"Iron Man 3" actor Sir Ben Kingsley opens up about the growing popularity of comic book-based films and the evolution of their villains, according to IGN.
In the third "Iron Man" film, Kingsley appeared as the struggling actor Trevor Slattery. Slattery carried the title Mandarin, a terrorist war-lord, as a front for the main villain Aldrich Killian, portrayed by Guy Pearce.
Although the film established that Kingsley's character is not the real Mandarin, the Marvel short film "All Hail The King" revealed that the actor's character is on his path to meet the true bearer of the title, Hero Complex reported.
Despite the success of "Iron Man 3," the film received backlash from fans regarding Kingsley's "fake" portrayal of the Mandarin, Screen Rant reported.
Like the nature of the true Mandarin, Kingsley feels that the popularity of today's superhero films is rooted in people's notion of good and evil.
Despite being masked with technological devices and intergalactic beings, Marvel films reflect mythological elements.
"It's not to do with exploration," the actor explained. "It's not to do with tribal warfare - it's more galactic warfare. But it is more to do with gods and goddesses, and that has hit a nerve for some reason. The audience will find a focus."
"Somehow the comic books evolved and just hit that archetype - I don't know whether they're archetypes, but it's nudging on mythology," he added. "It's nudging on Zeus and Apollo and Medea and all those extraordinary creatures from very, very ancient mythology."
With over 50 years of extensive acting experience, Kingsley has seen how mythological elements in films disappeared or changed due to business organizations.
According to the actor, these organizations manipulated these elements in order to create superficial themes.
"We have given over our mythology to the advertising men," he said. "I think that di happen, that suddenly everything got broken up and trivialized and shallow. Aspirations were all about the makeup, and the vehicle and the dress and the shoes."
"It's still present, but the ad men just started appropriating mythology in the wrong way, using superlatives for things that are quite trivial and everyday and shouldn't be in that place," he added.
But now, Kingsley feels the tone of films has changed as viewers begin to embrace the clear notion of good and evil as presented in superhero movies.
"I think, honestly, the good, healthy audience has said, 'You know what? We've had enough of this. Give us values. Give us good and evil and morality and ethics and that horrible gray bit in the middle. Give us that,'" Kingsley said.
