Comic Adaptation Week: Mickey Rourke as Thor

Until recently, I thought Thor was the worst superhero ever. Stan Lee straight-up picking something from Norse mythology, sending it through the Jack Kirby thought machine and, wings on your helmet and you've got a new superhero. Recently though, especially because of the incredible work of Straczynski and Coipel’s Thor series, my opinion has been turned around and in turn, made me reevaluate my knee-jerk response to Lee and Kirby’s Thor.

Most comics fans still have this idealistic view of the character as a ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ boy-scout, but the film version would have to be closer in style to the Thor one shots Ages of Thunder and Reign in Blood. These one-shots get back to what Thor was in the original myths: a warrior. He didn’t mind killing because that’s what happens in battle. The movie would translate to Thor trudging through muddy mountains battling Frost Giants to some really intense metal. Think of the rather slept-on movie Severed Ways without all the contemplative nonsense--or less of it--and a whole lot more big-budget battle scenes.

This is where Mickey Rourke comes in. Rourke has proven himself in his long career to be capable of handling physically demanding roles, and his recent "return" as Randy “The Ram” in The Wrestler proves he can not only still hack it, but use his aging body and physicality for the good of the film. Thor doesn’t have to be this beautiful dude as long as he has a fighting spirit and intensity. Rourke has shown time and time again that he can play a hard-ass, but always one a little more interesting, maybe even charismatic. Combine that with the noblility and toughness of his performance as Randy, Rourke would make for a really thrilling performance as a Frost Giant-battling Thor. Of course, Rourke brings his acting chops to the table well, always, making potential interactions with Odin, Loki, and Sif realistic and engaging.

Honorable Mentions:
Triple H
AJ Hawk of the Green Bay Packers