Some of the greatest actors have turned superheroes into a serious business: Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson in 'Batman'; Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, the first venerable knights of the X-Men, who have now passed the baton to Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy.

He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and he rose to prominence through a number of TV roles and more recently major film roles. His Donmar Warehouse credits include Cassio in Michael Grandage's production of Shakespeare's Othello alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ewan McGregor to critical acclaim and later Lvov in their West End revival of Chekhov's Ivanov. He reprised his role as the supervillain Loki in the 2012 movie The Avengers.

He played author F. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and he rose to prominence through a number of TV roles and more recently major film roles. Scott Fitzgerald in the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris (2011).