10 Best Comic Book Movie Supervillains
Forget those wussy superheroes (not you Batman, please don’t hurt me), it’s the supervillains who leave an indelible mark on any comic book movie. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a bad guy over a good guy any day of the week? Okay, maybe that’s just me and my life long love of comics and rooting for the hero to bite it. But hey, there is still no denying the inherent coolness in many a good supervillain, even if they rarely win in the end. Anyway, with all this in mind, and in honor of today’s release of Captain America: The First Avenger, I present to you my choices for the 10 Best Comic Book Movie Supervillains.
10. Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth
When Schreiber was first cast in the role I honestly did not think much would come of it. I have always liked Schreiber as an actor (in good and bad movies both) but I just did not think he was the right man for the job. Once seeing X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which incidentally is not that good overall (one could even call it downright silly) I was forced to take back my words and give out a silent “I’m sorry” to Mr. Schreiber. In fact Schreiber, with his snide quips and snarling verbal attacks that match his clawed and quite feral physical ones, is good enough to be the best damn thing in an otherwise pretty mediocre movie.
9. Terence Stamp as General Zod
I mean really, when is Terence Stamp not incredible!? As Superman’s cool-eyed nemesis in the second (and best) Superman (he has a smaller part in the first film but it is the sequel where he becomes public enemy numero uno), directed by Richard Lester, Stamp’s Zod, a fellow Kryptonian and the military might of the once powerful planet, is a sharp-witted and quite arrogant nemesis to good ole Clark Kent. Perhaps Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor from the first film is the more traditional choice here, but the character of Zod and the fact that he is played by one of the coolest guys to ever trod the film boards, makes him aces in my book.
8. Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus
Dr. Otto Octavius has always been a fascinating comic book character. Not only is he probably the most brilliant enemy Spider-Man has ever faced, he was also married to the web crawler’s Aunt May for a while in the comics (That certainly made for some uncomfortable family dinners!). To see him played by Alfred Molina, who seems to take such gleeful mad joy in the part, is just an added bonus for this comic book fan-cum-film critic. Director Sam Raimi also manages to give the character a sense of film noir-ish dread that works perfectly with Molina’s evil ass smirk.
7. Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
Blue women are sexy. It’s a cold hard fact. In sci-fi, in comic books, in real life if they were to exist, blue women are hot dammit. Now make Rebecca Romijn blue and you might just go through the roof. Add to that the ability to shape shift into any person and, well, let’s just say the possibilities are endless. Seriously though, the character of Raven Darkholme, aka Mystique, has always been an enigma in Marvel lore. The woman is certainly a badass and she certainly plays at being the villain, but there have been times she has come to the aid of her so-called enemies, the X-Men. Hell, she even joined the team for a while. In the first X-Men trilogy she acts as Magneto’s right hand woman and does her best (and sexiest) job at taking down our intrepid heroes. I could have added Jennifer Lawrence from X-Men: First Class in here as well but in this particular prequel (or whatever we are calling it these days) Mystique happens to be one of the good guys.
6. Willem Dafoe as The Green Goblin
When one thinks maniacal lunatic, one’s mind often goes toward Willem Dafoe, so it should really come as no surprise that Mr. Dafoe plays the maniacal lunatic Norman Osborn, aka Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man to seeming utter perfection. As a scientist/industrialist who goes batshit crazy one day and becomes the high-flying nutcase known as the Green Goblin, arch-nemesis to our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Dafoe, who has never been known for taking the easy and/or normal roles in movies, is surely the best movie-version villain to come out of the incredibly long-list of enemies ole web head has had through the years.
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44 Comments
I keep showing up on blogs and telling them the same thing when I see lists like this one: Al Pacino in Dick Tracy.
Good list, though, of the ten Pfeiffer would win in a heartbeat for my favourite film and for one of the best performances of the 90s (although, oddly, I rarely think of her as a villain).
Yeah, I had contemplated Pacino originally but (obviously) ended up cutting him out.
As for Catwoman as a villain – there are several characters on this list (Sabretooth, Mystique, Magneto and I suppose Ozymandias) that have been considered heroes and villains both.
Perhaps I should do a 10 best anti-hero list sometime.
This is a good list, though I think it skews a bit too much towards really recent films. However, it’s understandable since we’ve seen a lot more comic book movies in the last few years, though. Gene Hackman as Lex Luther in the Superman movies (especially the first one) is a classic villain who probably should be on here. Nice job.
Thanx.
I liked Hackman in the first Superman (almost always like Hackman) but just not as much as these ten.
nice list! i did also like jack nicholson as the joker but Heath took the cake
Actually I have never been a big fan of Nicholson’s Joker.
Me neither. Heath made a terrifying Joker and more than just a circus freak.
great list! I cant think of any others I would include!
Yeah no surprise about the number one spot!! Heath is going to take a lot of beating with his Joker.
I am feeling the love for Zod though!!
To put it simply – Zod rocks baby, Zod rocks!
I almost wish Zod was my dad!! How cool would I have been at school??? Too decking cool thats how!
Great list…though Catwoman would be my top spot. Yes Joker was beyond brilliance…but Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman was quite something else.
Nevertheless, TEAM SUPERVILLAINS FOREVER!
TEAM SUPERVILLAINS FOREVER!!
I’d have to put Molina up in the top three– his Doc Ock is a big part of what makes Spider-Man 2 such a classic superhero movie.
Personally, I think Luke Goss’ Prince Nuada makes for a really outstanding villain who we can root against while also seeing him as sympathetic. He’s not some mustache-twirling deviant set on conquering the world, but rather something of a freedom fighter desperately trying to stave off the slow and inevitable extinction of his subjects. For certain, his actions are cruel and he’s clearly unhinged, but I feel pity for him nonetheless.
Hey wait! What about inserting Agent Smith into this? Mentioning him is not enough!! And maybe even Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, no?
Those aren’t comic books, so I don’t think they qualify.
True. Not comics – or at least not originally comics (Matrix had since become one for a while). Because Agent Smith does rock.
I was a pretty big fan of Watchmen as well, but I felt that Goode/Ozy was one of the things holding the film back. Not sure if it was the performance, or the development of the character.
And while the movie was a downer (not as much as people think), I loved what Kevin Spacey did with Lex Luthor. But then again, I’ve liked Hackman and Rosenbaum in that role as well, so it could just be the character.
Doc Oc so wouldn’t be on my list but that’s just me hating the actors part, not the actual character. Love that you chose Magneto!
In addition, I would’ve gone with Yellow Bastard, Big Boy Caprice and The Government in V for Vendetta!
Good call on Yellow Bastard. I do not like Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. I do love Colin Farrell as Bullseye in Daredevil. He’s the best thing in an average film.
“Best thing in an average film” – great line (and so true).
Great list, I agree with every entry, particularly your #1. Ironically, I was actually one of those that didn’t believe Ledger was the perfect guy to be the Joker when I heard he got the part (I distinctly remember being horrified) but what a pleasure it is to have been that wrong.
Kevyn, you know I dig your work, so forgive me for nearly writing you off after seeing a couple of your choices here. I eventually regained my composure and took in the rest of it, and even agree with much of the list. But really – you can not dig Nicholson’s Joker all you want, but to include ANYTHING from Wolverine is just a slap in the face. I’d rather you include the Joker’s right-hand man Bob from 89′s Batman than fucking Sabretooth.
And as likeable a character as Romjin’s Mystique may be (being mostly naked helps), I’ve never thought of her as a good supervillain, much less a great one. She’s just a loyal soldier and has no real plans of her own. Frankly, the character wasn’t all that interesting until Origins came out. Loved seeing her onscreen, but not a top villain.
Weaving makes an AWESOME villain, and he makes Red Skull fun, but ultimately the character is too one-note boring to be making lists like this, much less the top 5s.
Yes the Wolverine movie sucked big time, which makes Schreiber’s Sabretooth all the better seeming since he stands out extra strongly. I could also make a list of worst characters in superhero movies and include that ridiculous portrayal of Gambit in the movie.
As for Mystique – she’s blue and naked, nuff said.
Riddler? Mr Freeze? Spacey/Hackman as Luthor?
I’ll give you Luthor (both incarnations) and if I had made this list before seeing Captain America (and the Red Skull) Hackman would have probably made it to number ten.
As for the other two you mention – I can only assume you are trying to be funny and leave it at that.
WOW! This list makes me want to bang my head into a wall until it makes sense.
Let’s start with the positive…
I like the inclusion of Schreiber’s Sabretooth and Ozmandius. Very eclectic picks and nice additions to an old list topic. Well played. That being said…
Leaving Nicholson off is a big mistake.
Zod not being Top 3 is criminal.
Mystique over Doc Ock and Zod is confusing.
I haven’t seen Cap but Weaving at #4 seems odd and undeserved.
Green Goblin over Doc Ock is a sin against Mankind.
I could go on but my guess is you under 25 years of age? Am I correct in my assumption? Cuz then this list makes sense.
PS… Kevyn… I’m not talking shit. I’m just an avid Fanboy and some of these (Pfeiffer at #3???) infuriate me. But good on you for not skewing your list to play to other people’s opinions. As a fellow list writer, I respect that!!!
You know nothing of lists, sir.
This is true!
Heck your blog’s name isn’t THE LIST anymore!
But I’m still the KAIDERMAN!
Actually I am 44 – does this really screw with your thoughts?
I still stand by my choices – and I like them even more when they piss people off.
Nice… and, yes, it does. Though I doubt it.
Not a big fan of Nicholson’s Joker – thought it a bit too silly (I know, strange complaint for such a character).
Zod is fun but only bottom half fun.
Mystique’s high rank may have something to do with my finding her a very interesting character (and she is blue and naked!!).
Really enjoyed Weaving’s Red Skull, even if the character seems a bit one-note (though the film could have used him better than it did).
Loved Molina’s Doc Ock but still not as classic as Dafoe’s Goblin.
And what the Hell is wrong w/ Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, I thought she was great.
If you’re not a fan, I get that. I have movies and characters like that on my lists all the time so I can understand the omission even if I disagree.
Zod suffers from being in a movie from the early 80s but I think is eeeeeeasily Top 5.
I agree with Dylan about Mystique. She’s cool and hot (of course) but she’s merely a pawn which diminishes her. The fact that she’s above Zod and Ock stifles me honestly.
Weaving… can’t argue until I see it the movie but he’s in awful good company.
I thought Ock was one of the better villains out there. Molina was great and so was the character and the film. Might be Top 5 for me.
Dafoe was a good Osbourne but Goblin was pretty weak on the whole… and I’m a Spiderman nut and forgiver! At one point they’re on a roof talking and it looks like two action figures talking. Finally…
Pfeiffer was all right but suffers from a weak movie., She gets hot points but she’s certainly not the 3rd best comic book villain ever. I can’t see it.
I guess it’s strange because I find your Top 2 to be spot on so the rest of the list perplexes me. But to each his own, man!
FYI… I did this list in March at my old site and Top 5 were Doc Ock, Zod, Nicholson, Magneto, Ledger.
PS. How old are you really?
But it’s fun to disagree. I wouldn’t want everyone to agree on everything – that would be pretty damn boring.
And yes, I really am 44, but I’m immature for my age.
(Haters gonna hate GIF – removed to save loading time)
Oh, Castor… I am not hating. You know me better than that!
Ahah yea I know. Just wanted to use that picture
This isn’t my field of expertise, admittedly, and I haven’t seen most of these movies and I’m not really dispusting your rankings – I just want to ask a question in relation to my favorite comic book movie villain.
Why does Liam Neeson in “Batman Begins” never seem to get the proper love?
Is he considered a “supervillain”? I really loved that villain because, unlike The Joker in The Dark Knight (irregardless of how well Ledger played him), the character really, truly BUILT to something, to a majestic moment that called back to the beginning, and he wasn’t LITERALLY left hanging. Plus, he had so much class to go with the mayhem and his scheme, while diabolical, also had that grand nobility to mix with the mayhem. I don’t know. I love Henri Ducard/Raz Al Ghul. He’s my guy. I want more villains like him. That’s all.
Right there with ya.
Sorry I’m late in the discussion, I was on vacay when this was published. GREAT list, Kevyn. You had me at Zod, Doc Ock and of course Magneto & The Joker are absolute musts in this type of list. I’m w/ Nick about Henri Ducard, such an elegant villain, and I’m always intrigued by villains who start out as friends of the hero.
I’d probably swap Ozmandius with Hackman’s Lex Luthor as he’s more iconic.
Horrid list. Liev Schreiber and Matthew Goode do NOT deserve to be on ANY best of list – especially this one! Goode was horrible and Liev’s Sabretooth was an adequate performance in a lousy film. Mystique and The Green Goblin were OK, nothing great. And Pfeiffer is included ONLY because of her ability to fill a catsuit and not on her Ed Wood style hammy performance. This list was done by someone who only remembers half of the movies based on comic book characters; to illustrate my point – NO Stephen Dorff (as Deacon Frost) from Blade (1998) (he was different – but BETTER than his Comic Book incarnation – more sexy, unpredictable and dangerous); NO Geoffrey Rush (as Casanova Frankenstein) from Mystery Men (1999) (a funny, quirky villain in a movie full of funny, quirky heroes); NO Jim Carrey (as The Riddler) from Batman Forever (1995) – come on, he was BORN to play the role – and was the best thing in the movie! NO Colin Farrell (as Bulleye) from Daredevil – he didn’t resemble the comic character (then) but his performance was note-perfect – and WORST of all, NO Michael Wincott (as Top Dollar) From The Crow (1994) – THE BEST Villain EVER – Heath Ledger is nothing but a factory double when you compare originality and intensity.
Great list, although Colin Farrel as in Daredevil deserves an honourable mention. He manages to be truly entertaining in an otherwise mediocre movie.
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