Recasting 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' with WWE Superstars
The Avengers: Age of Ultron will have its theatrical release on Friday, May 1 in the United States, and with it comes much anticipation. As the sequel to one of the biggest blockbusters of 2012, it comes as no surprise that it has already received critical acclaim overseas.
Marvel and WWE may appear to be polar opposites but actually have more in common than you might think. Both forms of entertainment feature larger-than-life characters fans can relate to or idolize, essentially serving as the ultimate escape from reality.
Likewise, WWE has their own band of superheroes in John Cena, Randy Orton and others. Similar to the Avengers, very rarely do we see WWE's powers of good team up; only when it is called for.
Of course, heroes are nothing without their opposition. From Seth Rollins to Bray Wyatt, WWE has its own blend of bad guys who force the stars of the squared circle and courageous guardians of the people to prove their worth and dignity.
We'll likely never know what would happen if WWE Superstars and the Avengers were to ever cross paths; however, before The Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters, why not entertain the idea of putting WWE's own top-tier talent in the roles of the colossal super-faction?
John Cena as Captain America
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This selection should have been obvious from the get-go, as John Cena embodies everything the United States of America is about. Additionally, he's the current United States champion, so it would be criminal not to identify him as the Captain America of WWE.
Similar to Captain America, Cena can do no wrong, or at least in WWE's eyes. For the past decade, he's been the company's resident goody two-shoes, but that doesn't mean he can't the job done when an issue arises.
Captain America welcomes all competition and is always spoiling for a fight. Likewise, Cena is no different: His open challenge in defense of the U.S. title in recent weeks has seen him battle the very best the roster has to offer and conquer them all to maintain his prized possession.
As seen in the original Captain America film, Steve Rogers is basically transformed into an impressive physical specimen, making him super-strong and ultimately invincible. Cena has quite the physique as well, but it's his booking (i.e. the guy who rarely loses cleanly) that draws comparisons to Superman and, in this case, Captain America.
The definition of a throwback to the past, Captain America spends most of The Avengers trying to come to terms with the modern world. While the leader of the Cenation is still at the top of his game, he's been referred to as a "relic" by Rusev and others before, though it doesn't take him long to prove them wrong.
Roman Reigns as Thor
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As he is commonly referred to as a "crown prince," I struggle to find a better WWE equivalent to Thor than Roman Reigns.
Triple H would have been the obvious choice for Thor, but given his current status as a heel, he doesn't qualify. Reigns, however, is the next-best thing, and they have more in common than meets the eye.
First and foremost, let's discuss what does meet the eye: their looks. Thor is the token "pretty boy" of the Avengers, and because of that people tend to underestimate him and his abilities.
As we've come to know, Thor isn't one to be taken lightly: He can annihilate anyone in his path with the simple swing of his hammer. Reigns doesn't have a similar foreign object (that's where Triple H's sledgehammer would have come in), but he does have his Superman punch, which is equally deadly.
The former member of The Shield (no correlation to Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D., mind you) has been seen as the next face of WWE solely based on his looks, but in recent months, he's been backing up his skills in the ring. His last brutal battle saw him slay the giant himself, Big Show, in a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules.
Call them "boring" all you want, but when it's time to go to war, Thor and Roman Reigns are game.
Randy Orton as Iron Man
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At the time of the first Avengers release in 2012, CM Punk could have been easily slotted into the role of Iron Man: both are smarmy, quick-witted and extremely confident in their abilities.
Unfortunately, due to Punk's departure from WWE, he didn't make the cut in time for the sequel, but Randy Orton is best suited as the replacement.
From the money and fame to the skill set that backs up his boasting, there isn't much that Tony Stark doesn't have. For all the times he can be a thorn in the side of his companions in the Avengers, he's an incredibly valuable asset to the team.
Orton can relate to Stark in that no one thought he could hang with the elite competition and measure up to the legacy of his father. Not only have both of them done that, but they've also cemented legacies of their own.
As noted, Iron Man is a key component in the Avengers but tends to butt heads with his allies from time to time. He, like Orton, works best alone and when left to his own devices, but a little backup never hurts.
The Viper is no stranger to factions such as Evolution, The Legacy and The Authority, but he's most dangerous when going at it on his own. Whether it's Orton's RKO or Iron Man's advanced technology, both can strike at any given moment.
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Ryback as Hulk
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At a time when WWE is lacking a true giant fans can look up to (both figuratively and literally), Ryback fits the mold quite well—though you never know what side of him you're going to get.
Hulk serves as the powerhouse for the Avengers, but his most glaring weakness is that he sometimes can't control his rage. With difficulty taming his inner monster (Hulk), Bruce Banner tends to be his own worst enemy.
Like Hulk, Ryback is popular with fans because of his incredible intensity and sheer strength but has struggled with finding himself in the past. He went rogue in 2013 and cut all ties to the WWE Universe, but that sent him down a darker path in the end.
Banner is similar in that vein; as himself, he is calm, cool and collected, willing to contribute to the team. Moreover, as we learned last winter, WWE's resident Big Guy has a soft side and an optimistic outlook on life both inside and outside the ring.
Banner was reluctant to join the Avengers at first but eventually was persuaded to join the cause. Similarly, John Cena had a tough time recruiting Ryback to his Survivor Series team but later convinced him to help fight for the greater good.
Paige as Black Widow
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Granted, there aren't many options to choose from when it comes to this particular pick—especially considering most of the women don't have any character development nowadays—but it was fairly simple that with AJ Lee gone, Paige is the perfect candidate to play the role of Black Widow.
The sole female in the Avengers, Black Widow breaks all stereotypes for women superheroes by being just as tough as the men. As gorgeous as she is, she's no eye candy; she's a highly trained operative for S.H.I.E.L.D. (again, not to be confused with WWE's The Shield) and can eliminate enemies with ease.
Paige is a sight for sore eyes herself, but when she steps between the ropes, she isn't anybody to mess with. Despite having been on the main roster for slightly over a year, she's been training since she was a teenager, so like Widow, her skills shouldn't be underestimated.
In AJ's absence, Paige has stepped up as one of the role models of the Divas division. Meanwhile, in the absence of authority, Black Widow takes it upon herself to administer orders, and everyone else is wise to heed her words to avoid suffering the consequences.
Paige and Black Widow are more than "smart, sexy and powerful"; they're warriors and fearless leaders. Most importantly, they're the equals of their male counterparts.
Dean Ambrose as Hawkeye
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Hawkeye may not have the same notoriety or the same following that Dean Ambrose has, but they're similar in more ways than one.
Although Hawkeye isn't the first person you think of when it comes to the Avengers, that doesn't necessarily mean he's not as skilled as the rest of the team. As seen in the initial Avengers installment, he was the only one who could tame Hulk; who else could lay claim to that?
Comparably, Ambrose isn't as high up on the card as he should be but is still one of the best assets on the WWE roster right now. He's young, brash and has tons of potential just waiting to be tapped into; essentially, he has all the tools to be a main event player in WWE.
Now, that's not to say Hawkeye will ever be on the same level as Captain America or Iron Man, but he's often overlooked for no good reason. Ambrose has been the odd man out since the split of The Shield, but as he continues to prove himself he will slowly but surely ascend the ladder to success.
As the loners of their respective teams, Hawkeye and Ambrose bring something different to the table that no one else can. They're the glue that keeps the team together, and without them the Avengers and WWE would fall apart at the seams.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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