Michael Jai White discusses the importance of casting believable actors as action stars in superhero roles and why Christopher Nolan got it right with The Dark Knight trilogy. Action is at the heart of almost every superhero movie and series, whether it is street-level vigilante showdowns or huge, bombastic team-ups with heroes like the Avengers or Justice League facing off against universal threats. Finding actors who can balance the character’s core, humor, drama, and action can be a challenge, but an important one to nail down for the characters to feel authentic.
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant for his new movie One More Shot, White also discussed action scenes in superhero movies. He explained how Nolan nailed the action sequences in The Dark Knight trilogy. White also broke down why some actors are more believable as action stars, while others don’t feel as authentic. Check out White’s full quote below:
Michael Jai White: Sometimes this industry gets caught up in this Hollywood way of doing things. I don’t think it applies well to action. They go, “Okay, who’s the most popular at this time?” And whatever. And it’s like, Okay, that may work in comedies and dramas because there’s a surplus of comedies and dramas. But when you have action, you have something unique, you need to pick the right person.
And so they’re always, “Oh yeah, this person’s hot,” or whatever, but it’s like the guy named Vinny that’s sitting there having a beer is going to be like, “I’d kick that guy’s ass myself.” And I’m not interested in seeing these little debutantes kicking everybody’s ass or these guys who I just don’t believe. Because hell, you’re not going to get my time. So a lot of that stuff I don’t really follow it a lot because I just don’t buy it. So I think Nolan got it right with Christian Bale, and there’s some people that I freaking believe.
How Casting Believable Action Stars Can Elevate The Superhero Genre
White’s explanation of why superhero movies need stars who can pull off the action makes sense and is an important part of immersing the audience in the world. If the hero is meant to be a skilled fighter, whether through training or brute strength, casting an actor who feels real in that role is an important part of making them feel true to the character. The diversity in heroes’ fighting styles also comes into play in key ways.
10 Reasons The Dark Knight Still Holds Up 15 Years Later
The Dark Knight turned 15 years old in 2023 and the film still holds up as one of the greatest superhero films ever made for varying reasons.
A hero like Spider-Man wouldn’t fight the same way as Superman, Batman, Black Widow, or Iron Man. Superhero movies seem like the perfect genre to mine action stars from and have proven to be to some degree. This has been shown with Tom Holland making the jump from Spider-Man to Uncharted, Chris Hemsworth with Extraction, and even Henry Cavill’s upcoming Argylle and Highlander.
As the MCU continues to grow with the upcoming Fantastic Four and the addition of the Mutants, and James Gunn brings forth a new era of DC heroes leaning into the action element, this could help elevate these characters. The villains need to feel dangerous, and the heroes should be able to hold their own in a fight. The Dark Knight trilogy continues to be a guiding light in many ways for the superhero genre, and it seems their action scenes are something worth revisiting as well.
