3 Major Marvel Actors to Go Head-To-Head in a Battle for the Emmy?
Several Marvel Cinematic Universe actors — Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, and more — are best known for their superhero counterparts.
After playing the spandex-wearing or Iron-Clad saviors for so many years, the actors and their characters grow intimately connected in fans’ minds. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t aim to spread their wings, taking on roles that starkly contrast their savior-leaning images.
Recently, three of the most well-known Marvel stars have stepped into TV roles that are gaining acclaim from audiences and critics alike. And, it looks like they may wind up competing for the Emmy. So, would you rather see Wolverine, The Hulk, or Captain America take home an award for their new television roles?
From Hugh Jackman and Mark Ruffalo to Chris Evans, three primary Marvel actors have parted ways with their combat-inclined counterparts to try some new personas on for size. And, rumor has it, that they may just be the frontrunners when the Emmy nominations surface, as GoldDerby notes. So, let’s dive into each show.
1. Chris Evans in ‘Defending Jacob’
Chris Evans is currently playing Andy Barber in Defending Jacob — a show based on William Landay’s novel of the same name about a District Attorney who must come to terms with the possibility that his son is a murderer.
Did he do it? Did he not? Chris Evans plays a father so convinced that his son is innocent — despite the small voice whispering in the back of his head, begging him to question if his vision is blurred — clouded by love and protective instincts. Evans plays the father well, as he battles internally with his family’s history of violence and his personal tendencies toward physical confrontation. Yet, is Evans the frontrunner? Jackman may have a leg up on Evans.
2. Hugh Jackman in ‘Bad Education’
Hugh Jackman portrays Frank in Bad Education. Who is Frank? He’s the ideal superintendent — a man who knows how to speak to his community and manage his school’s prestigious reputation. He is a master marketer and suave talker. Yet, when a student uncovers an embezzlement scheme that could threaten Frank and the institution he runs, everything changes. He embarks down a dark road to cover-up the truth. He’s nervous but duplicitous, and the brief instances of comedy make for one interesting character.
3. Mark Ruffalo is stellar in ‘I Know This Much Is True’
All you need is the description for I Know This Much Is True to understand what Ruffalo has done here. Ruffalo plays identical twins — leading parallel but starkly different lives — in a tale of betrayal, sacrifice, and forgiveness. Ruffalo embodies two people. One has paranoid schizophrenia, while the other does not. One is the protector who has much to learn and much to give. One harbors uncontested conviction and sincerity, yet finds himself in terrible situations. The narrative is deep, the characters complex, and the performance by Ruffalo: incomparable.
