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"I love Marvel movies, but it's time to give the underdog a shot" - MCU star Peter Dinklage on why the Toxic Avenger, not the Fantastic Four or Superman, is the hero for summer 2025

The Toxic Avenger doesn't have the looks of Clark Kent or Reed Richards (hell, even Ben Grimm), but he's got something just as valuable - originality

Though what we've seen of the 2025 Toxic Avenger remake is all about being revolting (practical gore effects, shocking mutations, concerning fast food), star Peter Dinklage feels the movie's real purpose is to satiate an appetite. Speaking to horror outlet Fangoria, the Game of Thrones star said that "People are hungry for something unique, that's what art is, you're [not] delivering a product like a Big Mac."

Unique is exacty what this movie's going for, and it's certainly no Big Mac: there's no way the FDA would approve what happens in this flick. 

Some context here: Dinklage's interview with Fangoria came from the Summer 2025 issue, the subscriber edition of which appeared with The Toxic Avenger's titular mutant superhero on its cover. Of course, that character on the cover certainly doesn't look like your average superhero - you're not getting Pedro Pascal's jawline or David Corenswet's split-curl here - but according to Dinklage, that's precisely the point.

"I think heroes come in all forms," the Dexter: Resurrection actor told Fangoria. "I love Marvel movies, but it's time to give the underdog a shot and open up the definition of what a hero is. Humans are clumsier and more awkward than your traditional superheroes, and it's fun how Macon [Blair, director] played with that form and subverted it."

Dinklage's comments are especially interesting given that, as of this writing, we're very much in the summer of 'traditional' superheroes. The big-ticket superflicks are, of course, Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, both properties that have, at one point or another, been their publisher's flagship titles (those publishers being DC and Marvel, respectively). And as we well know, not only are those characters not underdogs, but the studios behind them hardly fall into that category.

That said, we'll have to wait and see how audiences react to The Toxic Avenger once it comes out to see if the appetites that the films star was talking about are more like slight cravings. Remember, Peter, Big Macs aren't unique, but McDonalds does make a lot of money off them.

Still, as someone who prefers the off-menu kind of movies anyway, you can bet this humble writer will be placing at order at your restaurant. 

The Toxic Avenger is in theaters August 29.


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Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.

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