15 Years Later, Ryan Gosling’s Drive Is Still Secretly One of the Best Superhero Movies Ever Made

When we hear about “superhero flicks”, our minds usually go straight to movies like The Avengers or Justice League – action-packed and special-effects-laden films that give us an extraordinary glimpse of the fictional worlds within those superpowered universes. It’s rare to think of superhero movies being made on such an intimate scale as Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling’s Drive – and yet, it’s hard to deny that the classic indie film about a lonesome mechanic who moonlights as a getaway driver and stunt driver for hire ticks all the boxes for what a superhero movie should be. In many aspects, Drive fulfils the classic formula for a superhero origins story, which makes it all the more frustrating that we might never get to see what happens next in the driver’s story.

What Actually Makes a Character a ‘Superhero’ — Powers or Not?

While most traditional definitions would agree that superheroes are often aided by supernatural forces or some other form of sci-fi narrative elements, the modern landscape of superhero characters is astoundingly diverse, making it increasingly difficult to differentiate traditional “heroes” from their superpowered counterparts.

A clear example of this would be Marvel’s Punisher. In every sense of the word, Frank Castle shouldn’t be considered a superhero – it would be more correct to call him a vigilante – but his actions in the context of the Marvel Universe are what makes him “super.” That, and his iconic skull logo – more on that in a minute. 

In Drive, Ryan Gosling’s character (who doesn’t show much of his emotions) goes through the tried-and-true hero’s journey. The Driver becomes an antihero by definition – much like the Punisher. However, when push comes to shove, the character shows his true colours, rising above the person he was at the beginning of the film. By the end of Drive, the Driver has redeemed himself not just in the eyes of those he loved but also in his own mind. By breaking the shackles that tied him for so long, he transcended the mere “good guy” status, becoming a real-life superhero. A “real human being,” as the song by College repeats incessantly near the end of the movie when he is with Irene (played by Carey Mulligan).

It also helps that the movie introduced a clear symbol that could be easily related to the Driver’s character. We’re talking, of course, of the now-iconic golden scorpion jacket. This emblem, much like the Punisher’s skull, has become engraved in modern pop culture, consolidating Drive’s popularity as an unconventional sort of superhero flick.

The Untold Story Behind Ryan Gosling’s Scorpion Jacket — And Why It’s a Real Superhero Costume

Every iconic star has a look or costume that ascends them from being an average actor to an icon symbol of cool. For Harrison Ford, it was Han Solo’s vest. For Malcolm McDowell, it was his costume in A Clockwork Orange. For Tom Hanks, it was those iconic Nike sneakers in Forest Gump. For Ryan Gosling, it’s the super cool silk jacket with an embroidered scorpion on the back he wore in Drive. Costume designer Erin Benach custom-designed the jacket for the film – which apparently took months to perfect. But is it a superhero symbol?

There are some who believe that Ryan Gosling’s scorpion jacket is an allusion to The Scorpion And The Frog Russian fable:

“A scorpion asks a frog to carry him over a river. The frog is afraid of being stung during the trip, but the scorpion argues that if it stung the frog, both would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog agrees and begins carrying the scorpion, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion points out that this is its nature. The fable is used to illustrate the position that no change can be made in the behavior of the fundamentally vicious.”

– Wikipedia

When discussing the symbol, however, The Nice Guys star had a very different take on its origins:

“He [Refn] said to me, “Watch “Scorpio Rising,” I don’t know why, but I feel like it’s a good place to start.” And I watched it and it’s a bunch of guys taking their shirts off and guys with muscles fixing bikes. I didn’t know where the thread was, but the thing that led the way, like a lighthouse through the storm of that experience, was this scorpion. And both Nicky and I agreed that that would be sort of our Batman signal in the sky. And it found its way onto the back of the Driver’s jacket.”

“On the Driver’s satin jacket,” Director Refn continued during the interview. “Satin was very important, that it was going to be satin. Satin was like a knight’s armour and the scorpion was the symbol that a knight would have. Essentially what was good about Driver is that he protects purity.”

That sure does sound like a superhero costume to me.

Why Drive Still Holds Up as a Superhero Origin Story, 15 Years Later

There’s a popular phrase widespread throughout Hollywood; “All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl.” A statement Nicolas Winding Refn clearly took to heart when creating Drive, only adding “a car” as the third element in this neo-noir heist film. 

While flicks like The Fast and Furious exemplify the genre, Drive avoids the usual template and races back 20 some years to honour the spirit of the ’80s car-chase action films, in art-house-style nonetheless. In a genre filled with clichés and predictability, the words “action movie” or “superhero movie” don’t often go hand-in-hand with intelligence. Refn, however, does well to marry the two, employing brilliant direction, great acting, and a haunting soundtrack to a story that mixes elements of romance, car chase, and grotesque violence.

Sit back and think about it: Drive is a classic tale of both revenge and love, with Ryan Gosling resting at the very centre of this morbid piece, playing the cool, calm and often mute superhero who takes on bad guys – Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and Nino (Ron Perlman) – with the help of his Alfred, Shannon (Bryan Cranston). It’s not the DCEU or the MCU, but it’s definitely one of the best superhero movies of all time!

Drive Turns 15: The Numbers (and a New Quote) That Prove Its Legacy

It’s hard to believe, but Drive is now 15 years old. Made on a very lean budget of just $15 million, the film has climbed to a 93% Tomatometer score and 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. And while it’s seen as a classic today, it wasn’t always considered one. Speaking on the It Happened in Hollywood podcast, director Nicolas Winding Refn admitted, “Most everyone hated it,” before Drive turned into a Cannes favorite.

While we’re still convinced that this was Ryan Gosling’s first superhero role, he is also set to join Marvel’s MCU as Ghost Rider soon. At the least you’ll have to admit that Drive was the warm-up for that role.

RELATED: 15 Years Ago Today, Nicolas Winding Refn — Who Failed His Driving Test 8 Times — Convinced Ryan Gosling to Make Drive by Crying to REO Speedwagon

Where to Stream Drive: As of publication, Drive is streaming free with ads on Xumo Play, and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

Tell us, do you agree that Ryan Gosling’s Drive is the best superhero film of all time? Also, check out the Barbie actor’s darkest movie role.