Random Worst Superhero Performances In Comic Book Movies (14 items)

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  (#5) Chris O'Donnell

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  So much of Batman Forever hinged on the evolution of Robin's character after losing his parents. But in Batman & Robin, all that seemed to be thrown out of the window. While this film was chock full of puns, it was not full of particularly great acting. Chris O'Donnell was incapable of selling whatever was left of the character.

  At various points, Robin (née Dick Grayson) is under the influence of Poison Ivy's pheromones or in heated conflict with Bruce Wayne, and yet all of it seems like the same flavor of... well, nonexistent.
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  (#13) Patrick Wilson

  • 45

  The character of Nite Owl was not meant to be a typical superhero. He was meant to be a bit washed up and sad, post-retirement. He also was meant to be more of a tech nerd than action hero. But the tone of this character seemed to swing wildly throughout Watchmen.

  As the character is shown during multiple periods of his life, Patrick Wilson was tasked with hitting a variety of different nuances and beats that don't necessarily cohere on the page. But his decision to play Nite Owl II as meek and banal conflicts - and not in an interesting way - with the degree of aggression he delivers in the film's fight scenes. The comic character's internal sadness and regret was instead represented as a mopey void of a psychological profile.
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  (#10) Ben Affleck

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  While Ben Affleck didn’t make the best Matt Murdock, his performance in Daredevil seemed almost like a pre-emptive audition for the role of Batman. Affleck wasn't the worst Caped Crusader to ever grace the screen, but it does seem like audiences weren't exactly here for Batfleck. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a tough enough sell. The impressive early trailers promised something the final product couldn't quite deliver.

  By the time Justice League rolled around, Affleck was dealing with a lot of pressure and backlash. In what turned out to be his final go-round as the beloved character, Affleck wasn't able to capture Batman's inherent darkness nor the savvy intellect required to plausibly embody the so-called World's Greatest Detective. He didn't have Bruce Wayne's charm either. You can practically see the bat-defeat in his eyes. It's highly doubtful the oft-rumored, never-seen Snyder Cut would fix this particular performance.
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  (#3) George Clooney

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  Phoning it in is putting it lightly. George Clooney barely mustered up a performance as anyone other than George Clooney for his role in Batman & Robin. He's the only Batman in all the films to not change his voice when he's in the cape and cowl.

  As for the movie? There's just so much going on. Director Joel Schumacher even admitted that the goal of his franchise was to "sell toys." But while Clooney, in real life, already has the charm of Bruce Wayne, his interpretation of Batman removed all signs of it. At times, Batman & Robin feels like a Saturday Night Live sketch. It's widely considered the worst Batman movie, and Clooney is the Batman in the worst Batman movie, so do with that what you will.
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  (#6) Brie Larson

  • 29

  In Marvel's long-overdue first solo female superhero movie, Brie Larson takes center stage as one of the most powerful heroes the MCU has to offer. And yet she leaves little permanent impression beyond that. While her part-human, part-alien character spends the bulk of the film figuring out her identity, the performance never figures out its own. This is a character wading through an existential crisis and an actual narrative mission, and yet Larson delivers a robotic performance that doesn't succeed on either level.

  To be clear: She's a great actor, worthy of the Best Actress Oscar she won for Room. And there was a bit more brass to the character in her Avengers: Endgame appearance. But our collective introduction to a living, breathing Carol Danvers was a far cry from the much more memorable character from the comics.
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  (#4) Alicia Silverstone

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  On some level, Alicia Silverstone was done a disservice. She had to play a reimagined version of Batgirl, but somehow missed out on any of Barbara Gordon's qualities - except maybe driving a motorcycle. The film didn't even give her the trademark red hair. This incarnation was all over the place - an English prep school girl with a strict American accent and a thirst for motorcycle racing. But like her costars, Silverstone seemed to be phoning it in.

  Despite figuring out Batman's true identity, nearly losing her Uncle Alfred (Michael Gough), and even donning a suit herself, she seems reactionless. In Batgirl's various appearances elsewhere, so much of what makes her a great character is her advanced intelligence - not to mention her inexorable discovery that Bruce Wayne is the Dark Knight. Nicole Kidman in Batman Forever, in a non-superhero role, did both of those things with more panache than Silverstone.

  Batman & Robin has a lot of problems, and they certainly aren't all Silverstone's fault, but she didn't exactly make Batgirl a memorable onscreen superhero.

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