Welcome to The Dan Cave! No compliment for you today…because you look so good I’m speechless. See? I was just kidding.
Let’s get this out of the way: today’s episode is brought to you by Universal and Legendary’s Seventh Son, which opens in theaters this Friday. While I won’t tell you whether or not you should see the film (please do), I will tell you that Ben Barnes plays Tom Ward, a young man who suddenly finds himself thrust into an epic battle for the fate of the world as we know it. Even though he has Jeff Bridges by his side, our hero takes more than a little coaxing to accept his destiny. Though as we well know, sometimes the best heroes are the ones from whom we expect the least. As such, Tom Ward is a perfect example of the classic “reluctant hero” archetype. So, today on The Dan Cave, I am delving into the annals of pop culture to round up some of the best examples of the reluctant hero in film.
Though I am reluctant to admit it, I’m sure I forgot plenty of other excellent examples of the archetype. So tell me — who do you think are the greatest reluctant heroes? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@Osteoferocious)!
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And hey, superhero fans: Avengers: Age of Ultron is coming up faster than Quicksilver at an all-you-can-sneer buffet. Make sure your knowledge is up to snuff by picking up a copy of my new book, 100 Things Avengers Fans Need to Know & Do Before They Die!
(Editor’s Note:Â Nerdist Industries is owned by Legendary Pictures.)
Ellen Ripley should be in the list. A note on Frodo: In the book and the movie, he did not throw the ring in as stated in your video. The madness the ring drove Gollum to was its own undoing in that it drove Gollum to bite off the finger and fall into the lava.
Shaun:Shaun of The Dead, and Ash: Evil Dead
Ellen Ripley in Alien or Aliens
Totally WRONG on Luke Skywalker. Han Solo is the reluctant hero. “WHEW HOO, YER ALL CLEAR KID….” Luke Skywalker is the chosen one. “Ron Weasley,” in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone” is another.
Snake Plissken, Jack Burton, and Nada from They Live.
Mad Max in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Han Solo is the reluctant hero in the Star Wars series, not Luke. He’s also my favorite.
Wikus Van De Merwe – from District 9. He’s completely incompetent and reluctant throughout the entire movie.