There Is Now a ‘Jack Kirby Way’ In New York City

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Stan Lee, the joint inventor of numerous iconic Marvel characters such as the Fantastic Four and X-Men, has been honored with a street named after him in New York City.

Jack Kirby, who along with writer Stan Lee created the Marvel Universe and continued to innovate the comics world through his work for both Marvel and DC Comics, has been honored with a street named after him – “Jack Kirby Way.” This week, Delancey Street and Essex Street were officially dedicated in his memory, just days before the release of the new Fantastic Four movie, titled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” hitting theaters.

Jack Kirby, born in 1917 on Essex Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, was the inspiration behind the fictional “Yancy Street” in the Fantastic Four comics. This fictitious location was loosely based on Delancey Street and the surrounding area where Kirby spent his childhood. Since Lee, the co-creator of these comics, grew up on the Upper West Side, it’s fitting to name the intersection of Delancey and Essex streets as “Jack Kirby Way.” Adding a “Yancy Street” sign would make it even more authentic.

Jack Kirby developed and jointly created several Marvel characters such as Captain America, Ant-Man, The Avengers, Hulk, Black Panther, and Thor. For DC Comics, he is known for creating the “Fourth World” of heroes and villains which encompasses Darkseid, the Demon, and Kamandi. Unfortunately, Kirby passed away in 1994 before seeing his characters become major blockbuster movies that dominated pop culture, unlike Stan Lee.

The opening date for “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has been set for July 25, and it’s quite likely that some scenes will take place on Yancy Street.

The Best Performances in Marvel Movies

15. Jeff Goldblum, Thor: Ragnarok

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are numerous alien beings, and one that truly stands out as the most convincingly extraterrestrial is Jeff Goldblum’s character, the Grandmaster, from Thor: Ragnarok. With his peculiar mannerisms, strange weapons like the miurder staffs, space DJ equipment, and his humorous pronunciation of Asgard (which he often laughs at), Goldblum’s portrayal is nothing short of extraordinary. A particular moment when he says, “Time works real different around these parts. On any other world I’d be like millions of years old, but here on Sakaar…” is a masterpiece.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe features a plethora of alien characters, and among them, Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster from Thor: Ragnarok stands out as the most convincingly alien being. His quirky habits, odd weapons like the miurder staffs and space DJ equipment, and humorous Asgard pronunciation (which he often laughs at) make for an extraordinary portrayal. A notable instance is when he says, “Time works real different around these parts. On any other world I’d be like millions of years old, but here on Sakaar…” – a testament to Goldblum’s acting prowess.

14. Iman Vellani, The Marvels

In my personal rankings within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Marvels narrowly avoids settling at the bottom due to Iman Vellani’s captivating portrayal of Ms. Marvel. This young heroine finds herself in an exciting mix with Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau, embarking on a cosmic journey. It’s high time we give Monica a catchy alias! Although the storyline is a brilliant concept, the execution felt overly busy and reliant on gimmicks, particularly the frequent power-induced swaps between our heroes. Yet, Vellani’s enthusiasm shines through every scene; in a movie as chaotic and disorganized as this one, that genuine joy in acting is nothing short of miraculous.

13. Stanley Tucci, Captain America: The First Avenger

In “Captain America: The First Avenger,” an exceptional Marvel cast graces the screen, led by Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, and Toby Jones. While any of these talented individuals could have made my list, it’s Stanley Tucci who truly stands out for me. He plays Dr. Erskine, the scientist responsible for creating the Super Soldier Serum and choosing Rogers as his first test subject. Unlike other Marvel scientists who are often reckless or even mad, Dr. Erskine serves as a moral compass within the film, and perhaps the entire Marvel Universe. His poignant speech about the distinction between goodness and power is one of the most moving quiet moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

12. Michael Peña, Ant-Man

The standout scenes in the first two Ant-Man films aren’t tied to the main character or his ability to shrink. Instead, they are the extended monologues delivered by Michael Peña as Scott Lang’s friend Luis. Whenever Peña delivers one of these intricate, humorous speeches—where other characters lip sync his words in a comedic manner—it’s incredibly amusing, and the rest of Peña’s performance is equally engaging. The latest film, Quantumania, noticeably missed out on this charm due to his absence.

11. Sam Rockwell, Iron Man 2

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we haven’t seen Sam Rockwell’s character Justin Hammer since a short film in 2014. It’s unfortunate because he was my top pick among the Phase One villains, largely due to Rockwell’s unique portrayal. His performance showcased key elements of an authentic villain: an over-tanned complexion and amusing dance moves. Let’s hope we get to see Justin Hammer again!

10. Andrew Garfield, Spider-Man: No Way Home

Even though Marvel had repeatedly denied it, it wasn’t entirely unexpected when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield appeared in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. What was a bit surprising was the extent of their involvement. In particular, Andrew Garfield seemed deeply committed to providing some resolution for his portrayal of Peter Parker, who never got the chance to star in a third “Amazing Spider-Man” film where he could have delved deeper into Peter’s reaction to the death of Gwen Stacy. He poured all those unexpressed feelings into “No Way Home”. The moment he saves Zendaya’s MJ and becomes visibly emotional… that’s the good stuff, right there.

9. Hugh Jackman, Deadpool & Wolverine

In this film, Deadpool and Wolverine primarily serve to satirize superhero movies, including themselves. However, Hugh Jackman delivers an exceptional performance as Logan, a mutant burdened with immortality and a record of wrongdoings that, in his view, makes redemption impossible. Although this might not be Jackman’s finest portrayal of Wolverine – that title likely goes to “Logan” – the fact that his acting here transcends a simple cash-grab is remarkable, considering the context of the movie.

8. Clark Gregg, The Avengers

In the initial phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it wasn’t one of the superheroes who stole the show, but rather the human S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Agent Coulson, who frequently appeared in their films to assemble them for the Avengers Initiative. Clark Gregg’s portrayal of Agent Coulson added a comforting touch of humanity to every scene, providing viewers with a relatable perspective character to witness Marvel’s deities, iron men, and sentinels of liberty. It’s no surprise that Marvel made Gregg the focus of its first television series, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, even after his demise in “The Avengers”.

7. Tom Hiddleston, Thor

Tom Hiddleston’s Marvel performances are consistently top-notch; in fact, it could be argued that he is the most reliable actor within their entire pool of talent. This started with his debut as Loki in the 2011 film “Thor,” where he showcased Loki’s deception, jealousy, thirst for power, and desperate longing to earn his adoptive father’s approval. Since then, the character has evolved, continually reappearing to cause trouble for his thunderous brother Thor.

6. John Brolin, Avengers: Infinity War

It’s essential to acknowledge that the creation of Thanos extends beyond just Josh Brolin, who provided the motion capture and voice for the character. Visual effects artists played a significant role in shaping his performance, and the scriptwriters were instrumental in crafting this complex villain who gathers god-like power with the intention of eliminating half the universe to save the other half. The combined efforts resulted in Marvel’s most formidable antagonist, one who is not only terrifying but also has compelling motivations. While I’m not endorsing his actions, it’s hard to deny that he presents a convincing case.

5. Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther

It’s clear why Marvel opted against replacing Chadwick Boseman following his unfortunate demise in 2020 due to colon cancer. No actor could step into the role of T’Challa, the wise ruler of Wakanda and the hero known as Black Panther, quite like Boseman did. With a talented ensemble cast supporting him, Boseman commanded the stage in Black Panther with an unyielding presence. Regardless of who takes up the mantle of the Black Panther in the future, there will only ever be one T’Challa and one Chadwick Boseman.

4. Bradley Cooper, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

In the initial 30 years of his comic book life, Rocket Raccoon made an appearance in just ten issues. However, as the main character in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, he transformed from a supporting actor to a scene-stealer and eventually one of Marvel’s most emotionally profound heroes. His backstory is so heartrending that it makes Spiderman, or Peter Parker, seem like a complainer by comparison. One reason Rocket is so endearing, even at his grumpiest, is the voice acting by Bradley Cooper, which lends this small space creature an extraordinary depth of wounded humanity, particularly in “Guardians Vol. 3,” where we learn about Rocket’s harrowing past and find him at the heart of the Guardians’ narrative.

3. Florence Pugh, Thunderbolts*

Marvel will carry on as long as it discovers gifted new actors to succeed its initial generation. The departure of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow was difficult, but it hurts less now that Florence Pugh has stepped into the role of the MCU’s new Black Widow. As Yelena, Pugh adds a significant amount of emotional depth to Yelena’s transition from disheartened mercenary to head of an outlaw band of anti-heroes, and she enhances this transformation with a dark humor that fits Marvel’s famous one-liners perfectly.

2. Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther

In collaboration with Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan consistently delivers exceptional performances. In the movie “Black Panther,” Jordan portrays the antagonist, Erik Killmonger, a character so captivating and multifaceted that it’s hard not to become engrossed in his mission to seize the Wakandan throne from T’Challa as part of his quest for revenge. Remarkably, Jordan manages to pull off this intense role under the character name Erik Killmonger. (“Pretty please: Mr. Killmonger was my father. Call me Erik!”)

1. Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man

It’s a thought-provoking query: If director Jon Favreau hadn’t been able to persuade Marvel to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark (and they initially resisted him for quite some time), would the movie have any success at all? And if the movie had failed, would that have marked the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe right then and there? Downey played a crucial role in establishing the tone for the entire MCU, with his damaged soul protected by constant witty banter like a shield as Tony Stark transformed from selfish arms dealer to selfless superhero. Even though Tony is no longer around, Downey continues to serve as the benchmark that all other Marvel actors are compared against.

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2025-07-09 23:55