Top Ten Tuesday: Acting Performances In Superhero Films

The question was asked this morning on Twitter: what’s the best acting performance in a superhero film? This week’s Top Ten Tuesday looks to give answers. It’s an interesting discussion, with many worthy performances left off the list. The criteria includes only typical “heroes” and “villains”, so Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth and Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon are among those left out of the top ten.

 

10. Michael Shannon – General Zod

 

 

He was just in one movie as General Zod, but Michael Shannon delivered formidable and frightening performance in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel as the protagonist to Henry Cavill’s Superman (a strong performance left off the list). The character of Zod did not hold much back, but Shannon reigned it in so that his lines were close to the edge without going too extreme or over the top.

 

9. Hugh Jackman – Wolverine

 

 

As others have mentioned, Logan is the obvious standout for Hugh Jackman’s time as Wolverine, but there was plenty to point to over his near two decades in the role. In addition to his acting prowess, Jackman also had the perfect look for the X-Men character. In Logan, Jackman helped deliver grounded sentiment within a comic-book universe, which isn’t always easy to do.

 

8. Margot Robbie – Harley Quinn

 

 

Fans had never gotten a live-action Harley Quinn until Suicide Squad in 2016, but they could not have asked for any better than the work Margot Robbie has done through two films. Say what you want about the quality of Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, but it’s difficult to argue that Robbie has knocked it out of the park as the bat-wielding villain.

 

7. Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man

 

 

For the most part, the acting of the DC heroes stands out above all others, but Robert Downey Jr. was a lock for this list for his time as Iron Man in the Marvel films. Of course, he’s also very good in the suit as Iron Man, but Downey Jr. is at his best as the brash Tony Stark—it’s almost as if the role was tailor-made for the actor, and it leads to a fantastic on-screen portrayal.

 

6.Aaron Eckhart – Two-Face

 

 

It’s challenging when you are part of an ensemble cast with first-rate acting from everyone—including a couple of characters we’ll get to in the top five—but Aaron Eckhart was still able to stand out as Harvey Dent and Two-Face in The Dark Knight. As Dent, Eckhart played the “white knight” angle masterfully, but he was even better as a devastated and destructive Two-Face wreaking havoc in the shadows of Gotham City in the final act.

 

5. Michelle Pfeiffer – Catwoman

 

 

Anne Hathaway was also great as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, but Michelle Pfeiffer makes the list as the original in Batman Returns. Pfeiffer’s ruffled take on Selina Kyle set the tone, but things are kicked into high gear when she becomes Catwoman and a friend/foe to both Batman and the Penguin—just as Kyle/Catwoman is conflicted herself, the audience might not know whether to cheer for her or not throughout Batman Returns.

 

4. Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

 

 

Some might think Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker should be higher on the list, but he settles in at No. 4 after stepping back and looking at everything over the decades, including two more Jokers that landed in the top three. Phoenix’s take on the character (which earned him a Best Actor win) was obviously much different than anything we had seen in film, as it gave a look at the inception of Batman’s arch nemesis within a real-world setting. Phoenix as the Joker was reminiscent of Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver.

 

3. Jack Nicholson – Joker

 

 

As Joker, Jack Nicholson received top billing in 1989’s Batman, and the character was a most worthy adversary to Batman. Nicholson’s Joker was funny, creepy, ruthless, and somewhat charming—nothing less should have been expected from an actor of the legendary Nicholson’s status. Before the transformation into the Joker, Nicholson was impressive as usual playing gangster and right-hand man Jack Napier.

 

2. Christian Bale – Batman

 

 

A couple more of the Batman actors (Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck) deserve a shout out, but Christian Bale needs to be in the top ten. While Bale does not get enough love for his dual portrayal of Bruce Wayne and Batman in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, he’s a pretty clear top two along with his main co-star in The Dark Knight among acting in superhero films. Bale is simply phenomenal playing the range of emotions of Bruce Wayne, highlighted by a few of his scenes with Alfred—most notably the scene following Rachel Dawes’ death in The Dark Knight. As the Caped Crusader, Bale is powerful, intimidating, and almost always in complete control.

 

1. Heath Ledger – Joker

 

 

Most everyone agrees that Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight is one of the greatest acting jobs—for any genre—in history. Ledger’s tragic death ahead of the movie’s 2008 release might have heightened the hype, but not by much. People weren’t just saying nice things because Ledger was gone—the performance was truly remarkable, raising the bar for everyone and helping give superhero films a boost. Ledger even won a posthumous Oscar (Best Supporting Actor) for playing the Joker, which had been unheard of for a comic book villain.