Random Greatest Superhero Movie Performances (25 items)

• 

  (#1) Robert Downey Jr.

  • 53

  Films: Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Black Widow (2021)

  There wouldn't be an MCU if not for the talented performance Robert Downey Jr. gave as Tony Stark/Iron Man in 2008. He played the role in over ten movies, and his work built the backbone of what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

  Granted, there were thousands of people who made that happen, but the end-product saw RDJ wearing the red and gold armor from start to finish of the first three phases of the MCU.

  Though his character passed away in Avengers: Endgame, he is reprising it once more in Black Widow, which is set prior to the events of Endgame.
• 

  (#2) Hugh Jackman

  • 50

  Films: X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), and Deadpool 2​​​ (2018)

  If there's one actor who has definitely put his time and energy into a superhero role, it's Hugh Jackman. He played Wolverine for the better part of two decades, and the man seriously put his all into each and every performance.

  He wasn't necessarily the main character in the first X-Men film, but that was only a technicality. He went on to become so popular; Fox kept throwing him into every film in the franchise, whether it made canonical sense or not.

  Jackman ended his time playing the character in 2017's Logan and has sworn off ever taking it on again, but rumors abound that Disney is trying to work its magic to bring him back, if only for a final time... well, another final time, anyway.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#4) Ryan Reynolds

  • 39

  Films: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018)

  If you want to get technical about it, Ryan Reynolds played Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but the character was altered so much from his comic book counterpart, Reynolds, and every fan of the comics absolutely hated it. 

  That film pushed Reynolds to advocate for a new take on the character, who would better resemble his source material, and while it took seven years to come to fruition, he managed to "reprise" the role in 2016's Deadpool. That film was incredibly successful and held the record as the top-grossing R-rated film of all time until Joker supplanted it in 2019.

  Reynolds played the character again in the sequel, Deadpool 2, and is expected to return once more, though it's unclear when and how that might happen now that Disney reclaimed the rights for Marvel's characters from 20th Century Fox.
• 

  (#5) Chris Hemsworth

  • 32

  Films: Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016) Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

  Despite having blond eyebrows when he first started playing the role of Thor Odinson, Chris Hemsworth absolutely looked the part. Ok, the character has those eyebrows in the comics, but they don't translate well to film, and fortunately, they were dumped in subsequent movies.

  Chris Hemsworth was perfectly cast in the role, and it's not just because he turned his body into that of a perfectly chiseled Norse god; he's an amazing actor, and it's hard to picture anyone else managing the role as well as he has.

  Throughout the course of the first three phases of the MCU, he's evolved the character from a headstrong and impulsive young man to a despondent leader who felt he failed his people. Thor completely changed through the course of his movies, and it's all due to Hemsworth's incredible acting.
• 

  (#6) Patrick Stewart

  • 78

  Films: X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and Logan (2017)​​​​​​​

  When talk of a live-action X-Men adaptation was going around in the late 1990s, few people could see anyone in the role other than Sir Patrick Stewart, and it's not just because the man is follically-challenged.

  Stewart is a phenomenal actor, and he has a history of holding up franchises, so his gravitas didn't hurt any when Fox opted to exercise its film license rights by going out on a limb with X-Men in 2000.

  The success of that movie helped give birth to the subsequent cinematic universes, and a large part of that stemmed from Stewart's work on the franchise. While James McAvoy nailed his time in the role, it all starts with Stewart, who made a lot of the superhero films of the 21st century possible.
• 

  (#7) Christian Bale

  • 45

  Films: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

  Following the disaster that was Batman & Robin, it took years before anyone even considered a reboot of the Batman franchise. After the previous one did so poorly, it seemed as if the character was doomed, but then Christian Bale stepped into the cape and cowl, and talk of a franchise was once more on everyone's lips.

  Bale took on the character in a way that hadn't exactly been done previously. He built on Michael Keaton's performance, which saw the character as dark and burdened by his past, and added to it with a level of Bruce Wayne charisma topped with some ninja action.

  Bale played the character incredibly well for the entirety of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and about the only complaint anyone had about his performance was his raspy voice, but that's pretty much it.
• 

  (#8) Benedict Cumberbatch

  • 39

  Films: Doctor Strange (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019)​​​​​​, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2021)

  Benedict Cumberbatch is no stranger to massive blockbuster franchises, so it wasn't too surprising when Marvel revealed he was cast to play Doctor Stephen Strange in the MCU. That being said, now that he's appeared in the role in four films, it's impossible to imagine anyone else wearing that cape.

  His performance as the character in his solo film established magic and mysticism as something that not only existed in the MCU, but it was something that made sense in the grander scale of the whole Marvel Universe.

  That's surprising, given the reliance on technology in all the other films in the franchise, and it's largely due to the manner in which Cumberbatch played the character that helps it all make sense. Cumberbatch will continue to play the character well into Phase 4 and will show up in a sequel to his first solo film in 2021.
• 

  (#9) Gal Gadot

  • 33

  Films: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), and Wonder Woman: 1984 (2021)

  When Gal Gadot was first cast to play Princess Dianna of Themyscira, aka, Wonder Woman, many balked at the untried model's foray into such a film role. She was decried as lacking enough muscle mass to play the character convincingly, and she was relatively new to film, so there were plenty of people concerned with her casting.

  She proved them all wrong by taking on the role, and absolutely killing it, first in Batman v Superman, and then again in her solo film. She was one of the few bright spots of Justice League and will undoubtedly return for another amazing performance in Wonder Woman: 1984.

  There wasn't anything about Gadot's performance as Wonder Woman that wasn't spectacular. She built up her muscle mass to quiet the naysayers, she clearly studied the character, and she invested her time and energy into playing the character well, and that's exactly what she did.
• 

  (#10) Chris Pratt

  • 39

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

  Before landing the role of Star-Lord, Chris Pratt was mostly known as the doughy guy on Parks & Recreation, but he managed to prove his worth by getting int superhero shape for the role.

  He lost all his bodyfat weight, packed on some muscle, and managed to bring his particular brand of comic timing to a role that could never have been played by anyone else. Granted, it didn't hurt that director James Gunn was gunning for Pratt to play the role and went to bat for him to ensure he got it.

  In some ways, he's the comic relief, but in others, he's the guy carrying the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Granted, it's hardly just Pratt alone carrying those movies, but he's a big part of it, and it would be impossible to imagine the Guardians of the Galaxy movies without Pratt.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#12) Tom Holland

  • 19

  Films: Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

  Tobey Maguire proved that Spider-Man could work in live-action, but he couldn't play the role forever. He was followed by Andrew Garfield, who gave a good performance, but it fell short when compared to Maguire. That can't be said of Tom Holland, who brought a youthful innocence to the role in a way that made us all want Tony Stark to be our father-figure.

  Holland showed up in the MCU as a sort of add-on in Civil War, thanks to an agreement between Sony and Disney, but it wasn't until Homecoming that we really got to see what Holland offered, and it was a lot.

  How many people shed a tear (or five hundred) when he faded to ash in Avengers: Infinity War? That wasn't just because of RDJ's reaction to his disappearance, it was due, in large part, to Holland's masterful grip on the role, which will hopefully continue unabated for the foreseeable future.
• 

  (#13) Samuel L. Jackson

  • 70

  Films: Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011) Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)

  While Robert Downey Jr. was the first superhero who brought the MCU into a viable cinematic universe, it was Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, who made sure it all came together into a larger world.

  Jackson signed on to play the character for nine films, which was unprecedented at the time, and it's a good thing he did. He played a small role in just about every film and character's franchise to make sure they all wove together via his so-called "Avengers Initiative," which was finally revealed to be his underlying plan in Captain Marvel.

  Interestingly, Jackson is the only character who is truly comic book accurate, and for a good reason. When Nick Fury was redesigned for 2002's The Ultimates, the new character was modeled off of Jackson's appearance, making him the only person who could possibly have played the role in the MCU without starting a riot.
• 

  (#14) Chadwick Boseman

  • 37

  Films: Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Panther 2 (2022)

  Taking on the role of T'Challa, aka, Black Panther is no easy task for an actor, but if there's one guy who could make it happen, it was Chadwick Boseman. Once he got the role for Civil War, he developed it and even came up with his own African accent for the character, which is a combination of several he thought worked perfectly for the role (he was right).

  When he finally got his chance to play the character in his own solo film, Boseman didn't fail to deliver. Black Panther was an immense success, and while that had a lot to do with the amazing performance of  Michael B. Jordan as Eric Killmonger, it couldn't have been possible without Boseman at the helm.

  Boseman's work in the franchise has certainly established him as a superhero, and he will continue to reprise the role as the MCU heads into Phase 4.
• 

  (#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!
• 

  (#16) Mark Ruffalo

  • 51

  Films: The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013) Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019)

  Mark Ruffalo wasn't the first actor to play Bruce Banner/Hulk in the MCU, that honor goes to Ed Norton. Due to some issues pertaining to Norton's insistence on more creative control, he left the franchise, and Ruffalo was brought on to replace him.

  While Norton didn't do a bad job -- after all, he's a phenomenal actor -- Ruffalo took it in a different direction. He added more levity and created a more likable character who evolved over the course of the MCU's first three phases to leave fans with an amalgam of both characters in one.

  He's likely to return and continue playing the character well into Phase IV, though Marvel and Disney have been tight-lipped on the details. At this point, there really isn't anyone who can play him as well as Ruffalo, as he's attained the same level of perfection in playing the role as Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno did on the television series from the 1970s.
• 

  (#17) Christopher Reeve

  • Dec. at 52 (1952-2004)

  Films: Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

  It's likely there wouldn't be any superhero movies in the 21st century, were it not for Christopher Reeve's amazing performance as Superman in the original 1978 film of the same name.

  That movie was the first big-budget Hollywood superhero film, and there were more than enough people who thought it would fail. Reeve proved them wrong by showing the world that he was indeed the Man of Steel.

  He would reprise the role in three sequels, and while the second film is often considered to be on par with the first, the third and fourth aren't the greatest in the genre. That's less a problem with Reeve's performance than it is poor direction and a crummy script.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#19) Michael Keaton

  • 67

  Films: Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992)

  When Michael Keaton was first cast to play Batman in 1989, there was a great deal of uproar and backlash, as nobody could see him in the role. After all, he'd never done anything quite like a superhero movie, and this was Batman, after all. A comedic actor couldn't possibly do the role justice, right?

  Wrong! Michael Keaton quickly silenced the critics by giving an incredible performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman. He added his own unique style and flair to the role, which paired perfectly against Jack Nicholson's outstanding performance as the Joker.

  Keaton would return for the role in the sequel but abandoned it when the third film came around. Val Kilmer took that role and dropped it as well for George Clooney, who just killed it. Not the role -- he killed the franchise.
• 

  (#20) Henry Cavill

  • 35

  Films: Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017)

  There have been a lot of people who put on the cape to play Superman over the years, and it seemed as if nobody could ever fill the tights quite like Christopher Reeve. When Henry Cavill came along to give it his best, he managed to portray the character much differently, and in a fresh and interesting way.

  Cavill's Superman wasn't the same kind of glowing golden boy Scout as Reeve's; he was grittier in a way that hearkened back to Keaton's portrayal of Batman, but with a sense of power that made him into a Christ parable on the silver screen.

  Cavill looks the part, which didn't hurt, but his work in the role cannot be discounted. He managed to give life back into Superman, and while Brandon Routh's performance was good years before, he reprised the role Reeve established with his performance, whereas Cavill made it his own.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#22) Wesley Snipes

  • 56

  Films: Blade (1998), Blade II (2002), and Blade: Trinity (2004)

  A lot of people seem to forget that Iron Man wasn't the first massively successful Marvel motion picture to hit theaters. That honor goes to Blade, which proved a superhero movie could not only be led by an African American actor, but it could also be rated R, and feature vampires!

  Wesley Snipes was perfectly cast to the role, and he managed to slay it... in the first two movies. Unfortunately, he became somewhat erratic to work with for the third film and didn't give his best performance, but the first two films were definitely highly praised for his performance.

  Snipes' time in the Marvel Universe may not be over, as there is a rebooted Blade film coming to the MCU. He's not set to reprise his role, but there are calls for an appearance, so you never know what the future may bring.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#24) Brandon Lee

  • Dec. at 28 (1965-1993)

  Film: The Crow (1994)

  Back in 1994, few people knew the name Brandon Lee, but that would change with The Crow, though it was sadly due to all the wrong reasons. Brandon Lee's breakout role was also his last, as he was killed on-set in an accident involving a firearm.

  Fortunately, the film was finished via some digital trickery, which was actually advanced for the time, but looking beyond the tragedy of The Crow, it's an amazing superhero film, even if the hero is more of an anti-hero vigilante than a traditional one.

  Lee definitely earned his paycheck in the role, as he showed a full range of emotions as Eric Draven. His fight choreography was also reminiscent of his father's work and had he not died in the making of the movie, it's likely he would have continued working in the genre.
• 

  (#25) Tobey Maguire

  • 43

  Films: Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Spider-Man 3 (2007)

  Tobey Maguire was a bit too old to take on the role of Peter Parker when he landed the gig in 2002, but as it happens, the youthful-looking actor could have played Parker in grade school, and few would have been bothered.

  Maguire took his charisma, and made the role his. He showed the world that there truly could be a live-action Spider-Man that people would enjoy seeing time and time again. While his third time in the spandex wasn't as beloved as the first two, that was less Maguire's fault as it was a crummy script and a film burdened with too many villains.

  Maguire did a remarkable job with the role, and he was difficult to replace. After he finished with his franchise (when a 4th film was canceled), it was rebooted with Andrew Garfield in the lead role. Unfortunately, his two films underperformed, and the character has since been picked up by Tom Holland, who has reinvigorated the franchise much like Maguire once started it.

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