Unlike our favorite comic book characters, the origin stories of silver screen superheroes
often involve more steamed chicken breasts and stationary bikes than kryptonite and dead
parents.
But while the actors get paid to look the part, it's the stunt doubles who take the
hits, the falls, and the rubber bullets, all without any of the glory.
Let's go behind the scenes to highlight some of these brave performers who toil in the
shadows to bring the Earth's mightiest heroes to life.
Ingrid Kleinig—Harley Quinn
Ingrid Kleinig has been in the biz for a while and definitely knows the ropes.
She's done stunt work on movies as diverse as Superman Returns, Australia, and Iron Sky,
but Kleinig really broke into the big-time as Evangeline Lilly's stunt double in The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Still, if she's had one defining part, it's her work as Margot Robbie's stunt double on
Suicide Squad.
She and Robbie—who's a dancer herself—became friends while tag-teaming the stunts for Harley
Quinn.
They even held a long-running contest to see who could hold their breath the longest underwater.
In the end they both topped five minutes.
That's the kind of skill that comes in handy when your job involves crashing face-first
through a Lamborghini windshield in a water tank.
Will Erichson—Deadpool
Over roughly a decade, Will Erichson has built up a huge Hollywood stunt resume, appearing
in everything from TRON: Legacy to Wayward Pines.
In 2016, Erichson scored big when he landed the part of Ryan Reynolds' stunt double during
the filming of Deadpool.
Along with a team of other stuntmen, Erichson helped bring our favorite regenerating degenerate
to the big screen.
In particular, Erichson was instrumental in the SUV scene at the start of the movie.
And for that, Erichson, you have our heartfelt thanks.
Richard Bradshaw—Wolverine
Richard Bradshaw's prolific stunt career spans nearly three decades of work on television
and the big screen.
You've seen his work in movies like The Fifth Element, Titanic, and Tomorrow Never Dies,
and he's also been involved in the production of Game of Thrones, serving as both a performer
and the show's assistant stunt coordinator for more than two dozen episodes.
In the X-Men franchise, Bradshaw worked as a performer and stunt double for Hugh Jackman
in X-Men 2, The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Days of Future Past.
William Spencer—Spider-Man
William Spencer earned the nickname "The Skate Ninja" on YouTube for his unusual skateboarding
style, but he probably never thought his board would give him a career in the movies.
The Amazing Spider-Man director Marc Webb had other ideas.
For his first outing with the web-head, Webb wanted to do something completely different,
and that involved...this:
"... I don't know which way I'm going…"
Spencer, who'd spent a few years picking up spare paychecks doing light stunt work on
movies like Jonah Hex and Project X, didn't even make it to his Spider-Man audition.
Ultimately, the filmmakers couldn't find what they were looking for and looped back around
to Spencer, who ended up as Andrew Garfield's double for both Amazing Spider-Man movies.
Tony McFarr—Star-Lord
Tony McFarr got started as a stunt performer in 2011, and since then he's built up an impressive
stunt resume, appearing in dozens of television series and films.
With his role in 2015's Jurassic World, it seems McFarr found his niche as Chris Pratt's
stunt double—he went on to double for Pratt in 2016's Passengers and again the following
year in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2—a role he prepared for by...playing with toy
guns?
"Ahhh!"
Nice.
Bobby Holland Hanton—Thor
Bobby Holland Hanton is one of the most in-demand stuntmen in Hollywood.
He's doubled for Chris Evans' Captain America, Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises, and
Ryan Reynolds in The Green Lantern, to name a few.
But if there's one gig he's especially proud of, it's getting to bring the thunder as Thor
across the MCU.
From the costumes to the kick-ass stunt work, Hanton loves everything about this gig, especially
star Chris Hemsworth, whom he described to Business Insider as a legend, saying:
"Chris is in the best shape of any actor I've seen.
He's got huge arms and great coordination.
I've never had to train so much in all my life — three hours each session, twice a
day, six days a week.
If Chris wasn't an actor, he'd be one of the top stuntmen around."
But even after all the high-wire stunts he's performed in an Asgardian breastplate, Hanton's
favorite stunt is the prison scene in The Dark Knight Rises.
He said:
"I had to climb out of the prison he's in and jump, miss the landing, fall 100 feet,
and slam into the opposite wall.
It was one of my first ever high-falls, a 100-footer, which is quite a nice feat to
achieve for a stunt performer."
Sam Hargrave—Captain America
Although Bobby Holland Hanton has done some stunts as Captain America, it's Sam Hargrave
who takes the brunt of the star-spangled beatings.
When he isn't acting as the man behind Cap's mask, he's also serving as Marvel's resident
stunt coordinator and choreographer, designing some of the most memorable blowouts from Captain
America: The Winter Solider and Captain America: Civil War.
Chances are if one of Marvel's superheroes takes a knuckle to the face, Hargrave is responsible
for it on some level.
Clay Fontenot—Iron Man
We've come a long way from the chest shavings and paint-on latex Robert Downey Jr. had to
endure for the first Iron Man.
Between CGI and stuntmen, Robert Downey Jr. barely ever has a reason to put on the Iron
Man suit anymore, which leaves Clay Fontenot as the only guy who still has to suit up when
the cameras are rolling.
Fontenot doubled for Downey Jr. in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and The Avengers, and he's done
stunt work on nearly 80 other films as well, including Django Unchained, Guardians of the
Galaxy, and all three Blade movies.
Fontenot is easily one of the most prolific stuntmen in the business.
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