Real Heroes & Real Muscle

Years ago, Sylvester Stallone lamented that "tough guy" action stars were being replaced with less muscular counterparts. In his words, "It was that first Batman movie. The action movies changed radically when it became possible to Velcro your muscles on. It was the beginning of a new era. The visual took over. The special effects became more important than the single person. That was the beginning of the end."

While I do agree with what Stallone is saying, he misses one key point. Superhero movies are not simply action movies. They're part of a specific genre of filmmaking that combines action, sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure all into one. The reason less muscular actors can be cast in superhero roles is because the nature of the storytelling is more fantastic. Characters have powers and abilities that don't require the actor to be so physically fit, and they perform impossible feats that demand special effects rather than stunts.

These rules, however, have evolved quite a bit since 1989.

Today, putting an actor in a padded muscle-suit just wouldn't work. Part of the pre-production process for a superhero movie now involves a tremendous amount of physical training for the role. Audiences want to see the actor become the hero, and they can't do it with just the costume alone. The powers might be digital.  But the muscles, once again, are real.

I think this is an important step forward in the genre because it's going to elevate the quality of film. But I also don't think this is the...  And forgive the reference...  Endgame...

The next step...  And it's happening now...  Is to stop relying so heavy on the digital.  Practical effects are on the rise.  Martial arts are coming back in vogue.  The future of the superhero genre must realign to fit within a more grounded reality.  We're not far away from it, and when it happens, the "tough guy" action stars will return in a very big way.

My proof?  Sylvester Stallone already found his place in the world of comics & sci-fi within the MCU.  Not only that, he did it in potentially the most CGI heavy films of the franchise. Casting him in those films, whether they knew it or not, was a push for the real physical strength of the classic action star. Real muscles, real martial arts, real stunts...  They're coming back!