Actors Who Played Comic Book Roles And Completely Dominated!

ADVERTISEMENT

Michael Keaton - Batman

Today, super heroes have taken over the cinematic universe. Some of the highest grossing movies of all time are now stories that were originally from the comic books. For those who grew up being made fun of for being a nerd are now the ones everyone is asking questions regarding Marvel or DC story lines. Check out some actors who have played comic book roles and have killed it.

ADVERTISEMENT

Michael Keaton was the very first two down the cape as the Caped Crusader on the big screen. He started in Tim Burton's Batman in 1989 and also appeared in the sequel Batman Returns. There would end up being two more Batman films but keep and would not return for the third or fourth installment. Keaton's version of Batman is a favorite amongs many fans. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Val Kilmer - Batman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

When Michael Keaton made the decision to not return as Batman, Val Kilmer was called on to dawn the cape. Along with the introduction of Kilmer came the introduction of the bat nipples, which did not sit too well with many fans. Kilmer himself did a great job playing the role of Bruce Wayne but the movie was just not the same. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Christian Bale - Batman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A talented director by the name of Christopher Nolan came along and decided to reboot the Batman series on the big screen in 2005. The actor chosen to dawn the cape this time would be Christian Bale in 2005's Batman Begins. Bale would return to reprise his role as Batman in the next two movies to complete the trilogy becoming one of the most realistic and favorites Batman among many comic book fans. The only problem this Batman really had was his Batman voice... 

ADVERTISEMENT

Ben Affleck - Batman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Our current Batman on the big screen is Ben Affleck. wWen it was announced that Affleck was cast as Batman many fans were disappointed, especially when thinking of his role as Daredevil in the horrible movie Daredevil. Once Batman v Superman came out however, reviews about Affleck's performance as Batman were very high regardless of the mixed reviews for the film. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Jack Nicholson - The Joker

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

When Tim Burton's Batman was released in 1989 the main antagonist for the very first Batman film was the Joker. Jack Nicholson's natural smile and crazy personality made him the perfect menace of crime. Sadly they killed Nicholson's Joker off at the end of the very first installment of Batman so we never got to see him reprise the role. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Danny Devito - The Penguin

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The sequel for Christopher Nolan's Batman was released three years later in 1992 entitled Batman Returns. After killing off the Joker, Batman thought he would have no more enemies in Gotham, however Danny Devito's portrayal of the penguin brought about a new perspective what a creepy villain is. Devito is almost unrecognizable in the role and his short height and superb acting skills made for a very great on-screen penguin. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Michelle Pfeiffer - Catwoman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

To this day Michelle Pfeiffer is still regarded as the single best Catwoman played in any of the Batman films or television shows. She was the very first to play the role on the big screen, and while there have been several other women to play the role since then, none have been able to fill their shoes like Pfeiffer was able to. That is including an Oscar-winning actress who played Catwoman most recently. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Jim Carrey - The Riddler

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

When Keaton refused to return for the role as Batman in the third installment of Batman call the Batman Forever, Jim Carrey stole the spotlight. His portrayal of the villain The Riddler was truly remarkable as his own personal corks matched perfectly with the character. With such range as an actor Carrey was able to make us laugh while being the main antagonist at the same time. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Uma Thurman - Poison Ivy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The fourth and final installment of the original cinematic Batman's story was Batman and Robin. Val Kilmer did not return to reprise his role and instead George Clooney was not asked to be the Dark Knight. This story line included two superstar villains such as Uma Thurman who played a sexy and devious poison ivy alongside of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Tommy Lee Jones - Two-Face

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The third installment of the Batman film Batman Forever decided to bring along an extra villain for Batman to fight with since you now have Robin. Fighting on the same side as Jim Carrey's Riddler was Two-Face who was played by the very talented Tommy Lee Jones. So many Oscar-winning actors have played comic book roles.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arnold Shwarzenegger - Mr. Freeze

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

When Batman and Robin came out in 1997, Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the very top of his acting career. Not to say that he is not still an A-list actor, cause he is. the Terminator took some time away from John Conor to take on Batman as one of his most iconic villains. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Halle Berry - Catwoman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Halle Berry is an Oscar-winning actress. In fact she was the very first African woman to win an Oscar. Regardless of the talent of this actress however, her portrayal as Catwoman has gone down as the worst one out of all of them. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Aaron Eckhart - Two-Face

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

As time has gone on movie graphics I have gotten so much better. This has allowed for producers to make much more realistic comic book movies. Aaron Eckhart's portrayal of the villain Two-Face in the movie The Dark Knight was one of the most realistic and creepy looking villains we have seen on the big screen to date. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Heath Ledger - The Joker

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

When Heath Ledger was originally cast to beat The Joker in The Dark Knight,  the sequel Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, there were plenty of fans who were disappointed and did not think that the actor could pull it off. Having played in previous roles such as 10 Things I Hate About You or A Knight's Tale, people just couldn't see him playing one of the most iconic villains of all time. Ledger went on to prove every single naysayer wrong and go down as the greatest Joker of all time, and the only comic book character to ever win an Oscar for their performance. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Anne Hathaway - Catwoman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The third and final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy was The Dark Knight Rises. Playing the role of Catwoman was Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway. She did a phenomenal job playing the role regardless of the fact that she was not able to match five first performance, she still blew away every other Catwoman's performance. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Tom Hardy - Bane

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The final installment of the Batman Trilogy by Christopher Nolan saw Bruce Wayne at his most vulnerable. after seven years away from fighting crime he would have to come back to face his most physically challenging adversary ever. Tom Hardy bulked up for the role and played the character brilliantly bringing Batman to his knees in defeat. It was this character who in the comic story lines was the one who killed Batman. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Jared Leto - The Joker

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

After Heath Ledger tragically passed away many of us hoped we wouldn't see the Joker role reprised. With him being such an iconic Batman villain though, that was just not going to happen. So the next actor to take on the role is our current Joker, Jared Leto. He has only appeared in the most recent DC film The Suicide Squad in which he was only given a glorified cameo, so judging his performance cannot fairly be done until he has some more screen time in the next film. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Margot Robbie - Harley Quinn

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Even though the Joker is one of the most iconic villains of any type of comic book story line, we have never got the chance to see his crazy girlfriend Harley Quinn on the big screen until very recently. Margot Robbie is the very first actress to play the role of the character Harley Quinn and her portrayal of the character in the movie Suicide Squad was close to perfect. There was even a brief scene with her and the classic Harley Quinn Jester outfit which brought every comic book nerd to their feet. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Christopher Nolan - Superman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Christopher Nolan will quite possibly always be thought of as the most iconic Superman of all time. He made us believe that a man could fly. After playing the role of Superman in several Superman movies Nolan came back to play the character Virgil Swann on the TV series Smallville which was the story of a young Clark Kent growing up. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Henry Cavill - Superman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Superman franchise was reboot after the crazy success of the Dark Knight trilogy. So in 2013, the Man of Steel hit the big screens. Playing the role of Superman this time was actor Henry Cavill who is physically the single most accurate comic book version of Superman yet. His portrayal of the boy scout has been the darkest portrayal of Superman yet, which is something that many fans are not happy about. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Lynda Carter - Wonder Woman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Lynda Carter played the role of the Amazonian princess Wonder Woman in the TV series Wonder Woman that aired from 1975 to 1979. Carter was also an American singer and songwriter and even was crowned Miss World America in 1972 in a beauty pageant. Her role as Diana Prince is the role that made her acting career take off.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gal Gadot - Wonder Woman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Gal Gadot was another actor who prove all of the doubters wrong. When she was first cast to play the role as Wonder Woman many believed she was too thin and frail to play the role of an Amazonian princess who are traditionally thicker women. Gadot spent some time at the gym and when the movie Batman v Superman hit the screens she was one of the most entertaining aspects of the film. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Hugh Jackman - Wolverine

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Hugh Jackman is currently filming his final installment as the character Wolverine. It is a heartbreaking fact for every comic book fan as he has been playing the role for the last 16 years now. He is the only actor to have been in every single X-Men movie since the first one in 2000. 

ADVERTISEMENT

James Marsden - Cyclops

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The original and older version of cyclops was played by actor James Marsden. He was in all 3 of the original X-Men movies but passed away in the beginning of the third and most horrible X-Men movie to date. He did reprise his role for a brief moment in the film X-Men Days of Future Past which was a great moment for every X-Men fan.

ADVERTISEMENT

Nicholas Hoult

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

In the original X-Men movies it was after Kelsey Grammer who played the older and original version of the character Beast. After the trilogy they attempted to reboot the X-Men series and showing the younger versions of the X-Men in which actor Nicholas Hoult was asked to play the role of Hank McCoy. He is not played the role as beast in three different movies with more still in the works. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Anna Paquin

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Anna Paquin was the actress who played the role of the X-Men Rogue in the original X-Men trilogy. Many fans were upset that the character was not nearly as awesome as her comic book counterpart. Normally the character Rogue has the ability to fly and is extremely strong, but in the movies she only had the power to absorb other mutant powers. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Famke Janssen - Jean Grey

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men storyline is the character Jean Grey. She was played brilliantly by actress Famke Janssen in the original X-Men trilogy. Jean also passed away at the third and final installment of the original trilogy but she also made a small cameo in X-Men Days of Future Past which is another heartwarming moments for most fans.

ADVERTISEMENT

Halle Berry - Storm

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Very few actors have been able to play the role of more than one comic book character. Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry is one of those actors who was fortunate enough to play two different comic book characters. Her portrayal as the character Storm was exponentially better than when she tried to portray Catwoman. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Patrick Stewart & James McAvoy - Professor Xavier

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The leader of the X-Men has been played by two different and great actors. The first version of Professor X was played by Patrick Stewart, who everyone originally had known as Captain Picard from the TV series Star Trek. The younger version of Xavier has been played by actor James McAvoy. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Ian McKellen - Magneto

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Actor Ian McKellen has been a very fortunate actor who has played the role of many great characters. One of the most powerful characters he has played is X-Men villain Magneto, who has the ability to control everything that is metal. He played Magneto in all three of the original X-Men movies and even reprised his role alongside his younger version of Magneto in X-Men Days of Future Past

ADVERTISEMENT

Shawn Ashmore - Iceman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Shawn Ashmore play the character Iceman in the original X-Men trilogy. He was only briefly shown in the very first X-Men movie but as his character grew he was given much more screen time in the second and third installments. Ashmore even reprised his role as Iceman along with a few others from the original trilogy in the film X-Men Days of Future Past. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Vinnie Jones - Juggernaut

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The third installment of the X-Men original trilogy was called X-Men the Last Stand and was hands down the single worst X-Men movie to date. While there are several reasons while the movie was horrible, the portrayal of the character juggernaut was one of the main ones. The fault lies in the hands of the writers and producers and not with actor Vinnie Jones who did a great job plowing through walls. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Michael Fassbender - Magneto

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The younger version of Erik Lehnsherr has been played by actor Michael Fassbender. He's an incredibly talented actor who is able to speak several different languages. The actor has done a magnificent job allowing actors to relate with one of these most powerful villains in X-Men history. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Oscar Isaac - Apocalypse 

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

After 7 X-Men movies it was great for comic book fans to finally see one of the greatest villains in the X-Men Universe. Playing the role of the very powerful mutant apocalypse with actor Oscar Isaac in the movie X-Men apocalypse. The Talented actor was given a few pretty awesome rules in a very short and close amount of time having just played Poe Dameron in the blockbuster smash Star Wars The Force Awakens. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Liev Schreiber - Sabertooth

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

In the original X-Men Trilogy the characters saber tooth which is a mortal enemy of wolverines looks very similar to how we did in the comics. His character however was not given enough screen time for the justice that he deserved and was killed off in the first installment. After the trilogy ended a standalone Wolverine movie called X-Men Origins featured a different version of the character Sabretooth. even though the characters look nothing like his comic book counterpart, actor Liev Schreiber did an amazing job bringing Victor Creed to life. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Jennifer Lawrence - Mystique 

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

In the original X-Men trilogy the character Mystique who is able to morph into any human was played by supermodel Rebecca Romain. In the new X-Men movies featuring the younger versions of all the characters it is actress Jennifer Lawrence who is now playing the role of Raven. The actress is known well for playing over the role of Mystique or for her role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games movies.

ADVERTISEMENT

Evan Peters - Quicksilver

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

While there are plenty of speedsters in the DC Universe, Marvel has one in particular that all fans know and love and that is Quicksilver. Evan Peters has played one of two different versions of the character Quicksilver and quite possibly the greatest portrayal of him ever. The action scenes that had included Quicksilver using his powers have been some of the most entertaining scenes to watch in the X-Men movies. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Deadpool was the first superhero movie to have been rated R. The actor was very adamant that the film was made with that rating as it was the only way to bring justice to the character. Producers were against it for a while but eventually gave in due to the fan support, and they would not regret it as the movie ended up being a very huge success. Ryan Reynolds plays the role of the merc with a mouth perfectly and is currently making the second installment. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Stefan Kapicic - Colossus

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

There were many great aspects to the film Deadpool. Seeing actor Stefan cupcakes portrayal of the X-Men Colossus was pretty entertaining to watch. It was not the same actor who played Colossus in the original X-Men movies along with X-Men Days of Future Past, but this version resembled his comic book counterpart much more. We should be seeing this version of Colossus in future installments of either Deadpool or X-Men movies. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury 

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

At the end of the very first Iron Man movie after the credits are all done suddenly we heard the voice of actor Samuel L Jackson. When his character appeared out of the Shadows we saw that he was none other than Marvel character Nick Fury. It was at that moment that the concept of a shared Universe began on the big screen as he introduced the concept of the Avenger initiative. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Chris Hemsworth - Thor

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Playing the role of the son of Odin is actor Chris Hemsworth who first hit the big screens as Thor in 2011. Chris Long blonde hair and physique made him the perfect candidate to play the god of thunder. Hemsworth has played the role of Thor now in two different stand alone movies along with both Avengers movies and is currently making the third installment Thor Ragnarok

ADVERTISEMENT

Tom Hiddleston - Loki

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Playing the role of the god of mischief is actor Tom Hiddleston. The actor is very talented who has the ability to make fans both love and hate the character Loki all at the same time. He was able to hold down the role as the story's main antagonist in one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, The Avengers.

ADVERTISEMENT

Robert Downey Jr - Ironman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Actor Robert Downey jr. has been playing the role of Iron Man for 8 years now since 2008. Just like actor Hugh Jackman, this is who most people think of when they think of their comic book character. Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man and it seems as though he does not even need to act to play the role as well as he does. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Chris Evans - Captain America

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Actor Chris Evans is another one of the fortunate actors who is had the chance to play two different comic book characters. Prior to being given the super serum that transformed him into Captain America, Chris Evans was flying around on fire with the Fantastic Four as the Human Torch. He played the role of Johnny Storm in both of the Fantastic Four original movies in 2005 and 2007.

ADVERTISEMENT

Andrew Garfield - Spiderman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Two actors come to mind when we think of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The first is more than likely Tobey Maguire who played the role three different times in the original Spider-Man trilogy. When the trilogy ended Sony attempted to reboot the series within only a few years with actor Andrew Garfield this time playing the role of Peter Parker. Garfield played the role of fighting in two different movies but the third installment of the film was shut down as the character has recently been rebooted and recast again. 

ADVERTISEMENT

William Dofoe - The Green Goblin

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Having an incredibly talented actor such as William Dafoe play the role of a comic book villain really allows for that character to be brought to life in the greatest way possible. Dafoe was able to make us feel for the Green Goblin while at the same time being terrified of him. It takes an actor with incredible talent to be able to pull something like that off. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Alfred Molina - Doctor Octopus

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Some actors do a pretty good job playing the role of a comic book villain, and then some actors completely nail the roll. Actor Alfred Molina was one of the few who nailed his role right on the head. His portrayal of the villain Doctor Octopus was superb and he was really able to capture and captivate the audience. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Jeremy Renner - Hawkeye

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

If you are currently caught up in the comic books and this character might not be one of your favorites. However actor Jeremy Renner has done an absolutely incredible job playing the role of one of the two only Avengers with absolutely no powers. His keen eyesight and archery skills make him a very valuable asset for a team full of individuals with enhanced powers. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Scarlett Johansson - Black Widow

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Actress Scarlett Johansson is one of the main reasons that many comic book fans are we watching many of these Marvel movies over and over again. Not only is she stunningly sexy but the way she is able to kick ass while she is portraying the character Black Widow is truly remarkable to watch. Scarlett Johansson is to be getting a stand-alone Black Widow movie in the near future after already having played the role over a handful of times. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Mark Ruffalo - The Hulk

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

For a while there it was difficult to lock down a consistent actor to play the character of The Hulk. Bruce Banner has recently been played by actor Eric Bana, and Edward Norton while the voice of the big green monster has consistently been played buy the original Hulk, actor Lou Ferrigno. Actor Mark Ruffalo is our current Hulk and has been the first to play the role of Bruce Banner on the big screen in more than one movie. He is also currently filming alongside Chris Hemsworth in the next installment of Thor. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Thomas Jane - The Punisher

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Actor Thomas Jane only played the role of the anti-hero The Punisher one time but he played the role brilliantly. Even though there was never a sequel he did star in a brief short which was a fan fan-made film of the Punisher in attempts to bring Thomas Jane back to reprise his role as the Punisher. Currently our Punisher is on a Netflix series being played brilliantly by actor Jon Bernthal. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Grant Gustin - The Flash

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

the third season of The Flash is about to make its way to the CW and is highly anticipated by millions of fans. Playing the role of Barry Allen is actor Grant Gustin who couldn't be playing the role any better than he currently is. He is doing such a great job in fact that many fans are upset when Gustin was not cast as the Flash in the Cinematic Universe currently building a Justice League. The Flash that has been cast to play on the big screen has been Ezra Miller. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Jason Mamoa - Aquaman

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Many fans recognize Jason Momoa for his brief appearance as the Dothraki King, Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones. Thus far we have only got to see Momoa play the role of Aquaman in a very brief cameo in Batman v Superman. However the trailer for the movie The Justice League coming out in 2017 has featured quite a few scenes with Aquaman and from the looks of it Jason Momoa is going to change everybody's opinion of one of DC's most underrated heroes, Aquaman. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Chris Pratt - Star Lord

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Guardians of the Galaxy has been one of the most successful and entertaining Marvel movies to date. Chris Pratt was already well known for playing the role of Andy on the TV comedy series Parks and Recreation. Chris worked out extremely hard and slim down to play the role of Star-Lord and brats just the right amount of Comedy to the roll. The Guardians of the Galaxy sequel is set to come out next year with Chris Pratt reprising his role as Star Lord.

ADVERTISEMENT

Zoe Saldana - Gamora

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Painting her completely green still does not take away from how sexy Zoe Saldana is. She played the role of Gamora who is half daughter of one of Marvel's greatest villains, Thanos. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is set to hit theaters in 2017 with Zoe Saldana reprising her role as Gamora who is now on the hero side. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Dave Bautista - Drax

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

WWE wrestler Dave Batista plays the role of one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Drax. Due to their sheer size many WWE Superstars have been cast to play the role as characters in movies. But he still was able to play the role of tracks very well who brought some comedy two the movie unable to understand sarcasm. Batista is also reprising his role as the character in the upcoming installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Bradley Cooper - Rocket

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Two of the characters in Guardians of the Galaxy are completely CGI and thus voiced by actors. One of those characters is the little raccoon with an attitude known as Rocket. Playing the voice of rocket was talented actor Bradley Cooper who is normally on screen for his handsome looks but was able to bring the little raccoon to life in a very great and entertaining way. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Vin Diesel - Groot 

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The other character of the Guardians of the Galaxy that was completely CGI and thus needed no actor to play the part was Groot. Groot was voiced by actor Vin Diesel who is most famous for his role as Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise. Diesel had a very easy job as the only phrase he needed to say throughout the entire movie was "I am Groot." At the end he did end up saying, "We are Groot," but not like it's all that different. 

ADVERTISEMENT