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For the love of Thor! Why it’s so hard for Marvel to get its female superheroes right

<p>When it was first revealed that Natalie Portman was to become the “female Thor” in Marvel’s latest superhero instalment, Thor: Love and Thunder, fans were quick to <a href="https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/if-she-be-worthy/259582" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemn the decision</a> on social media.</p> <p>Portman was lambasted as not “<a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Swole" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swole</a>” enough, too petite, and generally not what people imagined the character to be. Ten months of <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/new-movies/natalie-portmans-trainer-reveals-how-the-star-got-so-ripped-for-thor/news-story/f068c4080ebb18716dcd25855905611b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intensive workouts and a high-protein diet</a> later, and Portman is being <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/natalie-portman-thor-arms-madonna-b2117769.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">applauded</a> for arms that “could actually throw giant hammers at baddies’ heads”.</p> <p>Yet that early reaction to Portman’s casting attests to how the representation of female superheroes can be difficult for movie-makers when the established audience is often perceived to be young, white, cisgender and male.</p> <p>It seemingly doesn’t matter that the number of women consuming superhero content has <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2019.1633460?journalCode=cgee20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a>. Offering feminist depictions of characters that could challenge the defining masculinity of the genre remains a problem.</p> <div data-id="17"> </div> <p>What does this mean for Portman and the female superheroes who have come before (and will follow) her? The answer seems to be that the makers of superhero movies inevitably <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793624598/The-Superhero-Multiverse-Readapting-Comic-Book-Icons-in-Twenty-First-Century-Film-and-Popular-Media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subvert some gender stereotypes</a> while maintaining others.</p> <p>In short, they offer token female representation so as not to ostracise audiences. So while she might now be more muscular, Portman is still subordinated to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor by highlighting that she is first and foremost his love interest.</p> <h2>Too few female superheroes</h2> <p>Granted, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise has at least attempted to cast female leads and to advocate for women’s issues. For example, Black Widow’s standalone film was in part <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/scarlett-johansson-black-widow-feminist-me-too-times-up-empire-a9704806.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intended to contribute</a> to the dialogue around the #Timesup and #MeToo movements.</p> <p>And the latest Thor offering explores the value of female friendships, with co-star <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/06/22/thor-love-and-thunder-natalie-portman-building-mighty-physique/7687523001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tessa Thompson attesting</a> to her character Valkyrie being “happy to have found a new sister”.</p> <p>There’s no doubt female viewers can identify with these powerful women and their stories and as a result form positive attitudes to the superhero genre in general. But that means more superhero films need to be made with the female viewer in mind.</p> <p>Such offerings are few and far between, however. Let’s not forget it took Marvel ten years to give Black Widow her own film after her original introduction to the franchise (in 2010’s Iron Man 2).</p> <p>In many ways, Marvel’s films continue to depict women as auxiliaries – damsels in distress, love interests, or subordinate in some way to their male counterparts. In fact, actress <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57524423" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scarlett Johansson criticised</a> the earlier “hyper-sexualisation” of her Black Widow character.</p> <p>Similarly, Scarlet Witch, one of the most powerful of the Avengers characters, is often defined by the male relationships in her life. In the recent Dr Strange: The Multiverse of Madness, she typifies many <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-witch-treatment-what-dr-stranges-wanda-tells-us-about-representations-of-female-anger-184509" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unfavourable female tropes</a>, including the “hysterical woman” and “monstrous mother”.</p> <h2>The hyper-sexualised stereotype</h2> <p>Treating even powerful female characters as <a href="https://www.panicdiscourse.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/5-19-Holding-Out-for-a-Heroine.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subordinate or dependent</a> might reassure male fans that superheroines aren’t a threat to the masculine undertones of the genre, but it does a disservice to the female audience.</p> <p>Asked to assess superhero graphic novels and films, most women in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1045159514546214" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one study</a> said they disliked and avoided the DC Comics character of Catwoman because she was presented as manipulative and emotional.</p> <p>Other <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/car.1094" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research has found</a> that exposure to messages of powerlessness can lead girls to feel demoralised and dissatisfied with their own identities, and the overly sexualised depiction of female superheroes can result in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-015-0455-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lower body esteem</a> in women.</p> <p>On the other hand, some also rebel against the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21504857.2014.916327" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stereotypes</a>. <a href="https://thehawkeyeinitiative.tumblr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hawkeye Initiative</a>, for example, parodies the male gaze within the comic book genre by depicting men in the same absurd costumes and poses normally reserved for female characters.</p> <h2>Male backlash and box office risk</h2> <p>The real issue, though, is whether women should even have to challenge such depictions. If more films and comics were made by women for women, perhaps there would be fewer tokenistic portrayals to begin with.</p> <p>Marvel has rejected criticism of its female characters, with its <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/marvels-kevin-feige-calls-black-widow-backlash-a-little-strange-boasts-his-movies-are-full-of-smart-intelligent-powerful-women/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">president saying</a> the studio has always “gone for the powerful woman versus the damsel in distress” and pointing to the recent release of female-led superhero films and TV programs such as She-Hulk and Ms Marvel.</p> <p>Trouble is, it’s hard to keep everyone happy. Marvel has felt the backlash from die-hard male fans to a supposed feminist agenda underpinning the studio’s direction. 2019’s Captain Marvel, for example, was touted as <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-captain-marvel-directors-20190228-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bringing feminism</a> to the Marvel universe, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/13/movies/captain-marvel-brie-larson-rotten-tomatoes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poor reviews and audience ratings</a> were attributed in part to perceived political correctness and a narrative based on female agency.</p> <p>Researchers such as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21504857.2016.1219958?casa_token=DXr8QHcO8nUAAAAA%3AHBBbBqJoe6-VxG-a1kak5O-52rNPUXySYFwJRKjh9ALcXyO9KpYTQLcRL0j-7Q6AVIdGp6Kq7pVibA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephanie Orme</a> have contended that the dominance of men in the superhero genre leaves many female fans feeling alienated and unable to change the gender stereotypes, precisely because they’re not seen as the target audience.</p> <p>It seems that without more and better film and comic female superheroes telling women’s stories, these male-centric genres will continue to alienate female audiences – and to fall short of their creative and commercial potential.</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-the-love-of-thor-why-its-so-hard-for-marvel-to-get-its-female-superheroes-right-186639" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: YouTube</em></p>

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"She's my favourite superhero": Thor shares sweet snaps of daughter

<p dir="ltr">Chris Hemsworth has shared two heartwarming images of his daughter India Rose on the set of <em>Thor</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The actor shared the adorable before-and-after on his Instagram calling his daughter “my favourite superhero”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Here’s two pics of me and my daughter. One was the first time she was on set 11 years ago, the other is the most recent on <em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em>. She’s my favourite superhero,” the caption read. </p> <p dir="ltr">The first image shows the Aussie actor in his Thor outfit looking down at baby India who is looking up at him. </p> <p dir="ltr">The next image shows an 11-year-old India sitting in her father’s lap together on set while a director's clapperboard is seen in the foreground.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf42f-fvfTg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf42f-fvfTg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">India appears in <em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em> as the daughter of Christian Bale's Gorr at the beginning of the film</p> <p dir="ltr">Chris previously said that it was great having his kids on set but he wouldn’t want them to pursue a career in acting anytime soon.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's really cool. They really wanted to be in it," he told celebrity interviewer Kevin McCarthy.. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Taika [Waititi] had his children in there. Christian Bale had his. Natalie [Portman] had her kids as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I don't want them to now go and be child stars and actors. It was just a special experience we all had, and I loved it. They had a great time.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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​Meghan Markle scoping out role in superhero movie

<p>Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is keen to get back into acting roles after two years away serving as a royal member, reports say.</p> <p>According to numerous sources, the Hollywood starlet is scoping out different roles for an upcoming superhero flick that could suit her well, after she permanently steps down as a senior royal member.</p> <p>Before she married husband Prince Harry, Meghan worked with agent Nick Collins of LA's Gersh Agency.</p> <p>Now it is speculated she may return to the agent to “actively search” for a suitable role in a blockbuster film, according to the<span> </span><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8060475/Its-Meghan-Marvel-Duchess-Sussex-tells-agent-role-Hollywood-superhero.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail.</a></p> <p>It is widely reported that Duchess Meghan is in the works to produce a film with Disney, who own Marvel and also distribute their franchise – and with plenty of superhero movie under their belt, it would not be a big jump for the royal to explore for her career.</p> <p>“She knows she can't carry a film as an actress,” a source told the<span> </span><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8060475/Its-Meghan-Marvel-Duchess-Sussex-tells-agent-role-Hollywood-superhero.html" target="_blank">British</a><span> </span>tabloid.  </p> <p>“People won't be able to get past the fact she's Meghan Markle. But she's determined to act again and she thinks a big, ensemble film is the way to go… something that pays big but which doesn't put her front and centre.”</p>

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How this “superhero” dad's tiredness turned into a rare disease

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A healthy father of two thought he was just suffering from fatigue before he was struck with an extremely rare disease that left him partially paralysed in June. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Hambly from the Sunshine Coast was left bed-ridden in hospital after he was left with the news he had Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) - an auto-immune disorder where the immune system attacks nerves connecting the brain and spinal cord with the rest of the body. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzafrivhSOD/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzafrivhSOD/" target="_blank">I can’t wait to see you smile again 😍</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/amyshambly/" target="_blank"> Amy Hambly</a> (@amyshambly) on Jul 2, 2019 at 5:14am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both Sam and his wife, had no idea what was in store for them when the 27-year-old dad was left feeling exhausted all the time a little over a month ago.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He started getting really tired, he didn’t have the strength to go to the gym,” Amy, 27, explained to </span><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/super-hero-dad-suddenly-paralysed-after-contracting-rare-disease-035035949.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yahoo News Australia. </span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But he was just so determined to keep working, he just didn’t think anything of it.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByWTdiAHZ8g/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByWTdiAHZ8g/" target="_blank">Today should be a happy day filled with celebrations, Jack Daniels and cake. But instead it’s a effing shit day that I think we will both want to forget but never the less... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMMY! Your without doubt the strongest human I know mentally. I hate that your going through this let alone on your birthday but Darcy, Leo and I love you so so much! Your the backbone of our family and we wouldn’t be complete without you! I hope you start feeling better really soon. I’m proud of how your handling what life has thrown at you and I will always be by your side to take care of you when you can’t and support you when you need me. Crossing my fingers for you to be feeling like your usual self soon and for this to all be a distant memory! Love you always bub. Stay strong 💙</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/amyshambly/" target="_blank"> Amy Hambly</a> (@amyshambly) on Jun 5, 2019 at 5:39pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam began experiencing even stranger symptoms when he had a bout of gastro, followed by a sore throat and numbness in his toes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Soon the numbness had spread to his feet and although he was persevering at his job as a plumber, he found it even more difficult to control his limbs. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">...His legs gave way at work ­– he collapsed,” Amy explained. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite his worrying, his symptoms were warded off by medical professionals who believed he had sinus issues and sent him home with Endone and medication. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the couple soon realised Sam’s “left eye wasn’t shutting and we thought it was the Endone,” Amy said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The next day, the “the whole left side of his face wasn’t moving – I thought he’d had a stroke.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam was rushed to the hospital and later he was diagnosed with GBS after a series of tests. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Sam can move his legs but he can’t feel them,” Amy said. “His face is paralysed so his face doesn’t move. His arms and legs he can move but he can’t feel.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the sad situation has taken a toll on their family, the support they have received from the community has been overwhelming. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To ease the burden on the couple, a friend set up a </span><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/help-out-the-hambly039s?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=fb_dn_cpgnstaticsmall_r&amp;fbclid=IwAR2FUCPh5WOCHkgEZTbz_VyvxqNLWkh1v_INKTd2fCr184HXllktSqMPar0"><span style="font-weight: 400;">GoFundMe</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> page.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We might not be able to help Sam get back on his feet sooner although we can help to take some of the financial burden off his shoulders so he can concentrate on getting back to his normal superhero Daddy, strong self,” the crowdfunding page reads.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Sam’s one of those people that likes to do things himself and provide for himself. He’s so happy and generous – but he can’t believe the help and support he’s had,” Amy said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can’t believe it, I can’t say thank you enough, it just shows how supportive everyone on the Sunshine Coast is. It’s just beautiful really. Hopefully one day I can pay it forward.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the road to recovery is long, Sam has returned home from hospital and since continued on his journey to “heal surrounded by his family.”</span></p>

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Why these high-profile actors abandoned their superhero roles

<p>Whether you are a fan of superhero movies or not, the moment these high-profile abandoned their superhero roles definitely garnered a lot of attention.</p> <p><strong>1. Hugh Jackman – Wolverine</strong></p> <p>Prior to the release of<em> Logan</em>, Jackman announced that his ninth appearance as Wolverine would be his last. It is believed that Jackman walked away from the role as he had been playing the part for 17 years, as well as the physical demands of the role. Luckily for fans, the Aussie actor left the role with a bang as his acting in<em> Logan</em> was both a critical and box office success. One thing that may have kept Jackman playing Wolverine longer would’ve been if the X-Men franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe crossed over. He told <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://screenrant.com/if-x-men-were-in-mcu-hugh-jackman-would-keep-playing-wolverine/" target="_blank"><em>ScreenRant</em></a></strong></span>, “If [an <em>Avengers</em>-crossover] was on the table when I made my decision, it certainly would have made me pause. That’s for sure. Because I always love the idea of him within that dynamic, with the Hulk obviously, with Iron Man but there’s a lot of smarter people with MBAs who can’t figure that out. You never know.”</p> <p><strong>2. Christian Bale – Batman</strong></p> <p>Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan’s <em>Batman</em> trilogy is widely considered the best portrayal of Gotham’s superhero. Prior to announcing <em>Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice</em>, Warner Bros reportedly offered Bale $50 million to put on the cape once more. However, because Christopher Nolan chose not to return to the story, Bale also walked away. Bale has always said that if Nolan came to him with a new Batman script, he wouldn’t say no.</p> <p><strong>3. Michael Keaton – Batman</strong></p> <p>After appearing in 1989’s <em>Batman</em> and the sequel <em>Batman Returns</em>, Keaton walked away from reprising his role as the superhero in <em>Batman Forever</em>, despite being offered $15 million. Keaton was influenced by Tim Burton’s decision to walk away from the franchise but did not initially turn it done. According to Keaton, after meeting with Burton’s replacement Joel Schumacher and reading the rewritten script, he turned down the role claiming that the project “sucked”.</p> <p>Who is your favourite actor to play a superhero? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

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Girl in remission from cancer goes as herself for “Superhero Day”

<p>When it was “Superhero Day” at Josie Kimberlin’s school, she didn’t know what she wanted to wear. But when her mother, Alyssa Butler, suggested she go as herself, Josie loved the idea. Her super power? "Destroying cancer one day at a time", as it says on her cape.</p> <p>You see four-year-old Josie recently went into remission nine months after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.</p> <p>Alyssa told Huffington Post: “We were going through her closet the night before and she didn’t really have anything with any kind of superhero stuff on it, so I asked her, 'Do you just want to go as yourself? Because you know you’re mummy’s superhero.’”</p> <p>Alyssa shared pictures of her “Super Josie” on social media to highlight the strength of kids fighting cancer.</p> <p>"There are a lot of kids out there battling cancer and they are heroes," she said. "They’re something."</p> <p><img width="369" height="656" src="http://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/5633bcf9190000a600b95569.jpeg?cache=WkbkPhUhwO" class="image-component__main-image" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p>

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