The Marvel Movie You Forgot Starred A Lord Of The Rings Actor
In the latter half of the 20th century, Marvel Comics properties began to find root in live-action. Projects like the Japanese "Spider-Man" television series that ran from 1978 to 1979, the unreleased "Fantastic Four" film from 1994, 1998's "Blade" movie, and more, while finding varying levels of success, proved the comic book powerhouse had potential on TV and at the movies. Fast-forward a few decades, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a staple of both mediums, raking in mountains of cash as it spotlights a host of Marvel Comics favorites and dazzles worldwide audiences.
In the years before and after the establishment of the MCU, some of Hollywood's finest have taken on Marvel roles of all shapes and sizes. In fact, some, such as Robert Downey Jr., the late Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson, and several others, have become synonymous with the Marvel brand because of their performances. At the same time, however, not all who've entered the Marvel universe managed to make such an impact on fans. Truth be told, some have even been forgotten by most fans for one reason or another despite taking on some of Marvel Comics' biggest names.
For example, this "Lord of the Rings" star once featured in a Marvel project as a prominent print villain, yet it's entirely likely you never knew that or totally forgot
Gimli himself, John Rhys-Davies, played Kingpin in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk
John Rhys-Davies has accomplished a ton throughout his time in the entertainment sphere, taking on one unforgettable role after another. Aside from perhaps Sallah in the "Indiana Jones" franchise, his most well-known cinematic part came in the form of the hot-tempered yet noble dwarf Gimli in director Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. On the other hand, many seem to forget that before he wielded an axe against Sauron's forces, Rhys-Davies joined the Marvel world as Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk in 1989 via "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk." His appearance in the made-for-TV movie makes him the first-ever live-action Kingpin.
While far from the most celebrated take on Kingpin from any storytelling medium, Rhys-Davis is no less a key part of the character's live-action legacy. Of course, in terms of Rhys-Davies' silver screen legacy, Gimli topples Kingpin with ease, even though the actor didn't bring the character to life alone. Brett Beattie, who stands at four feet, 10 inches tall, did a lot of the heavy lifting to bring the member of the Fellowship to life. From horse-riding to action sequences, he did it all under the Gimli prosthetics and got along well with the rest of the cast, yet never got the same level of recognition as Rhys-Davies (via Polygon).
The career of John Rhys-Davies is long and full of incredible parts, with the shared role of Gimli being one of his most iconic. His rendition of Kingpin in "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk" is far from legendary, but if nothing else, at least he can say he joined the Marvel universe before it was cool.