Best live-action versions of comic-book villains

[johnnygobbs]

What are your favourite live-action versions of comic-villains (I say live-action because my list would otherwise end up dominated by B:TAS villains with Mark Hamill's Joker safely as number one)?  This is my rough list, and it is in no way a reflection of what I necessarily think of the related films overall.  For instance, I think Ian McKellan's Magneto is brilliant but unfortunately, it's the only aspect of the films that improves on the comic-books.  I also really rate TDK's version of Two-Face, which I know a lot of people here don't care for, but my rating does take into account the relatively short screen-time given over to Two-Face as opposed to the pre-transformation Harvey Dent (as another poster pointed out elsewhere, it might have made more sense to have Two-Face secretly incarcerated at Arkham so that he could be released by Bane, or another villain, for 'TDKR').  Also, whilst I enjoy Jack Nicholson's Joker more I do ideally think that the Joker's background should remain fairly mysterious, so in terms of conception I prefer 'TDK's' version.  Final point, I thought Michael Shannon did a brilliant job as Zod but he just falls outside of my top ten.

1. Magneto (X-Men franchise)
2. Loki (Thor/The Avengers)
3. The Joker (TDK)
4. Bane (TDKR)
5. The Joker (Batman '89)
6. Catwoman (Batman Returns)
7. General Zod (Superman '78/Superman II)
8. Two-Face (TDK)
9. Lex Luthor (Superman '78/Superman II/Superman IV)
10.Green Goblin (Spider-Man)

[thecolorsblend]

Top Seven Comic Book Villains In Live Action
Qualifiers- I'm at liberty to choose multiple versions of characters;
Sequence- unranked;

- Ozymandias
- Brainiac (Smallville)
- Lex Luthor (Smallville)
- Lex Luthor (Lois & Clark)
- Joker (B89)
- Penguin (Batman Returns)
- Red Skull (Captain America- First Avenger)

[riddler]

per series:
original batman: Jack Nicholson (Joker), Jim Carrey (riddler)
nolan batman: Heath Ledger (Joker)
daredevil; Michael Clarke Duncan. I know it was only a one film series but props to any actor who can pull off a role despite initial fan doubts
superman: terrance stamp (general zod)
green lantern: Mark Strong (sinestro) another single film series but Strong deserves mention for practically convincingly play a character who looks like he just walked off a comic page
spider-man: Willem Dafoe (Green goblin), Topher Grace (venom). Ryfus Ifans wasn't bad as Lizard either.
incredible hulk: Tim Roth (abomination). interesting parrallel here; hero trying to do whatever it takes to rid himself of the hulk with the villain doing whatever it takes to become the hulk
Thor/Avengers Tom Hiddleston (Loki); my biggest question mark about the avengers was how one villain would put up a fight against 7 heroes but Hiddleston pulled it off like a shakespearean villain


I know we all love Burton but I purposely neglected both villains in returns. Devito and Pfeiffer both do a fine job but they did stray from the comics quite a bit. I'm not going act like a hypocritical Nolanite and criticize Burton without bringing up Nolan doing the exact same thing. But Jack's joker had the look and the acting. Yeah I'm aware the joker doesn't really have an alter ego or alias but understandably they gave him one to tie it in to the plot. I love how Jack made the whole character flow; the laugh seemed so natural and menacing. With Ledger it almost seemed like he decided "after every 10th line I have to add my Joker laugh"

[johnnygobbs]

I know we all love Burton but I purposely neglected both villains in returns. Devito and Pfeiffer both do a fine job but they did stray from the comics quite a bit. I'm not going act like a hypocritical Nolanite and criticize Burton without bringing up Nolan doing the exact same thing. But Jack's joker had the look and the acting. Yeah I'm aware the joker doesn't really have an alter ego or alias but understandably they gave him one to tie it in to the plot. I love how Jack made the whole character flow; the laugh seemed so natural and menacing. With Ledger it almost seemed like he decided "after every 10th line I have to add my Joker laugh"

I completely understand Riddler.  I love 'Batman Returns' too but I feel that the first film's deviation as far as the Joker kept far more to the essence of the character than either the Penguin or Catwoman did.  Also, for whatever changes were made I simply feel that the Joker was a better written character than the Penguin or Catwoman.  Admittedly, 'Batman Returns' Penguin and Catwoman are thematically and psychologically richer than Jack's Joker but in terms of plot and story the Joker is a much more coherent, slicker creation.  I've always felt that the first part of 'Batman '89' which essentially revolves around the 'birth of the Joker' is a very tight, well-written piece of storytelling.

[The Joker]

Joker (89)
Doc Ock
Shredder (90)
Magneto 
Penguin
Bane
Two-Face
Red Skull
Lex Luthor (Smallville)
Scarecrow

[The Dark Knight]

Joker (1989)
Penguin (BR)
Catwoman (BR)
Green Goblin (Spider-Man)
Doc Ock (Spider-Man 2)
Sandman (Spider-Man 3)
Mystique (X-Men films)
Magneto (Fassbender and McKellen)
Faora (MoS)
Loki (Avengers, Thor)

[Edd Grayson]

Joker (Jack Nicholson), Penguin (Burgess Meredith), Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), Loki (Tom Hiddleston)

[OutRiddled]

Joker (Jack Nicholson)
Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer)
Penguin (Danny Devito)
General Zod (Terence Stamp)
Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones)
Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)
Shredder (James Saito)
Top Dollar (Michael Wincott)
Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell)