Random Greatest Superhero Movie Performances (25 items)

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  (#21) Ron Perlman

  • 68

  Films: Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (2008)

  It seemed somewhat impossible to develop a movie based on Mike Mignola's insanely popular character, Hellboy, but that's what happened in 2004, and it wouldn't have been as successful as it was had Ron Perlman not signed on for the titular role. Perlman is one of those actors you've probably seen several times and not even known it was him you were watching. He's a fantastic character actor, and often works with a ton of makeup.

  He's been the Beast in the live-action television adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, he was a vampire in Blade II, and so much more. Perlman's ability to portray a character under tons of makeup has helped him land some impressive roles, and if you don't think the success of the first two Hellboy movies doesn't have much to do with who played the titular role, look at the third movie released in 2019. That movie was an absolute dumpster fire, and while it wasn't the lead actor's fault, it would have fared better with Perlman back under the red paint.
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  (#3) Chris Evans

  • 37

  Films: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019)

  Chris Evans packed on some serious muscle to play Steve Rogers/Captain America, but that's about all this phenomenal actor had to change about himself to take on the role of America's symbol of patriotism.

  Evans put his heart and soul into the role, which is evident if you simply watch his progression through the MCU. He begins as a man who just wants to stand up against the bullies of the world, and over the course of seven films, he becomes a criminal of the government and returns to stand up once more for freedom and justice.

  Like Hemsworth, it's hard to picture anyone other than Evans in his MCU role. He is Captain America, and despite playing Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four films and some other work in superhero movies over the years, his fans won't remember him for that work -- he's Steve Rogers, through and through.
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  (#15) Paul Rudd

  • 49

  Films: Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019)

  Few people would have looked in Paul Rudd's direction when talk of casting an actor to play Ant-Man came around, but that just speaks to the man's talent as an actor. Sure, he can play a stoner in a comedy, but that doesn't mean he can't command a leading role as a superhero -- he's proven it in multiple films.

  Rudd was perfectly cast to play Scott Lang, which is good, as he wouldn't have made for a convincing Hank Pym. The characters are vastly different, so it worked in Rudd's favor that the first Ant-Man film established the older hero looking for a new man to fill his shoes.

  Interestingly, Rudd wasn't expected to get into "superhero shape" for his role, but he did it anyway. That's why there's a scene in the first Ant-Man film, where he's seen with his shirt off. It's not just so Hope can leer at his godlike figure; it's because Rudd worked hard to make it happen, and he deserved to show off the fruit of his labor!
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  (#11) Scarlett Johansson

  • 34

  Films: Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Widow (2021)

  Scarlett Johansson took on the role of  Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow when few could have guessed she'd go for the role. She had been in a series of hits and could have chosen anything to work on, but she ended up in the MCU, and it was probably the best decision she's ever made.

  She played the character with ferocity, and like most of her MCU peers, she managed to evolve her throughout the first three phases of the franchise. It took some time, but she finally got the greenlight for her first solo movie as the character, and it's likely going to be a massive hit.

  Prior to this role, Johansson never engaged in an overtly physical role, but she got herself in incredible shape for Black Widow. She managed to make it look easy to jump onto a bad guy, wrap your legs around their head, and twist them down to the ground. Regardless, she engaged in the role like all of her others and proved she can do anything she sets her mind to, as she's an incredibly talented actress.
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  (#18) Zoe Saldana

  • 40

  Films: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019)

  Zoe Saldana is an impressive actress, and while that's mostly due to her talent, it's also because she's in just about every major film franchise of the 21st century. She's been in Avatar, Star Trek, and the MCU, so it shouldn't' be surprising that she played an amazing Gamora in The Guardians of the Galaxy.

  Her role as Gamora helped solidify that movie as one that could work, which isn't necessarily something many people banked on before it came out in 2014. After all, the characters weren't well-known outside of the comics, and they included a walking, talking tree, and an anthropomorphic raccoon.

  Regardless, Saldana helped ground the group, and seeing her play both villain and hero just showcases her amazing talent. When she was last seen in Endgame, she was her '2012' self, which means she will likely play closer to Gamora's more villainous side as she appears in subsequent films in the MCU.
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  (#23) Jackie Earle Haley

  • 57

  Film: Watchmen (2009)

  While most people see Watchmen as something outside of your traditional superhero movie, that's kind of the point. Jackie Earle Haley played Rorschach, a man who grew up with an abusive mother who worked as a prostitute, and this caused him to become an incredibly angry and aggressive adult.

  Instead of turning to a life of crime, he opted instead to beat the ever-living crap out of bad guys as the superhero known as Rorschach. Haley was outstanding in the role, and while his face was covered for most of the movie, his best performance came when the mask was removed.

  One scene of particular brilliance was when he's in prison. An inmate tried to start something with him, so he burned his face off with hot oil, and decried, "I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me!" That line can be found on UrbanDictionary as "the most badass line uttered by Rorschach in Watchmen."

  Clearly, he had some excellent dialogue to work with, but only Haley could have made Rorschach as convincingly psychotic as he's presented in the film.

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