with Wonder Movies being so prolific, it’s a shame that one of the most underrated actors of this generation was wasted on two of them. While the MCU currently dominates the superhero genre, live-action Marvel movies have been on the scene since the 1990s with Wesley Snipes’ Blade Trilogy. Snipes’ legacy as the character who arguably kicked off the modern superhero genre was recently paid tribute in Deadpool & WolverineIn which he cameos along with several other actors who starred in Marvel movies from last year.
The cameos mostly focused on Fox’s X-Men franchise, as Deadpool was once a part of it himself before Deadpool & Wolverine Migrated the character over to the MCU in earnest. Cassandra Nova’s compound featured many villains from X-Men movies, while those who fought on the side of the X-Men, like James Marsden’s Cyclops and Halle Berry’s Storm, were notably absent. Although this may have been due to budget constraints, as the X-Men are largely composed of high-profile actors, no one seems to be talking about a lesser-known contributor to the franchise, continuing an unfortunate trend.
Ben Foster played two Marvel roles
Both were outside the MCU
Ben Foster portrayed Warren Worthington III, aka Angel, in X-Men: The Last Stand. The role was relatively minor but important nonetheless, representing the mutant struggle for self-acceptance as his father, Warren Worthington II, helped fund the mutant cure to rid his son of his mutation of two giant wings. Foster’s scenes are sparse but exceptionally poignant, with the actor able to convey the intensity of his situation and the sadness it brought him. The shot of him unfolding his wings proudly remains one of the most memorable scenes of the X-Men franchise.
two years ago, Foster also starred as Spider Dave in 2004 The PunisherStarring Thomas Jane in the eponymous role. The role is a far cry from Angel, with Spacker being a strange fellow covered in piercings who becomes an unlikely ally to Frank Castle, even enduring severe torture without betraying Castle’s location. The stark differences between Angel and Spider Dave demonstrate the range Foster is capable of and hammers home the injustice of having him appear in two largely forgettable roles.
Foster is one of Hollywood’s best kept secrets and deserves more
He mostly portrays side characters
While Foster excelled in his roles in X-Men: The Last Stand And The PunisherNeither is considered among the best Marvel movies of the last few decades. As a result, Foster’s current Marvel movie legacy is relatively obscure — which is far less than the incredibly versatile actor deserves. It also typifies Foster’s Hollywood career as a relatively unsung actor whose roles are not as well known as they should be. The fact that he received critical acclaim for his portrayal of characters like menacing gangster Charlie Prince in 3:10 to Yuma is proof of this.
Foster portrayed Lance Armstrong in 2015 The programWhich remains one of his best-known roles to date, and is a role he has thrown his full weight behind. Thankfully, Foster has yet to portray a character in the MCU Appropriately, that leaves the door open for Marvel to give the versatile actor a leading role in an upcoming production. Since he has proven experience in comic book movie roles, and was a stand-out feature in both appearances, Marvel Studios has a golden opportunity that it should capitalize on.