’s wife. We briefly got to know Hannah in season 2, and learned she was a no-nonsense kind of gal. That being said, Hannah did not seem to approve of Lily’s involvement on the railroad. Perhaps her motivations for this disapproval steamed partly from jealousy (although I wouldn’t take her as someone as petty as that, as I’m sure she’s used to Doc’s ways) and partly from holding a more traditional view of a woman’s role in society.
I think it’s fair to say that Hell on Wheels passes the Bechdel test compared to other media incarnations. Most importantly, most of these women are not charactertures or tropes. They are written simply as people trying to survive and make do with whatever means necessary in the unforgiving American frontier. Looking ahead, I can only hope that Hell on Wheels continues its humanized representation of female characters. (What a revolutionary idea!)
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Growing up and playing games, I’d always play female characters (if available) – and I still do today. Perhaps I did this to satisfy my underlying desire to subvert and test social boundaries, but when a female playable character wasn’t an option, I’d get disappointed. I remember playing Golden Axe 1 and 2 and always choosing Tyris Flare, the only female playable character out of three options. Albeit scantily clad, I loved that Tyris could hold her own in battle against Death Adder and his skeletal minions. As for women in comics or games in skimpy outfits, well, it’s so common that I’ve come to expect it and merely roll my eyes or laugh at how ridiculous it is. But I digress, for the impractical female armor argument is a whole other can of worms.
When I was younger, I’d play fighting games like Mortal Kombat, and religiously use my go-to girls: Jade and Melina (again, we know how absurd their outfits are.) In recent years, I love the expanded options to play a female leads – for example, in Dragon Age 1 and 2, I relished the opportunity to guide my own narrative as a kick ass female Grey Warden or as fem!Hawke of Kirkwall. Of course, I’d love to see more of this, as I am prone to liking games, books, and movies focusing on strong female leads. Furthermore, all the stories I write focus on female leads. What I’m getting at is that I think it’s great that Anita Sarkeesian is creating a dialogue to encourage people to think critically about the games they play and make. And it seems her videos have worked, as I’ve recently read she was asked to talk to developers at Bungie (gamespot) on how to create more dynamic female characters. I’d like to take a closer look at Ms. Sarkeesian’s arguments in the academic context and the conversation she has started online, which has resulted in unfortunate backlash.
Unsurprisingly to most, Sarkeesian has faced ample negativity since starting her media critique videos. There have been accusations that go from lack of transparency in the use of her kickstarter funds, to lack of citations, to flat out claims that she didn’t even play the games she discusses. Women in any professional capacity inherently face more scrutiny and criticism, with qualms about physical appearance to mental capacity as common points. Sarkeesian is not exempt in this, as naysayers claim that because she’s a woman, she couldn’t have possibly played any of these games! On the contrary, women make up nearly half of gamers – a fact that most developers choose to ignore by continuing to portray women as hyper sexualized by catering to their presumed 100% male consumers. But back on point, Sarkeesian has been bullied online and has been the object of a “punching game.” She has posted the youtube comments she has recieved on her blog (http://www.feministfrequency.com/2012/06/harassment-misogyny-and-silencing-on-youtube/) many of which are, sadly, not surprising. In an internet culture of rabid anonymous trolling and hate, one would expect uncreative comments like, “get back in the kitchen” or “stop being on your period,” etc. but the comments Sarkeesian receives seem much more alarming. With this harassment, I can understand why Sarkeesian decided to disable comments on her youtube videos. That being said, I’ve seen sites like Kotaku post her videos and there are actually valid discussions going on in the comments. This might also be indicative of certain sites, whose niches tend to cull the general crude populace of youtube. But then again, disabling comments, in a way, gives the bullies what they want. Sometimes the best thing to do is to not acknowledge the hate being splattered around. Were I in her situation, I honestly don’t know what I’d do. Part of me thinks I’d either viciously argue with naysayers until I was blue in the face, or I’d choose to just disable comments and not deal with it.
The immaturity Sarkeesian faces with her commenters is also exemplary of video game culture she critiques. As a self-proclaimed “geek girl,” I and countless others have faced rude behavior from men on the internet and at conventions (i.e. see the whole “fake” geek girl debate.) Again, there is a lot of overlap, but I think Sarkeesian deals with the same people who believe in the “fake” geek girl persona. These people, for some reason, feel threatened by those who do not fit a certain mold or social norm.
Harassment aside, some of Sarkeesian’s critics have called for the transparent use of her kickstarter funds. Yes, her videos do seem to be of higher quality as far as the editing and effects go. She even got Jennifer Hale of Mass Effect fame to narrate her hypothetical video game (which is probably where most of the money went.) But, does one really need thousands of dollars to critique something? Realistically speaking, no. One would just record a video via computer or phone and upload it. But I will say that as there is professionalism and prestige attached to music produced by a large record label or a book published by a well-known publishing house, youtube videos produced with quality with inherently attract more viewers.
Several of Sarkeesian’s opponents have argued that she does not cite her game video sources (http://victorsopinion.blogspot.be/2013/07/anitas-sources.html,) nor does she include anyone’s opinion or critique but her own. As for her footage sources, Sarkeesian includes this text credit at the end of her Damsel series videos:
She also includes article sources for the concepts she discusses, an example seen here:
The only thing I can surmise about Sarkeesian’s critics is that they are not only indicative of the very things she is speaking out against, but there also exists a universal law in which it is impossible to please everyone. I will also say that many of her bullies have probably never watched her videos and just make assumptions, or they watch the first few seconds and think that she’s just some “feminazi” and turn it off, thus making an assumption.
I will admit that I had held some pre-conceived notions about the Damsel series videos before I actually sat down and watched them. For the most part, I thought perhaps she was taking things “too seriously,” however, as I watched her Damsels series, I found myself agreeing with much of what she said. I feel it is important to note that Sarkeesian recognizes that game writers and developers do not consciously aim to perpetuate sexism, but rather do not think critically about the games they put out. I’d like to think that the damsel and fridge tropes are more so a product of lazy and/or bad writing, rather than the conscious promotion of gender inequality. As a writer, I must also note that some narrative choices are made for the story, and not to perpetuate gender inequality or sexism. Context is very important to take into account with this notion in mind. In part two, Anita says regardless of context the means in which a plot is developed (ex: violence against women) still matters because it trivializes domestic abuse, for example. Not only do we need game writers and developers to think critically about gender roles in their games, but we also need talented and creative game writers a la Drew Karpyshan with Dragon Age or Knights of the Old Republic (both of which feature strong female characters.)
Sarkeesian claims that games hinging on a female protagonist seeking revenge on a murdered man (think Kill Bill) are virtually non-existent. While this is mostly true, I can’t help but think of Aveline’s killed husband in Dragon Age 2. Aveline aids Hawke (again, you can choose to be a man or a woman) in fighting the darkspawn and goes on to have her own successful life and career as head of the city’s watch. However, as Sarkeesian often notes, female characters who break the norm are often not the main character. She also points out that there are games that subvert the typical narrative formulas, but argues that “equal opportunity damseling is not the answer” and that game developers must “think outside the cliche.” I’m surprised that more game writers and developers have not departed from the cliches, but I suppose this is indicative of mainstream mediums vs. indie mediums. Sarkeesian even notes that indie games seem to try more at having a female protagonist or a “damsel” who does not need saved.
While I agree with most of what Sarkeesian says, she’s preaching to the choir with those who agree with her. However, one must take into account who her audience actually is. Of course she intends to reach all types of gamers, but I feel like the people who watch the her videos are either actually interested in gender roles in video games or are watching with the intent to dislike it and pull it apart. I’m sure there is a large, apathetic gray area, (as there is with anything) but the buzz that is being generated from these videos might be enough to attract those who might not usually watch media critiques. One must also assume that many of Sarkeesian’s audience include feminists. This is not to say that Sarkeesian speaks for all feminists, as her own “brand” seems to subscribe to the kind in which women are not allowed to be sexualized at all. On the contrary, I feel feminism should include both “tom boys” and and women who enjoy dressing very feminine, or even sexy. The important difference to remember is that women who dress sexy for themselves vs. women who dress sexy or men or men portray women in a sexualized way for their own enjoyment. Essentially, feminism also encompasses the notion that women must own her sexuality.
It is these very women who are masters of themselves in which Sarkeesian wishes to see in games. In order to attract a larger audience and call even greater attention to gender roles in video games, Sarkeesian’s next series should focus on the female protagonists that actually exist. By focusing positively on strong female leads, Sarkeesian might finally be able to shut up the naysayers and highlight the fact that certain genres, such as Sci-Fi, often have more room for female leads than other genres. It is important to note that Sarkeesian states that female protagonists in games do not need to be hyper tough or unwilling to accept the help of others (i.e. the “feminazi” stereotype.)
I am curious to see what Sarkeesian does next in terms of critique videos or even in response to her naysayers. An important thought to consider is that even if some games are subtly sexist, I do not think people are going to take it in the literal sense. I might be having great faith in the general public with this notion, but I’d like to think most people are for gender equality. Games aren’t going to necessarily make men go out and be sexist pigs, in the same sense that violent games aren’t necessarily going to make people go out and shoot up a public space. What’s important to remember is that good or bad, right or wrong, Sarkeesian has injected new life into the video game gender role debate–and that’s better than not talking about it at all.
Sources:
Damsels in Distress three part series
http://victorsopinion.blogspot.be/2013/07/anitas-sources.html
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/31/tropes-vs-women-in-video-games-why-it-matters
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