WithMarvelmovies being so prolific, it is a shame that one of the most underrated actors of this generation was wasted on two of them. Whilethe MCU now dominates the superhero genre, live-action Marvel movies have been on the scene since the 1990s with Wesley Snipes’Bladetrilogy. Snipes' legacy as the character that arguably kicked off the modern superhero genre was recentlypaid tribute inDeadpool & Wolverine, in which he cameos alongside several other actors who starred in Marvel movies of yesteryear.
These cameos mostly focused onFox’s X-Men franchise, given Deadpool was once a part of it himself beforeDeadpool & Wolverinemigrated the character over to the MCU in earnest. Cassandra Nova’s compound featured many villains from X-Men movies, while those that fought on the side of the X-Men, like James Marsden’s Cyclops and Halle Berry’s Storm, were notably absent. Though this might have been down to budget constraints, given the X-Men were largely composed of high-profile actors, nobody seems to be talking about one less well-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, inX-Men: The Last Stand.This 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 were scarce but exceptionally poignant, with the actor capably conveying the intensity of his situation and the sadness it brought him. The shot of him unfurling his wings proudly remains one of the mostmemorable scenes of the X-Men franchise.
Angel is a founding member of the X-Men in Marvel Comics, but the movies opted to sideline the character until another actor portrayed Archangel inX-Men: Apocalypse.
Two years prior,Foster also starred as Spacker Dave in 2004’sThe Punisher, starring Thomas Jane in the eponymous role. This role is a far cry from Angel, with Spacker being an oddball neighbor 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 Spacker Dave demonstrate the range that 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 & Deserves Way More
He Mostly Portrays Side Characters
While Foster excelled in his roles inX-Men: The Last StandandThe Punisher, neither is counted amongthe best Marvel movies of the last few decades. As a result,Foster’s current Marvel movie legacy is relatively lackluster - which is much less than the incredibly versatile actor deserves. It also typifies Foster’s Hollywood career as a relatively unsung actor whose roles aren’t as prominent as they should be. The fact that he has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of characters like menacing outlaw Charlie Prince in3:10 to Yumais proof of this.
Foster portrayed Lance Armstrong in 2015’sThe Program, which remains one of his most prominent roles to date, and is a role he threw his full weight behind. Thankfully, Foster has yet to portray a character within theMCUproper, which leaves the door open for Marvel to hand the versatile actor a leading role in an upcoming production. Given 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.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
