Scott Pilgrim vs the Worldwill be back before you know it! Following the acclaimed graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley came an equally beloved feature film fromShaun of the Deadhelmer Edgar Wright. And now, an anime series is coming to Netflix, featuring voice talents of the original cast. And thank goodness for that — especially sinceScott Pilgrimunfairly flopped at the box office.
“What has been really nice aboutScott Pilgrimis that for a film that did not do that well on its original release, usually when that happens, a studio is sort of embarrassed by it,” Wright once toldCollider. “And it very quickly goes to DVD and Blu-ray, and it’s maybe never spoken of ever again. And the nice thing is withScott Pilgrim, that didn’t happen. And it’s one of those things that, I remember at the time, people kept asking me to try and point the finger of blame. And people kept saying like, ‘Oh, is it because of the poster?’ People wanted me to point the finger of blame at somebody, and I would never do that, because A, I didn’t necessarily agree, and B, I knew that the marketing department at Universal absolutely loved the movie.”
As we count down the days until the anime series drops onNetflix, we took a closer look at all the villains and “evil exes” that Scott has to face in the movie. In the graphic novels, they’re spread out over multiple books, but the movie manages to do a stellar job in giving each foe the proper spotlight they deserve. Our list below is ranked in terms of each villain’s overall impact on Scott’s life in his absurdly absurd universe.
7Matthew Patel
“Pirates are in this year…” Played to perfection by Satya Bhabha,Matthewis the first evil ex to come face-to-face with Scott (Michael Cera) in the movie. “Didn’t you read my email?” he asks Scott upon their first and only encounter, where Matthew solidifies Ramona’s warning that he must defeat her evil exes. Scott KOs Matthew pretty quickly, but there’s no denying he’s got a memorable scene — especially given that it’s the only “musical” number in the whole film. “This guy’s good,” says Stephen Sills (Mark Webber) as he watches on.
Related:Explained: Is Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Problematic?
6The Katayanagi Twins
“We’re performing at the same time?!” They may not have any lines of dialogue, but theKatayanagitwins' stage presence is a visual treat when Scott has to face Ramona’s twin exes in a “battle of the bands” type of concert, where they’re literally putting on a show at the same time as Scott and Stephen’s Sex Bob-ombs band. It’s clear they are expert DJs in both the graphic novel and movie — but like Matthew Patel, they meet their demise pretty soon after gracing the screen.
“I’m a little bi-furious!” Following their characters' romantic stint on the beloved seriesArrested Development, Michael Cera and Mae Whitman return in action together and play lovers-in-distress inScott Pilgrim.Roxyis the reason Ramona (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) always corrects Scott to “evil exes” whenever he says “evil ex-boyfriends.” Ramona had a “sexy phase,” which stuns Scott upon meeting Roxy. He defeats Roxy pretty easily, but her battle scene is quite hilarious, especially the moment where Scott finds a clever, “sexy” way to KO Roxy.
“Chicken isn’t vegan?” Brandon Routh was pretty solid in Bryan Singer’sSuperman Returns, butScott Pilgrimallowed the actor to show off his comedic chops.Toddgets shot down by the “vegan police” pretty easily, but his extended sequence alongside girlfriend Envy Adams (see below) sends Scott through a whirlwind of emotions. And who can forget that epic bass guitar battle between Scott and Todd? We hope to see Routh in more comedies going forward.
3Envy Adams
“You should so — totally — come.” Before she took home Oscar gold forRoom,Brie Larson was hystericalas the infamousEnvy(what a name!) inScott Pilgrim. She’s the only character on our list here who isn’t an official “ex” of Ramona’s, but her villainous turn certainly left its mark on the overall film. Envy’s electric, on-stage performance in the film makes us wonder if Brie Larson also has a future in the music biz. She looks the part, and her devilish antics steal the show in such a quotable movie likeScott Pilgrim.
Related:Brie Larson Shares Unseen BTS Rehearsal Images From Her Iconic Scott Pilgrim Scene
2Lucas Lee
“Hey. How’s life? He seems nice.” Chris Evans, ladies and gentlemen. We suppose you already knew he was hilarious, thanks to his starring turn inNot Another Teen Movie. But he continued in the comedic vain with his outrageous turn asLucasinScott Pilgrim. And those stunt doubles provide a stellar fight scene. “I want to have his adopted babies,” says Scott’s gay roommate Wallace (Kieran Culkin) as they watch the actor-skater Lucas shoot a scene for his new movie.
“You made me swallow my gum. That’s gonna be in my digestive tract for seven years!” Wes Anderson-regular Jason Schwartzman has been said to “follow the writing” in Hollywood, reliably being featured in acclaimed films over the years that are rich in substance. Classics likeRushmoreandI Heart Huckabeescome to mind. It’s no wonder, then, that he signed on for a juicy, layered movie likeScott Pilgrimthat’s got some serious heart behind all the hilarious video game-esque gimmicks.Gideontakes the cake when it comes to villains, since he comes awfully close to stealing Ramona away from Scott in the third act.
