After seeing Elijah Wood steal the screen in a very minor role inThe Monkey, I’m convinced that he’ll be great in an upcoming horror comedy movie that is finally being released after two years. After playing the leading role ofFrodo Baggins inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, Wood cemented himself as an important figure in cinematic history. After starring in a major franchise, a lot of actors have difficulty making a name for themselves in other projects. However, even though he’ll always be known as Frodo, Wood has also starred in many other interesting and creative movies.
Throughout his career, Wood has continuously shown an interest in the horror genre. Some ofElijah Wood’s best horror moviesincludeCome to Daddy,The Faculty, andManiac. This year, Wood returned to the horror genre withThe Monkey, which follows two brothers who own a mysterious wind-up monkey that has evil powers and causes outrageous deaths. Even though he was only a supportingcharacter inThe Monkey, his role in the film is very memorable, andhas made me incredibly excited forThe Toxic Avengerreboot to finally be released this year.
Elijah Wood Is So Good In Limited Screentime In The Monkey
Wood’s Character In The Monkey Is Hilarious
InThe Monkey, Hal and Bill find the evil monkey as children, and it doesn’t take long for people around them to start dying in gruesome ways. After the death of their mother, they move to Maine and live with their Uncle Chip and Aunt Ida. After Chip unsurprisingly dies, Hal and Bill decide to throw the monkey into a well, hoping to never see it again. This is when theOsgood Perkins moviejumps 25 years into the future. After this time jump, it is revealed thatHal is a father who only sees his son, Petey, once a year.
I’m Completely Shocked This Major Star’s Character Didn’t Die In The Monkey
Since there are so many character deaths in The Monkey, I was utterly shocked that a villain played by a major star managed to survive the movie.
While Hal truly does care for his son, he chooses to keep his distance because he is still haunted by the powers of the monkey. Since he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to Petey, Hal happily allows him to be raised by his mother and step-father, who is played by Wood. InThe Monkey,Wood plays Ted, a successful self-help author who wants to adopt Petey and completely remove Hal from his life. Wood’s bizarre mannersisms as Ted inThe Monkeyimmediately steal the show and make him one of the most entertaining characters in the movie.
While Wood only appears in one scene inThe Monkey, he makes the best of it. While telling Hal about his plan to adopt Petey, Ted continuously tries to belittle him. In the scene,Ted challenges Hal to an arm wrestling contest and claims that he has taken his “power” from him. Ted is such a strange but hilarious character inThe Monkey, and I’m honestly shocked that he didn’t face a horrifying fate in the film.
Elijah Wood Is Appearing In The Controversial Toxic Avenger Reboot Next
Wood Will Star In Another Black Comedy Horror Movie In 2025
The Monkeyis a strange movie, since it features a lot of horrific deaths but presents them in darkly funny ways. I can imagine it would be difficult for some actors to figure out how they should perform in a movie like this. The actors wouldn’t want to make it seem like the monkey is something that shouldn’t be feared, but they also need to try not to treat it as a complete joke. Therefore,the actors inThe Monkeyoften toe the line between comedy and horror.
Even though Wood’s character is completely ridiculous inThe Monkey, it is clear that he believes everything he is trying to preach to Hal.
Even though Wood’s character is never exposed to the evil powers of the monkey in the film, he still figured out how to match the vibe of the movie. Even though Wood’s character is completely ridiculous inThe Monkey, it is clear that he believes everything he is trying to preach to Hal. Wood fully committed to his role inThe Monkey, andsuccessfully proved that he has a knack for black comedy horror movies. Therefore, I am confident he will give an amazing performance in theupcomingToxic Avengerrebootmovie.
Elijah Wood’s The Monkey Cameo Makes Me Even More Excited To See Him The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger Is Hitting Theaters This Summer
The Toxic Avengeris an upcoming reboot of the film series of the same name, which began in 1984. The original film series follows a janitor who falls into a vat of toxic waste and becomes the deformed superhero known as The Toxic Avenger, also referred to as “Toxie.” The firstToxic Avengermovie wasn’t a box office hit when it was released, but its unique blend of comedy and horror has led to a cult following being formed. ThreeToxic Avengersequels were made before the reboot was announced, cementing it as one of the most unique superhero franchises.
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After being in development for many years,The Toxic Avengerreboot finally premiered at several film festivals in 2023. However, despite its star-studded cast, which includes Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Kevin Bacon, and of course, Elijah Wood, a wide theatrical release for the movie was not immediately announced.The Toxic Avengerhas actually been described as unreleasable because of how gory and graphic it is. Thankfully, this year,it was finally announced thatThe Toxic Avengerwould be released in theaters on August 03, 2025.
What To Expect From Elijah Wood’s The Toxic Avenger Role
Wood Plays Fritz Garbinger In The Toxic Avenger
Even thoughThe Toxic Avengeris a reboot of the original series of films, its story will include a lot of major differences. Instead of falling into a vat of toxic waste, the titular Toxic Avenger will be diagnosed with a terminal illness in the upcoming reboot. Because of this change, it’s currently unclear exactly how the movie’s protagonist will gain his powers, butWinston Gooze, aka The Toxic Avenger, will seemingly choose to fight villains after being told that he is going to die.
Winston Gooze is played by Dinklage inThe Toxic Avenger, whereas Wood plays the brother of the movie’s villain. InThe Toxic Avenger,Wood portrays Bacon’s villainous character’s brother, whose name is Fritz Garbinger. While Bacon’s character is inspired by DC Comics' iconic villain Lex Luthor, Wood’s character is inspired by Penguin. Not much is known about Wood’s character in the film, but he is unrecognizable in the role, proving that he fully committed to the project. Therefore, after loving his minor role inThe Monkey, I am so excited to see what Wood does inThe Toxic Avenger.
The Monkey
Cast
The Monkey is a horror film focused on twin brothers who encounter a mysterious wind-up monkey responsible for a series of tragic events within their family. Twenty-five years later, the estranged brothers are compelled to face the cursed toy once again as it resumes its deadly rampage.
The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger is directed by Macon Blair and follows downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze, who becomes a superhuman hero after a toxic accident. Armed with a glowing mop, he must save his son and thwart a power-hungry tyrant seeking to exploit toxic superpowers.
