The battle between Marvel and DC isn't as nasty as a lot of corporate rivalries, but there's still some hardcore conflict between the more dedicated fans. If Marvel wanted to strike a blow against their competition and add a beloved and respected talent to their universe, look no further than Brendan Fraser.
Brendan Fraser is simultaneously a respected actor with a long history of great performances and an internet darling beloved by many on a personal level. The career renaissance he's currently enjoying has been heartwarming, not just to his many fans, but to the actor himself, and there's still room to grow.
As most people know by now, Warner Bros. has unceremoniously canned their Batgirl film, sparking immense confusion and cultural backlash. The film was more or less finished, it had a substantial amount of hype behind it, several huge names lit up the cast, and it depicted a character that has a strong fanbase in the comics. Most have seen the bizarre decision to toss a finished film in the bin as a substantial bleeding wound in the long-suffering DCEU. Ditching Batgirl, seemingly for a tax write-off, leaves a lot of stuff on the table. The film would've introduced Barbara Gordon to the screen in her new DCEU form, but it also would've brought Michael Keaton back for the first time in decades. Studios cancel films all the time, but this is one of the most public and disastrous fumbles of the modern era. One of the most notable ball-drops in this cascading failure was the fact that talk of the town Brendan Fraser was cast as the film's villain, leaving an actor with huge buzz on the table at exactly the wrong time.
Being cast in a superhero film carries a certain significance beyond getting a role elsewhere. It's not unlike a recurring role on a TV show. A beloved character in a superhero franchise will keep popping up, even if they die violently in their first appearance. If fans love them, they'll come back eventually. Even as a relatively minor Batman villain, Snagging Brendan Fraser could've been a big deal. For the same reason, Marvel can recruit the star behind The Mummy and add him to the studio's enormous roster. There's a feeling of inevitability among many film fans, as more and more big-name actors join one superhero franchise or the other. It's always big news whenever a huge actor is cast in a Marvel or DC project. The future may see several performers become an object of argument between studios.
Casting Brendan Fraser is more than just an act of corporate sabotage or an appeal to the performer's massive fanbase, it's also just a great casting decision in a variety of roles. From the early-90s to the late-2000s, Fraser was an in-demand talent in everything from studio comedy to blockbuster action. His biggest role was as Rick O'Connell in the iconic Mummy franchise, considered then and now a successor to Indiana Jones. From Bedazzled and Monkeybone to Gods and Monsters and Journey to the Center of the Earth, Fraser has quite a career. Fraser's main entry into the superhero world is in DC's Doom Patrol series as the towering cyborg Cliff Steele. In Batgirl, he would've appeared as the villain Firefly, a dangerous pyromaniac seeking to burn down Gotham in vengeance. There are so many great roles that Fraser could jump into, bringing a new face and a well-loved talent to the ongoing expansion of the franchise.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands, new talent will have to be brought in to fill the constant new roles. Modern Hollywood casting feels a bit like matching a relatively short list of well-known names to an ever-expanding list of roles. As much as new talent deserves and demands a shot, some known quantities working in Hollywood still feel a bit underrepresented. Brendan Fraser is in the midst of a renaissance after years of public hiatus. The down period in his career is owed to a variety of unpleasant business, including a sexual assault, a nasty divorce, and a resulting bout of depression. Fans were devastated to see one of their favorite 90s icons lose their stride, and the resulting elation to see him back on top has been massively uplifting. A Marvel movie wouldn't be the peak of that mountain, but it'd be another huge step up for the actor.
The cancelation of Batgirl was devastating to many people for many reasons. Brendan Fraser's involvement and the fact that his big superhero movie debut is now lost media is one such issue. Hot off the release of Fraser's award-winning performance in The Whale, fans are more eager than ever to see one of their favorite performers in a big blockbuster role. There's never been a better time to capitalize on the failures of a competitor and recruit a great performer, and Marvel should move quickly before someone else snaps up Brendan Fraser again.