Why Peter Dinklage Will Be the Ultimate Toxic Avenger
A fan favorite takes on a cult classic
The 1984 film The Toxic Avenger is getting a reboot. It was announced in late November that Peter Dinklage will be the protagonist of the film. It’s a cult classic remake that has a lot of us waiting on the edge of our seats for release day.
Peter Dinklage is best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones. He also appeared in Elf (2003), Lassie (2005), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Avengers: Infinity War (2018)and many other movies.
What makes him a great choice for this role? Let’s break it down. But first, who is the Toxic Avenger?
Who is the Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger was a dark comedy splatter fest that first saw the light of day in 1984. It starred Mark Torgl as Melvin Ferd, a 98-pound weakling that was the janitor at a health club in Tromaville.
Tormented, harassed and teased mercilessly, Melvin ends up tumbling out of a window and landing in a barrel of toxic waste. It transforms him into the Toxic Avenger, a monster hero who lives in a junkyard.
Rotten Tomatoes gives the original film a 70% rating. Here are a couple of reviews posted on that site:
“The Toxic Avenger tells the humorous story of a geeky weakling who is turned into a superhero when he is slimed by some toxic waste.” — Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
“Here, beneath all the smiles and sun and buff bodies, is a vision of the US as a place of corruption, pollution, and violent criminality, with the ordinary law-abiding “little people” constantly at the mercy of a toxic American Dream.” — Anton Bitel, Filmland Empire
This saga of an underdog hero taking on bullies, criminals and “the Man” lives on in the memories of fans worldwide. It was a bit of a cheese-fest, with corny one-liners and lots of blood spatter. That’s why it was guaranteed a spot in our hearts.
“Alright everybody, drop your tacos or I’ll blow your brains out.” — Leroy in The Toxic Avenger
There were 4 films and a Marvel comic book, which gives plenty of material for this reboot. It will be interesting to see what they make of Toxie, the disfigured superhero.
The remake has to do it justice, or the fan backlash will be pretty toxic!
Who is Peter Dinklage
He’s the award-winning actor that proves size doesn’t matter. This respected stage actor, movie star and television presence is an inspiration to fans everywhere.
“I am this guy who’s four and a half feet tall, but my life doesn’t constantly address it.” — Peter Dinklage
He refused to take the easy way out and stayed on course to make his dreams a reality. We can all learn from how he faces life.
“Saying I was lucky negates the hard work I put in and spits on that guy who’s freezing his ass off back in Brooklyn.” — Peter Dinklage
For an overview of the struggles he faced and how he overcame them, listen to this motivational speech. You can see how he rose from obscurity to fame using his determination and spirit.
Peter Dinklage has a wide range of acting abilities. He’s equally at home in comedy, action and drama scenes.
There’s a high probability that the Toxic Avenger will be a dark, “R” rated comedy with lots of action scenes. But the main character has to be someone we can empathize with. A little less corn, while still hitting that wall.
Peter Dinklage fits the bill. He can handle anything this movie throws at him and have us asking for more.
Peter Dinklage Becomes Melvin Ferd
Melvin is an underdog. He starts at the bottom of the pile. Peter Dinklage will be able to sympathize with this character and his lowly beginning.
We don’t have any details yet. Will the new Toxic Avenger involve extensive prosthetics or a ton of special effects to transform Dinklage into his hero form? Only time and a completed movie will tell. But my money is on a combination of the two that will blow us out of the water.
We saw him become the giant Eitri in Avengers: Infinity War. The only complaint with the execution of that role was that it was only 10 minutes long.
My prediction is he will crush the role of Melvin Ferd, and leave us begging for sequels.
Can’t Wait to See The Toxic Avenger Reboot
There’s no release date on this film yet. But one thing is guaranteed, I’ll be lining up with other fans of both the original Toxic Avenger Franchise and Peter Dinklage.
The movie will be directed by filmmaker Macon Blair and produced by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz for Troma Entertainment.
With him on board, choosing this one for movie night will be a no-brainer.
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