I recently saw Paddington Bear at the Tyseley Locomotive Works open day of September 2019, and that reminded me of other similar characters that have been in Birmingham and the West Midlands over the years. Such as Alien, Predator and Iron Man on New Street, Transformers at The Mailbox. Shaun the Sheep at the Bullring. Even the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters at The NEC!

View Contributor View community

Characters from Movies and TV spotted around Birmingham and the West Midlands


Characters from Movies and TV spotted around Birmingham and the West Midlands


I recently saw Paddington Bear at the Tyseley Locomotive Works open day of September 2019, and that reminded me of other similar characters that have been in Birmingham and the West Midlands over the years. Such as Alien, Predator and Iron Man on New Street, Transformers at The Mailbox. Shaun the Sheep at the Bullring. Even the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters at The NEC!


Tyseley Locomotive Works

Paddington Bear was the special guest at the Tyseley Locomotive Works open day / weekend (last weekend of September 2019). Seen here waving to kids, not far from the miniature railway display. Another photographer taking his photo or videoing him on a tripod.

dndimg alt="Paddington" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Paddington Tyseley Locomotive Works.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

New Street

Seen at the bottom end of New Street near Rotunda Square and the Bullring was this street entertainer as the Predator. Seen in early January 2014. Predator has been in four movies released between 1987 and 2018 (1987, 1990, 2010 and 2018). Also in two Alien vs Predator movies (2004 and 2007). Also various video games and comic books based on the Predator franchise.

dndimg alt="Predator" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Street entertainer New Street Predator.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Alien seen outside of Odeon in January 2014, same day as Predator. Four movies in the Alien Quadrilogy released between 1979 and 1997 (1979, 1986, 1992 and 1997). Also appear in the two Alien vs Predator movies (2004 and 2007). There was also the also the Alien prequel movies (2012 and 2017), but a version of the Xenomorph was mostly in the second prequel movie than in Prometheus.

dndimg alt="Alien" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Street entertainer New Street Alien.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Iron Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, seen during March 2014 not far from the High Street and Rotunda Square. Iron Man / Tony Stark has appeared in a lot of the MCU movies released from 2008 onwards, including the Iron Man Trilogy (2008 - 2013), the four Avengers movies (2012 - 2019). Also appearances in the third Captain America movie (2016) and the first MCU Spider-Man movie (2017).

dndimg alt="Iron Man" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Street entertainer New Street Iron Man.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Bumblebee from the Transformers was outside of the former Lloyds TSB bank on New Street during October 2015 (it is now a TSB bank). He has appeared in all five live action Transformers movies released between 2007 and 2017, as well as his own spin off / prequel released in 2018.

dndimg alt="Bumblebee" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Street entertainer New Street Bumblebee.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

This Minion was seen at the bottom end of New Street near Rotunda Square and High Street when Vodafone was at that corner (now Metro Bank). This was during March 2016. The Minions are from the Despicable Me movie series. I have never seen this movies or the spin off. The three main Minions are called Stuart, Kevin, and Bob.

dndimg alt="Minion" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Street entertainer New Street Minion.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Late December 2018 and after dark at the bottom end of New Street near Rotunda Square in the Bullring. Pikachu and another Minion were seen here. Pikachu is from the Pokemon cartoon, movie and video game series. Was a recent live action Pikachu movie released in 2019 (never saw it apart from the trailers).

dndimg alt="Pikachu and a Minion" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Street entertainer New Street Pikachu and Minion(1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

High Street

Super Mario from the famous Nintendo videos was seen on High Street in Birmingham City Centre during September 2014. Games have been released since 1985. Originally on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), then in the 1990s on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Also on the Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, and other Nintendo consoles. As well as on the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS etc. Also has been several cartoons, and a 1993 live action movie.

dndimg alt="Mario" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Mario on High Street Birmingham.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Bullring

Shaun the Sheep seen at the Bullring near the Nelson statue during May 2015. First appearing in the Wallace & Gromit short film from Aardman Animations, A Close Shave (1995). The character was later the star of his own CBBC TV series ( 5 series between 2007 to 2016). In 2015 the first Shaun the Sheep movie was released. A second film due to be released in October 2019.

dndimg alt="Shaun the Sheep" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bullring characters Shaun the Sheep.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Optimus Prime from Transformers, seen in truck mode at Rotunda Square in the Bullring during August 2015, I think promoting the Transformers Prime cartoon series. Although this was the way the character looked like in the live action Transformers movies (2007 - 2017). Was a version in the Bumblebee movie (2018), but resembled the Generation 1 version of the 1980s.

dndimg alt="Optimus Prime" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bullring characters Optimus Prime.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Raptors from Jurassic World. Seen during October 2015. There has been raptors in the Jurassic Park trilogy (1993 - 2001) as well as in the two Jurassic World movies released so far (2015 and 2018). Expect to see them (or one of them) in the next Jurassic World movie (eta 2021?). They were visiting four UK shopping centres probably promoting Jurassic World's home media release.

dndimg alt="Raptors" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bullring characters Raptors.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The Stig from Top Gear in Rotunda Square during October 2015. A BBC Top Gear Experience ride.

dndimg alt="The Stig" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bullring characters The Stig.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was at the Bullring during March 2016 ahead of the relase of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, the second of the reboot movies. For me the cartoon I remember is the one that started in 1987 (on the BBC they called it Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles). Then there was the TMNT Trilogy released from 1990 to 1993 (Jim Henson Creature Workshop did the first two films). Later a CGI animated movie in 2007. The reboot movie series started in 2014, but the 2016 sequel was the last one of these (I believe the film makers are rebooting the series again). Has been other cartoons, as well as comic books.

dndimg alt="TMNT" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bullring characters Leonardo TMNT.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The Mailbox

Another Optimus Prime from Transformers was seen at the top of the steps of The Mailbox during August 2013, but in transformed mode. This was before the redevelopment of The Mailbox. More likely to be a security guard here now than a Transformer!

dndimg alt="Optimus Prime" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/The Mailbox Optimus Prime.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Great Charles Street Queensway

One of my earliest Birmingham City Centre Floral Trail photos was taken during September 2009 of Wallace & Gromit on Great Charles Street Queensway (above the entrance to the Queensway tunnel). There has been four short films released between 1989 and 2008 (usually shown on the BBC). A feature film was released in 2005. There has been other TV series featuring the characters as well as adverts, comics and video games.

dndimg alt="Wallace & Gromit" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wallace and Gromit Floral Trail 2009.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Mell Square, Solihull

Seen collecting for charity outside of a Game shop in Mell Square, Solihull during April 2017 was Captain America. In the MCU movies, Cap / Steve Rogers has been in the Captain America Trilogy (2011 - 2016). The four Avengers movies (2012 - 2019). As well as cameos in some of the other movies.

dndimg alt="Captain America" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Captain America Mell Square Solihull.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

MCM Birmingham Comic Con at The NEC

The highlight of the follow photos were taken at the MCM Birmingham Comic Con I went to in November 2016 at the Birmingham NEC. It was the only one I went to (not counting the Destination Star Trek conventions I went to). A lot of fans in cosplay.

Bishop from Aliens (1986). Was also other fan recreations of creatures from Aliens here and a powerloader. Bishop was also in Alien 3 (1992) but in a much worse state. Was also a Bishop II in Alien 3 as well as Charles Bishop Wayland in AVP: Alien vs Predator (2004). And a Karl Bishop Wayland in the 2010 video game Aliens vs Predator.

dndimg alt="Bishop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/NEC MCM BCC 2016 characters Bishop.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters (1984). There was also a version in the 2016 female Ghostbusters reboot movie. And he was also in the 2009 Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Also appeared in The Real Ghostbusters cartoon of the 1980s.

dndimg alt="Stay Puft Marshmallow Man" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/NEC MCM BCC 2016 characters Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The Stig from Top Gear, this time a man in the racing driver outfit.

dndimg alt="The Stig" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/NEC MCM BCC 2016 characters The Stig.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2016 was the year of the movie Captain America: Civil War, so here a pair of cosplayers outside of The NEC were recreating the fight between Captain America and Iron Man!

dndimg alt="Captain America Civil War" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/NEC MCM BCC 2016 characters Captain America Civil War.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

About a month after I saw Christopher Lloyd at The NEC (during Destination Star Trek Europe), this man was dressed as Doc Brown selling autographs near the Delorean and other memorabilia from Back to the Future. The Doc was in the Back to the Future Trilogy (1985 - 1990). As well as Back to the Future: The Ride, Back to the Future: The Animated Series and Back to the Future: The Game.

dndimg alt="Doc Brown" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/NEC MCM BCC 2016 characters Doc Brown.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Deadpool on a break. "Wisecracks return in 10 minutes". The first movie Deadpool (that wasn't right) was in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). We later got him in two proper Deadpool movies (released in 2016 and 2018). Whether he'll show up in an MCU movie in the future is unknown, or if they will still be R rated (15 here).

dndimg alt="Deadpool" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/NEC MCM BCC 2016 characters Deadpool.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

A variant of a Spider-Man costume near the steps outside of the hall. Spider-Man has appeared in many movies, including the Spider-Man Trilogy (2002 - 2007), the pair of Amazing Spider-Man movies (2012 - 2014). He later joined the MCU in 2016, and has made about 5 appearances in that (including two solo movies in 2017 and 2019 and in two Avengers movies in 2018 and 2019). Also in various cartoons and video games. Including the 2018 PS4 Spider-Man game. In 2018 was also Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (which was an animated CGI movie).

dndimg alt="Spider-Man" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/NEC MCM BCC 2016 characters SpiderMan.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.