Some individuals are great when cast in a certain type of role, while a lot of actors are great when they’re cast in just about any role. Ray Stevenson has been great in just about everything, even if a lot of people believe that he wasn’t one of the greatest versions of the Punisher. Some folks would put him above Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane, but it’s more or less the entire movie he was given to star in that was a mess. But one thing about Stevenson is that when cast into the role of a villain he’s great so long as he’s given the type of dialogue that’s not too hokey and doesn’t force him to talk more than is needed, and when he’s given a role that allows him to make use of his intimidating stature. There have been plenty of movies in which he’s been allowed to be the brooding, heroic type, or the intimidating villain. The reason he’s such a good villain is that when he appears ready to do some damage he could be jovial or he could be angry and look ready to tear something up, it doesn’t really matter. He simply looks intimidating.
This could be one reason why he’s going to be starring as a villain in the upcoming show Ahsoka on Disney+, though it’s already been deduced that while he will be playing an Imperial Admiral, he will not be taking on the part of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Still, that remains to be seen for certain since keeping information close to the chest has been a national pastime with many actors and directors in the last several years. Ray’s ability to create a character that’s either incredibly menacing or eerily calm is amazing since his size and his demeanor can go from friendly and calm to undeniably deadly in a very short time.
He’s been able to turn it on as a heroic character as well, but his turn as the villain is fun since one can easily see that when he plays a character that has a brain as well as the physical force behind it, he’s able to portray a dangerous character that is best not to underestimate. It would be great to see him as Thrawn since he does fit the type of character that the Grand Admiral has been portrayed as over the years, and it would be kind of interesting to see him take on such a role and make it work. But if it’s true that he’s not playing this role then hopefully his time as the villain in the Ahsoka series won’t be short, and he’ll be able to last for a while as a truly dangerous individual. Too many villains over the past several years have been squandered in a way that makes them appear great when they first come on screen but are used in a way that makes it evident that they won’t last long. Stevenson has already had this happen to a few of his characters that should have stuck around, but he’s done his bit and made his roles work.
The mark of a good villain involves the ability to become the character so completely that they’re difficult to tell from any other character that the actor has played, and Ray is capable of doing this without fail. From one movie to another, he’s been able to turn into whichever character he’s needed to be so that he could further the story in the way it was designed. Some might want to argue that he’s a better hero than a villain, but the truth is that he’s great no matter which character he takes on, especially if he’s given the kind of dialogue that can make him one of the most capable and intimidating. It’s bound to be interesting to see how he’ll appear in Ahsoka since Imperials are often seen as stiff, stodgy, and capable of being the biggest jerks in the Star Wars franchise. It’s easy to think that Ray is bound to be the type of character that will remind a lot of people of what an Imperial Admiral is supposed to be, and will show that he’s, hopefully, capable of lasting the entire series if not longer.
A good villain is the type of character that keeps a person uncertain of what they’re going to do next, while at the same time sticking to their character in a way that makes it clear that there’s no distinction between the real character and the fictional character while on screen. For a long time, it has felt as though Ray has been underestimated when playing a role, but perhaps in the Ahsoka series, he’ll be able to make people realize once again that his turn as the villain is something to pay attention to and possibly use as a means to give him a bigger role now and again.
Dolph Lundgren
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