Jacob’s 20 Best Superhero Movie Performances of All-Time: Part One

By: Jacob Elyachar

 

Recently, Newsarama.com released its list of the 10 Best Comic-Book Based Movie Performances: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/best-comic-book-movie-performances.html

 

While I applauded at some of their selections, I thought that they left out some crucial performances.   In this two-part series, I will look at 20 of the best performances from superhero movies, which ranges from 1978’s Superman to this summer’s biggest blockbusters.

20. The Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo, the Avengers)

While both Edward Norton and Eric Bana failed to bring their A-game to play the Hulk’s mild-mannered secret identity, Mark Ruffalo was able to not only able to add dark humor into Bruce Banner but was able to hold his own against veteran actors including Robert Downey, Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson.

19.  Mystique (Rebecca Romijn, the X-Men Trilogy)

One of the X-Men’s deadliest foes made her big screen debut in the 2000 action film X-Men.  From her manipulative and seductive ways to her incredible fighting skills, Rebecca Romijn’s take on the character turned heads and impressed comic book fans.

 

 

18. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen, the X-Men Trilogy)

Jean Grey has always been an important part to the X-Men’s story and moviegoers were introduced to her in one of the film’s very first scenes where Senator Kelly on the Congress floor questions her when he tires to pass a “Mutant Registration Act.”  In the course of the three films, Famke Janssen successfully portrayed Jean Grey’s journey from the good Jean Grey to Dark Phoenix.

17. Alfred (Michael Caine, the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy)

Michael Caine’s take on Batman’s butler was a complete 180-degrees opposite from any other actor who has been a part of the Caped Crusader’s media franchise.   From rescuing Bruce from a burning Wayne Manor in Batman Begins to his actions in The Dark Knight Rises, Caine’s Alfred gave fans a new side to the character that comics fans have not seen in the loyal butler in years.

16. Batman (Michael Keaton, Batman & Batman Returns)

When people thought of Batman during the 1970s and 1980s, they still had Adam West’s take on the character from the campy 1960s ABC series.  That would change thanks to Keaton’s take on the Dark Knight.    Michael Keaton’s Batman perfectly brought the Dark Knight back to his humble roots as serious character who was hell-bent on saving Gotham from the Joker and the Penguin.

 

15. Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2)

British actor Alfred Molina, who stayed true to Stan Lee and Steve Dikto’s take on the character, successfully brought one of Spider-Man’s greatest opponents to the silver screen.   He was also one of the very few cinematic superhero villains who saw the error of his ways and sacrificed his life to save all of New York from destruction.

14. Loki (Tom Hiddleston, Thor & the Avengers)

To play one of the Marvel Universe’s ultimate bad guys, the actor has to perfectly balance being cunning and dramatic.   Tom Hiddleston brought both sides of the character out and more in both films.   It will be interesting to see how he could top his performances in Thor: The Dark World.

13. The Penguin (Danny DeVito, Batman Returns)

One of the most grotesque performances in comic book cinema was Danny DeVito’s monstrous take on one of Batman’s classic foes.   While both comics and the late Burgess Meredith showcase Penguin as a man of yore, DeVito portrayed as a scheming mastermind that wanted to drown the innocent first-born sons of Gotham City.

12. The Joker (Jack Nicholson, Batman)

Before the 1989 movie, the Joker was seen as just a clown criminal who just wanted to joke around with the Dark Knight.   However, Jack Nicholson’s approach to the character brought the maniacal and homicidal attributes of the Clown Prince of Crime to the silver screen.

11. Aunt May Parker (Rosemary Harris, Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy)

Legendary stage actress Rosemary Harris brought May Parker to life for all three of the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire Spider-Man series.   Harris perfectly portrayed the character that fans remembered from the comics as an elderly woman who helped grounded Peter Parker and reminded him about compassion and belief in humanity.

Part Two of the list will be posted in the coming days.