Some superhero movie characters are defined by a single performer, but others get a different face every time they pop up. When a big name like Batman is recast, it’s a major headline, but smaller figures can be swapped in and out with abandon. Colossus is a moderately important X-Men character in the comics, but he’s a fan favorite on the big screen.
TheX-Menfilm franchise is divided into two distinct timelines, split due to the eventsofDays of Future Past. As a result, most of the mutant characters have been recast. Colossus is one example, but he barely had any screen time before his new portrayer took over.
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Daniel Cudmore Plays Colossus InX2, X-Men: The Last Stand, andDays of Future Past
Technically, the first actor to portray Peter “Colossus” Rasputin on the big screen was Donald Mackinnon, who briefly took on the role inX-Menas an extra. He’s not properly credited, but he can be seen stretching during a montage sequence in the second act of the film. Daniel Cudmore picked up the role for a brief cameo inX2. He is part of the effort to evacuate the mansion when Stryker’s armed men attack.While Wolverine slices hisway through dozens of men, Colossus helps out.
By the following film, he’s a full-fledged member of the X-Men. He gets a few key scenes to show off his power, but very little dialogue. Most notably, he uses his metal body to protect Rogue by letting her borrow his power. Finally, he’s one of the last surviving mutants inDays of Future Past, where he helps his friends take down alot of new Sentinels. Cudmore is solid in the role, but he never really got a chance to shine. Colossus didn’t become a big screen icon until he became the chaperone to the merc with the mouth.
Stefan Kapičić Voices Colossus inDeadpoolandDeadpool 2
Colossus broke through inDeadpool, where he plays a reluctant grumpy guardian to Deadpool’s unrepentant anti-hero. According to Cudmore, the studio approached him to reprise his role but wasn’t interested in using his voice.Director Tim Miller feltthat Colossus was underused in earlier films, but he also felt that a complete redesign would better fit the character. He wanted to air closer to the look of the comics, so he hired a new performer. Serbian actor Stefan Kapičić was selected for his authentic Russian accent and his lifelong love of comic books.
Kapičić’s performance quickly became the definitive version of the character. He’s unflappably morally upright, he’s headstrong in his beliefs, and he refuses to give up on his friend Deadpool. Kapičić delivers his lines with a larger-than-life gravitas that sells his power, but he also manages to make the metal man seem vulnerable. Thecharacter is entirely CGI, created through complicated visual effects. Kapičić provides the voice of the character and his motion capture work helped to bring him to life. However, Kapičić isn’t the only actor who contributed to the look of Colossus.
Greg LaSalle Became the Face of Colossus (But Was Uncredited)
Kapičić provided motion capture that sold Colossus’s moves on the big screen, but different performers appeared on set to stand in for the character. Actor and stuntman Andre Tricoteux appeared as the first capture performer. He was later replaced by T. J. Storm, the star who portraysGodzilla in the Monsterversefranchise among other things. Kapičić was the last actor brought in for the project, hired late into production. Finally, the facial performance was provided by the motion capture supervisor Greg LaSalle.
LaSalle is an in-demand facial motion capture supervisor in film and gaming. He’s worked on huge projects for both Marvel and DC, he recorded motioncapture forGhosts of Tsushima, and he started his career working on terrible video game adaptations of popular movies. He has acted in exactly two films, for both of which he went uncredited. He lends his face to Augustus Caesar in the thirdNight at the Museumfilm, and he’s the final face performer for Colossus. It’s a strange story, but the combined effort created a more distinct character. Either way, Kapičić provided the facial capture and Tricoteux returned for the sequel, making it somewhat clear that LaSalle only took on the role for convenience.
The Colossus of the originalX-Menfilms was fun, but he never got his day in the sun. The Colossus ofDeadpoolis the combined effort of four performersand countless CGI professionals. Colossus will likely play a part in the upcoming conclusion to theDeadpooltrilogy, so fans will get to enjoy his appearance all over again. Colossus is a simple figure, but when he’s used well, he’s one of the strongest superhero movie characters in modern franchise media.
