Hollywood insiders are buzzing about
"Twilight: New Moon" star
Taylor Lautner being cast as "Max Steel" in a
superhero movie about a teen recruited by a secret agency after (the usual story) an accident gifts him with super powers.
Many are wondering if the casting of 17-year-old Taylor signals the end of the old fart superhero and the reign of the hot teen heartthrob superhero.
Fact: the majority of superhero film fans who go to the theaters are young. Oh, sure, there are still some old superhero geeks like
Kevin Smith (joke, Kev).
But most movie-goers are not baby boomers or even baby boomers' kids. They are teenagers and young twentysomethings who like to see actors their own age. Not their dads or grandpas.
And judging by the success of "Twilight's" squeaky-clean romance, these young-uns don't even want/need to see sex scenes.
Perhaps teen stars -- thanks to their built-in audience of teenage girls (and guys) -- are poised to take over the
superhero film genre.
We think so and hope so.
Enough of moody old
Christian Bale as "Batman" (get him on some anti-depressants, for God's sake) and frozen-faced, sinewy
Robert Downey Jr as "Iron Man." Even
Tobey Maguire's "Spiderman" is looking a bit soft and over the hill.
Sly Stallone and
Arnold Schwarzenegger are now positively geriatric. We'll watch their over-the-hill mercenaries in next year's
"The Expendables" giggling at their ageless and enhanced faces. What's next, walker stunts and wheelchair chase scenes?
And
Hugh Jackman as "Wolverine?" OK, he's still barking hot but he's cruising into Depends Land.
Edward Norton as the Hulk? There's not enough latex and FX in the universe to pull that off again
Ryan Reynolds will continue with the new "X-Men"-based "Deadpool" franchise. Well, he had the woof-worthy buff body in "The Proposal," so maybe he still has a few good years left in him.
But is it enough to make a tired old baby boomer audience go see Green Lantern for the next decade? Or do we need the real fountain of youth for this genre?
How about Astroboy's Freddie Highmore? Or Harry Treadaway, (Teen Vogue's 2008 pick) and Jamie Campbell Bower (also from "New Moon")?
Don't forget the musical crossovers, the Jonas Brothers, and new teen hottie Justin Bieber.
Oh, and "Twilight" vampire Robert Pattinson could work. He's not too old yet and he could sure use a little beefing up. He's starting to pale (sorry) in comparison next to Taylor.
Also on our would-like-to-see young superhero list: Zac Efron, Luke Grimes, Jim Sturgess, and "Harry Potter" star Rupert Grint, or as we like to call him, the new Anthony Michael Hall.
Any other young actors you'd pay to see as a superhero or teen super villain? Comment and you shall be heard!
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Photo credits: Summit Entertainment
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You are a complete idiot. Old fart superhero movies wow what a moronic statement. So what if a teenage boy is cast as a teenage superhero. When I think of an of our classic adult comic book hero's I don't want to see a kid coming to the rescue I don't care how ripped he is. Other than Lautner the rest of the make me gag teen squad you named to be poised for future hero movies have done nothing as far as acting. All your old farts as you put it are some of the hottest actors working right now, I that who I want to drool over. Of age man flesh that, O yay, can freaking act!
This just made me sick...
Snarkiness is popular right now, but if you're not actually snarky, stop trying to write like you are! It just comes off like you're trying too hard, which, obviously, whoever wrote this is.
Have you ever seen a superhero action film? I am willing to bet you have not. The people who are actually fans of the genre dont base the validity of a film on how hot the hot young actor is, your stupid.
This was the worst piece of writing I've ever read. I can't believe you seriously just called Christian Bale, Edward Norton, and Robert Downey Jr. old farts. That's just ridiculous.
Well if they made a Teen Titans movie it could solve this problem. But actually get TEENS to play the characters, like the show. But ya, it's starting to happen. Oh and don't call them "old farts". You made a mistake in saying that.
O M G You've got to be friggin kiddin me???? I'm sooo seethin with anger,I don't even know where to start!!! Are you insane???? Nothin angers me more than an ol'horny cougar,moonlighting as a writer,trying to be a sassy,but sounding like a complete buffoon!!! Before you go jumpin on the teen heartthrob superhero bandwagon,let me remind you,THIS GUY CAN'T ACT!!!! Yeah I know,I know,everyone's tryin to capitalize on the box office success of the movie,by tryin to make these moist,"boy toys",the next big thing,but this kid doesn't even come close to the caliber of the brilliant actors mentioned here!!!
To even suggest that this noob could actually take the place of Christian Bale or Robert Downey Jr,is just crazy talk,and maybe you're the one who needs to take meds!! I'll take an ol farty,medicated Christian Bale over this spray on ab,talentless,girly,effeminate,noob any ol day of the week!!! Btw,get a real job,cause you suck Twiballz as a writer!!!
let me think, would i rather have teenage actors that can't act, or the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Christian Bale, Ryan Reynolds, Edward Norton, and Hugh Jackman play superheroes, Of course I'd choose the supposed old farts when in fact I call them actors, cos those teenage heartthrobs you mentioned are just eyecandy, you're a dumbass.
I love Taylor Lautner! And jackson Rathbone.
listen its a fact of life all actors age sooner or later and then u need the younger actors to replace them geez if we stuck to the same actors we would be watching them in lead actor roles till they were 60!!! its time for the younger generation to be noticed as well taylor is a great actor ad role model he isnt looking to replace anyone just carving a niche for himself in the biz- and studio execs thought taylor would fit the part of max steel- you should be angry at them for their choices if u dont like them dont get mad at the kid he's just doing a job he loves