Alan Tudyk vs. Steve Zahn
Battle of the Wisecracking Guys in the Background

Steve Zahn and Alan Tudyk do not, at first glance, seem to be in competition. Zahn brings an edgy, manic stoner energy to all his roles, while Tudyk is more of a soft, sly Everyguy. Zahn is, by this point, pretty well known, while Tudyk is pretty well known only to Firefly fanatics and Joss Whedon completists. Zahn is named Steve. Tudyk is named Alan. Not exactly identical twins.

But watching Tudyk in Dodgeball as Steve the Pirate -- a guy who dresses and acts like a pirate -- you can't help thinking, "He's treading the path once trod by the Zahn." As in, if this movie had come out eight years ago, that would have been Steve Zahn "arr"ing and "matey"ing his way through the pirate's part.

But Zahn, of course, has gone on to "bigger" and "better" things, such as Saving Silverman, National Security, and Daddy Day Care -- which is to say, he's become the Steve Buscemi of comedy, called up from non-name-recognition oblivion to serve as a comedic plug-in for leaky, unseaworthy Hollywood films. Which leaves all the old Zahn pickings -- as wisecracking best friends, slightly loopy sidekicks, comic-relief voice-over providers in films like Ice Age -- to be scooped up by some ambitious young pup with an eye to success. And Alan Tudyk is that young pup. And Alan's eye is that eye. The one to success, we mean. He's learning the Way of the Zahn. He may now be a learner, but one day, he may well be the Zahn master.

Advantage: Zahn, for being ahead in the career-arc trajectory, though after Daddy Day Care, that arc might be carrying him right over the shark