Super Bowl 2012: Casting New England Patriots, NY Giants Stars as Superheroes

We've got every Super Bowl 2012 angle covered here at Bleacher Report, from the game's best matchups to the five best prop bets and have even delved into the possibilities of the players as New York- and Boston-based film characters.

Now it's time to really get serious.

I present to you, the stars of Super Bowl XLVI as superheroes.  

Tom Brady: Captain America

Wait, why wasn't Tom Brady cast in the recent Captain America movie? 

He is Captain America. 

Let's see...he's the best quarterback in the game. He already wears three Super Bowl rings. He's got a cannon for an arm, possesses laser-like accuracy and seemingly always comes through in the clutch. 

Oh, and he's the leader of the New England Patriots. 

Boom. 

Rob Gronkowski: The Thing

The Thing don't say much. The Thing destroy you. 

He's bigger than you, stronger than you, easily overpowers you and has a surprising sense of humor.

Really, he can't be stopped.

He delivers a mighty blow that shatters the ground beneath him.  

Sound like anyone? 

Wes Welker: Mighty Mouse

Although the most diminutive of superheroes, Mighty Mouse cannot be taken lightly. 

His powers include flight, super strength and yes, invulnerability. 

Welker has dealt with injuries his in past, but came back stronger than ever in 2011. Even at 5'9'', he endures some crushing hits and gets right up, ready to terrorize the defense on the next play. 

Aaron Hernandez: Batman

No, Aaron Hernandez doesn't come out at night to fight opposing defensive backs and linebackers, but he's shifty, deceptive and appears out of nowhere just like the Dark Knight.

In Gotham City, no one can figure out the true identity of Batman and we can't figure out what Hernandez is, either. 

He's got the speed of a wide receiver, the lateral quickness of a running back and the size of a fullback. 

Yet, he's known as a tight end. 

Bill Belichick: Professor X

Belichick beats you with his mind—his schemes and game plans are so perfectly planned they make you wonder, did he know what I was going to do before I was going to do it? 

Maybe he did. 

Eli Manning: Superman

Clark Kent looks like a normal guy, someone you'd never expect to be extraordinary.  

The same goes for Eli Manning. 

But when his team needs him most, Peyton's little brother comes up huge and turns in super performance after super performance.

When it's over, you're thinking, did Eli Manning really just do that?

Victor Cruz: The Flash

Victor Cruz looks like just another 6'0'', 205-pound NFL wide receiver. 

Then, when the ball is snapped, he has stunningly blown past you and is accelerating past the safety on his way to reeling in a deep ball from Eli Manning. 

Gone, like a flash. 

Jason Pierre-Paul: Venom

Venom was the most threatening, reoccurring nightmare for Spider-Man. 

He's loaded with pure power and lurks in the darkness. 

With his overwhelmingly relentless nature and intimidating size, Jason Pierre-Paul has a striking resemblance to this evil creature. 

Ahmad Bradshaw: Wolverine

Wolverine's a no-nonsense, in-your-face kind of guy that doesn't take any crap from anyone. 

The smaller, yet powerful Ahmad Bradshaw is eerily similar.

He runs with a reckless abandon—like he's twice his size—and is never easy to bring to the turf.

Occasionally, he'll lower his head and remind defensive backs how strong he really is. 

Tom Coughlin: Magneto

Magneto is a genius and a former friend of Professor X.

Remember, Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin are both disciples of Bill Parcells.

Like Magneto and Professor X, Belichick and Coughlin have grappled in enormous battles and each guy has emerged victorious, but the war is not over. 

Special thanks to B/R FCs Andrea Hangst, John Rozum and Ryan Phillips for help on this project.