Superheroes today versus their first live-action iterations (19 Photos)
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The superhero genre of film is bigger than ever. The highest-grossing film in the world is a superhero film, the first R-rated film to break a billion dollars at the box office was based on a comic book character, and so on.
So, it’s nice to reflect on how many of these characters debuted in live-action, so we’re going to compare and contrast the first and latest versions of various characters. It’s amazing to see how much (or, in some cases, how little) has changed since the superhero genre surged.
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Superman
First: Kirk Alyn, the film serial Superman (1948)
Latest: Henry Cavill, Justice League (2017)
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Batman
First: Lewis Wilson, film serial Batman (1943)
Latest: Ben Affleck, Justice League (2017)
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Wonder Woman
First: Cathy Lee Crosby, TV movie Wonder Woman (1974)
Latest: Gal Gadot, Justice League (2017)
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The Flash
First: John Wesley Shipp, TV series The Flash (1990)
Latest: Ezra Miller, Justice League (2017)
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Green Lantern
First: Howard Murphy, TV special Legend of the Superheroes (1979)
Latest: Ryan Reynolds, Green Lantern (2011)
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Catwoman
First: Julie Newmar, TV series Batman (1966)
Latest: Camren Bicondova, TV series Gotham (2014)
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Supergirl
First: Helen Slater, Supergirl (1984)
Latest: Melissa Benoist, TV series Supergirl (2015)
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Joker
First: Cesar Romero, TV series Batman (1966)
Latest: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker (2019)
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Harley Quinn
First: Mia Sara, TV series Birds of Prey (2002)
Latest: Margot Robbie, Suicide Squad (2016)
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Storm
First: Halle Berry, X-Men (2000)
Latest: Alexandra Shipp, Dark Phoenix (2019)
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Wolverine
First: Hugh Jackman, X-Men (2000)
Latest: Hugh Jackman, Logan (2017)
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Iron Man
First: Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man (2008)
Latest: Robert Downey Jr., Avengers: Endgame (2019)
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Captain America
First: Reb Brown, TV movie Captain America (1979)
Latest: Chris Evans, Avengers: Endgame (2019)
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Hulk
First: Lou Ferrigno, TV series The Incredible Hulk (1978)
Latest: Mark Ruffalo, Avengers: Endgame (2019)
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Spider-Man
First: Nicholas Hammond, TV movie Spider-Man (1977)
Latest: Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
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Thor
First: Eric Kramer, TV film The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988)
Latest: Chris Hemsworth, Avengers: Endgame (2019)
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Daredevil
First: Rex Smith, TV film The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989)
Latest: Charlie Cox, TV series Daredevil (2015)
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Nick Fury
First: David Hasselhoff, TV movie Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998)
Latest: Samuel L. Jackson, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
