James Is Still Willing To Play Spike

[white avenger]

According to this

http://www.blastr.com/2009/04/angels_james_marsters_sti.php

James Marsters is still open to the possibility of a Spike movie, but he's still singing that same old tune about, "Only a few more years, and then I'll look too old to play an immortal vampire."

Now, I ask you, is there anyone here who would object to Spike coming back in a movie or TV show because James doesn't look like a 25 year old anymore?

 

[Blaze]

I definitely would not object! Honestly, I don't think any real fan would complain about a vampire looking like he aged, that is probably the one thing that I would have zero problem suspending my disbelief for. Ya sure, maybe in the mythology he's not suppose to age, but I'd take a 60yo James over anyone else to play Spike, not matter what he looks like. Same for DB and Angel.

 

[thetopher]

Nah, have techniques where they can take 10 to 20 years of an actor, or add years if they want.

I'm watching 'True Detective' right now which is set in the present and also flashes back to 17 years in the past, and while Woody and Matt are nearer the older end of the spectrum they get 'youthed' very well indeed.
It's just a non-issue these days if you've got the right make-up artists/cimematographer.

Also why I think they could do a Buffy mini-series if they wanted and have Angel/Harmony/Drusilla, whoever really, in it. They could make everybody look just the right age, no problem.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Well that article is from 2009, and he says Joss has one more year, so as of 2010 I presume he doesn't want to do it?

Though I have no interest in a Spike continuation, I have no problem with the age thing, that always seemed like a stupid condition to place on it.

 

[Kean]

I've no issue with the age thing. Can't say I'd be doing back springs to see any Spike continuation but if it was canon, I'd check it out.

Of course, this will never happen. Joss is done with Buffy (at least with this crop of actors) on the screen. I wouldn't be surprised if we got a musical or a full on reboot in the next 20 years though.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I really think both David and James are too old to reprise their roles by now. But then again they never really addressed on the show why vampires like The Master were so wrinkly and gross so I guess the whole "vampires don't age" thing could be thrown out

 

[Xin Rong]

I really think both David and James are too old to reprise their roles by now. But then again they never really addressed on the show why vampires like The Master were so wrinkly and gross so I guess the whole "vampires don't age" thing could be thrown out

The Master was well old though, you could have Angel/Spike age if the new thing was set in the future: Fray maybe?

But I don't think you could throw out the vampire don't age thing without really annoying people like me, although similarly I wouldn't object to DB or JM reprising their roles, the former aged loads in the show and I was OK with that.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

The age thing doesn't bother me. If you're ok with Buffy season 1 Angel and AtS season 5 Angel, they it doesn't really matter. DB still looks good on Bones, so I would love to see him and JM back in those roles. I love their chemistry on season 5.
Vampires aging in never really explained on the shows. Apparently over hundreds or thousands of years they eventually do age, like the master or Kikistos. Giles even says that he's soo old his hands and feet are cloven. But its never explained if all vampires will look more demonic, do they age at different rates? We don't know, but since they do eventually age, it doesn't bother me. I'm not sure about being set in the future though, I don't think I would like that.

 

[Robb Stark]

I really, truly don't understand why people get so bothered by the age thing when questions arise about Spike and Angel. There are so many holes in BTVS continuity, so many things that are just glossed over or retconned to conform with the plot that it's kind of amazing to me that James Marsters playing Spike today, with all of the makeup power of Hollywood behind him, bugs so many people.

 

[white avenger]

Well, considering what they did with Chris Evans in the first "Captain America" movie, they could have James looking like a toddler with no problems. CGI is wonderful for things like that.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I dont think any future Buffy project would have the same kind of budget as a Mavel movie.

And any time they "younger" an actor using CGI like in the examples above, it's for a scene or two, it's not the entire movie.

I would hate if they did an entire movie like that, personally. But I don't see why people would care if the actor does look older, especially if you watch Spike or Angel in season 2 and and in Angel season 5, they look differently.

Actually James looks very similar over the course of the show, while David changed quite a bit, but since the show ended, Davids kinda stopped ageing, while James has changed quite a lot.

 

[Still a Scoobie]

The age thing doesn't bother me. If you're ok with Buffy season 1 Angel and AtS season 5 Angel, they it doesn't really matter. DB still looks good on Bones, so I would love to see him and JM back in those roles. I love their chemistry on season 5.
Vampires aging in never really explained on the shows. Apparently over hundreds or thousands of years they eventually do age, like the master or Kikistos. Giles even says that he's soo old his hands and feet are cloven. But its never explained if all vampires will look more demonic, do they age at different rates? We don't know, but since they do eventually age, it doesn't bother me. I'm not sure about being set in the future though, I don't think I would like that.

Re: them aging at different rates: maybe it's to do with how much blood they get, how fresh it is and what species it comes from? The Master, therefore would be extremely old AND have decades locked away in a church as reasons for being so weird. Angel wasn't drinking human blood straight from the vein, and hadn't been since the 1800s (iirc), but had a regular supply of blood packs and animal blood, to keep him from going totally bumpy. Who knows about Kikistos? Maybe there was a point in history where he was unable to get fresh human blood? Or he's just even more ancient than the Master.
That theory kind of ties in with what Spike says about vamps who don't get blood going a bit skeletal.

 

[white avenger]

I dont think any future Buffy project would have the same kind of budget as a Mavel movie.

And any time they "younger" an actor using CGI like in the examples above, it's for a scene or two, it's not the entire movie.

As technology advances, the process becomes less expensive and more easily obtained. We're watching special effects in Syfy shows now that are more advanced that what was in the original "Star Wars" movie. Five years from now, you may be able to download software onto your laptop that will be able to make a fan movie for Youtube with SFX equal to or better than any Marvel movie currently available.

 

[TotallySpiked]

I'm assuming that if a project like this was ever going to happen, it would be to appease existing fans of the show, not really draw new ones in and I think the majority of fans who would be interested in seeing this wouldn't really care if they had aged or not. I can understand from the actors point of view though in the sense of the authenticity they feel for the role; ie, their ages. If the actor feels like they're not being true to the character, they're less inclined to do it. I think they'd probably also be apprehensive about doing it if it failed too. Now I say this as a huge Spike fan, but I honestly think that too much time has passed since the end of the series to even warrant doing a mini series or a movie based on one particular character. I don't think it would be overly relevant to make something happen just for the sake of doing so. Joss is probably seeing it from that perspective too. The only type of thing that'd be worth it would be some form of reunion within a movie. I think the likelihood of the is tiny though. Everyone has moved on. That being said though, I would also want to watch anything from the Buffyverse.

 

[Still a Scoobie]

I'm assuming that if a project like this was ever going to happen, it would be to appease existing fans of the show, not really draw new ones in and I think the majority of fans who would be interested in seeing this wouldn't really care if they had aged or not. I can understand from the actors point of view though in the sense of the authenticity they feel for the role; ie, their ages. If the actor feels like they're not being true to the character, they're less inclined to do it. I think they'd probably also be apprehensive about doing it if it failed too. Now I say this as a huge Spike fan, but I honestly think that too much time has passed since the end of the series to even warrant doing a mini series or a movie based on one particular character. I don't think it would be overly relevant to make something happen just for the sake of doing so. Joss is probably seeing it from that perspective too. The only type of thing that'd be worth it would be some form of reunion within a movie. I think the likelihood of the is tiny though. Everyone has moved on. That being said though, I would also want to watch anything from the Buffyverse.

^^that.

I think their best shot at doing something now is something based around Giles, either post-BtVS with ASH or in his Ripper phase with a young, unknown British actor (perhaps an actor for whom it would be a first role, one who's really a fan of the Buffyverse, maybe a recent addition to Buffy-Boards, even. But where to find such a man? 😉) or based around Faith, although how easy it would be to get Eliza Dushku on board is debatable.

The other slight problem they would face of course, is whether to follow the comics' continuity or start from scratch and thereby de-canonise the comics.

 

[white avenger]

Of course, we're all forgetting the most obvious answer: animation. James could "play" Spike, as in, lend his voice to the animated character, with no regards to how old he looks, and with the quality of some of the newer animated movies, that would certainly solve the problem. He wouldn't even have to burn his scalp up with peroxide to become blonde again, and the washboard abs wouldn't require a single sit up.

There was an animated "Star Trek" series that ran for 3 seasons back in the 70's with all of the original actors furnishing their characters' voices. The animation sucked, but the stories were great. With modern technology, the animation on a "Buffy" show would be much better now.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

In the comics right now the rules for vampires are being re-written, so it wouldn't be too hard to come up with a hand-wave for why he looks older. Maybe souled vampires age now.

Or, you could just go ahead and have him play Spike, have everybody say "wow, he looks older now" for the first 30 seconds, and then they'd get over it.

I think SMG is still the real sticking point for any hope of more filmed Buffy. I've said before that doing a one-off charity episode for Children In Need or something would be the best way to make it happen... but I just don't see a full-on movie ever materializing.

 

[nmcil12]

It would be simple to create a script that would allow any of the TV cast to appear in a new film - but what I think would really work is to create a Buffy Generation Two. They could still use James Marsters or other former cast members, of course it would have to be a good script, and a new generation of Buffyverse would not have all the baggage that would come with trying to do a continuation of the original TV story. Especially with all these new Slayers there is plenty of opportunities to create new characters and a new story.

JM or DB could easily be involved with an adjustment for aging script - but that is the only way that I personally think it would work. I believe that James Marsters was something like 37 when he played Spike - and DB, while not in the same age category, is still much older looking now.

Giles looking back at his life as Ripper would work - and again, this would clear all the baggage of the TV series.

 

[TotallySpiked]

The other slight problem they would face of course, is whether to follow the comics' continuity or start from scratch and thereby de-canonise the comics.

I've never read any of the comics since that format doesn't interest me so it would definately be interesting to see if they just went from a continuation from the show or incorporated the comics therefore making it all canon. I'd think it'd be best to probably make it a movie/mini series based of the series because 99.9% of fans (I'd assume) have seen the show compared to a smaller percentage who would have read the comics as well. I'd have no idea what was going on if it carried off from the comics. Something once again that Joss probably wouldn't sign off on since it would make some of his comic works null and void.

 

[Lyri]

Something once again that Joss probably wouldn't sign off on since it would make some of his comic works null and void.

Joss has stated in the past that if he could get ALL of the original actors back for some sort of continuation onscreen, then he would have no problem scrapping the entire comic run. But only if he had all the original actors.

I for one would not complain.