Ever since the first Batman serial was produced in the 40s, Hollywood has struggled with how to adapt images in comics that make sense on the page but might look a little odd in live action. In recent comic adaptations, directors have handled this problem by trying to make the fantastic elements of our favorite super hero universes as down to earth as possible. Thus, Two-Face had a suitable gruesome face and Wolverine skipped his bright yellow mask. So how, people wondered, were the producers of the upcoming Green Lantern film going to portray Hector Hammond, the supervillain whose head has mutated to enormous size? If pictures posted on movie blog Gordon and the Whale are to be believed, the film’s Hammond is going to look exactly like the comic book one: absolutely terrifying.
The picture appears to be actor Peter Sarsgaard in make up as the radioactive criminal. While camera angles and lighting might change the overall effect, it’s hard to see the thing in the photo as threatening. Disgusting, yes. Threatening, not so much. We’re not knocking the make up in any way as being unrealistic. Sure enough, the design is pretty incredible. However, it just goes to prove that something may seem one way when drawn but seem completely ridiculous when seen in a realistic setting. Jeez, how silly are the little, blue, widow-peaked Guardians of the Universe going to look?
Sarsgaard is a great actor so this may all work out. Until then, though, Gordon and the Whale have kicked off what is sure to be a multitude of Sloth from The Goonies and Eric Stoltz in Mask comparisons.
