Stop me when you’ve heard this one before: An actor gets fan-cast as a beloved comic book character. It snowballs into a fever pitch, where everyone talks about how perfect they look for the role (completely ignoring acting prowess, voicework, really anything other than looks). The interview cycle kicks up. Headlines swirl. And somewhere in there, the actor drops the same line every single one of them says:

“I just want to be true to the comics.”

Lately, it’s been Brendan Sklenar popping up in every half-baked Batman fancast. And wouldn’t you know it? There he goes, in the press, mumbling something about being true to the comics.

And I just sit there, numb, because what does that even mean anymore?

True to Which Comics?

This phrase gets thrown around like it means something concrete, but anyone who’s cracked open more than one comic in their life knows just how hilariously vague it is.

Let’s take Spider-Man. Here’s just a partial list of who Peter Parker has been:

• A teenage high schooler fighting street thugs.
• A college student juggling relationships.
• A married man.
• A father.
• A corporate mogul.
• A body-swapped villain.
• A survivor in a cyberpunk dystopia addicted to a megacorp’s miracle drug (yeah, Alchemax, I see you).
• A hardboiled detective in a black-and-white noir world.

And that’s just scratching the surface. Sure, a few of those versions are alternate universes—but even if you stick strictly to the mainline continuity, Peter Parker has been reinterpreted dozens of times.

Same goes for Batman. Do you want grim, brooding Batman from Year One? Campy rainbow-Batsuit Batman from the 1950s? Gothic knight of Arkham Asylum? Father to Damian Wayne? Adam West? Dick Grayson’s Batman during the Morrison run?

They’ve all been Batman.

So when someone says they’re going to be true to the comics, what exactly are they talking about?

The Buzzword That Won’t Die

It’s all part of the same PR playbook:

• “Respect the source material.”
• “This is for the real fans.”
• “Stay true to the comics.”

Stack ’em together, and you’ve got a full-bingo card of empty promises.

You can practically see the media trainer off to the side, whispering in their ear.

I’d bet money that back in 1997, someone on the Steel movie’s press tour swore they were being faithful to the comic. And look what we got there. (Shaq still rules, though.)

When It Actually Means Something

Now, here’s the thing—I love it when actors clearly care about the characters they’re playing. And honestly, that’s one of the biggest reasons I’m so optimistic about the current DC slate under James Gunn. I know the head of DC Studios can name specific comics, entire runs, and even obscure storylines as inspiration— because he does, constantly. It’s reassuring to know the person steering the ship can actually speak fluent comic book.

When actors show real, tangible enthusiasm, it’s contagious.

Take Henry Cavill. Despite the Snyderverse kicking off a lot of what I don’t like about modern DC films, Cavill was not the problem. In fact, he was an incredibly solid choice to play Superman. Even Man of Steel—which I have plenty of gripes with—had some genuinely great moments, many of them anchored by Cavill himself. The man is an unstoppable nerd juggernaut. Whether it’s The Witcher or Warhammer 40K, he’s neck-deep in the lore and isn’t shy about it. Watching him geek out over trivia in interviews, often while his co-stars visibly check out, lights a fire in the nerdy cockles.

Oscar Isaac openly cited Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood’s Moon Knight run as his favorite, and you could tell he actually read it. I have my issues with Moon Knight as a whole, but Oscar Isaac, when on-screen, was a delight to behold.

Charlie Cox also stands out. He’s been vocal about his love for Daredevil, and he’s specifically mentioned The Man Without Fear and Born Again as essential reading. He doesn’t just name-drop; you can tell he understands the character on a deeper level. He’s also refreshingly humble about it, calling himself a “custodian” of Matt Murdock.

Speaking of Daredevil: Jon Bernthal, who played Frank Castle in both Daredevil and The Punisher, has gone on record saying he wouldn’t return to the role unless the story was good enough—because he respects what that character means to people. He’s not chasing a paycheck; he wants it done right.

Vanessa Kirby, set to play Sue Storm in Fantastic Four, has been refreshingly specific in interviews. She talked about Sue being “the maternal heart of the team,” cited John Byrne’s run as essential reading, and called Sue “protective, powerful, and deeply human.” That’s how you know she gets it.

That’s the difference between vague lip service and genuine connection.

I’m Too Old for This Trick

Honestly? I’ve just heard this line too many times. It doesn’t work on me anymore.

If you’re gonna say you want to stay true to the comics, show your work. Tell me the run you love. Mention the specific storylines that inspire your take. Or better yet, just admit you’re learning as you go—that’s fine too!

But please, for the love of everything inked, stop hiding behind hollow buzzwords.

Some of us have been burned one too many times.