Another Top 10 Movie Superhero Portrayals
Script written by Clayton Martino
Another Top 10 Movie Superhero Portrayals
With so many new and well cast superhero films released every year, we couldn’t limit the best superhero portrayals to just one list. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Another Top 10 Movie Superhero Portrayals.
We are limiting our list to live-action films, which means no television portrayals or animated voice-overs. We’re also only looking at the good guys, as super villain portrayls are a list of their own. If you don’t see an entry that you think should be on there, be sure to check out our first list.
#10: James McAvoy – Professor Charles Xavier
“X-Men” franchise (2000-)
It’s no easy task to step into the shoes of one of the greatest heroes in all of comics, especially since the character was already masterfully portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart. But that’s exactly what James McAvoy did when he took over the role as the young Charles Xavier in 2011’s X-Men: First Class. McAvoy succeeded in giving the character a bit more personality, particularly a large ego and a youthful optimism and carefree attitude. McAvoy’s hip and charismatic portrayal proves the character is in good hands for any future film instalments.
#9: Alan Cumming – Nightcrawler
“X2” (2003)
The second X-Men film showed how awesome Nightcrawler is, and his attack on the President of the United States in the film’s opening scene in phenomenal. What makes Cumming’s portrayal so impressive, however, is the amount of sympathy he is able to bring to a character who was immediately established as dangerous and frightening. His makeup took approximately four hours to apply, while his body tattoos brought the whole process up to over nine hours. That’s some serious dedication, especially considering he doesn’t play a huge role in the film.
#8: Chris Pratt – Star Lord
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
Only Marvel could turn a little-known comic book into the second-highest grossing film of 2014. One of the reasons for “Guardians” success was the likeable characters, and that starts with Pratt’s Star Lord, who is the perfect mix of Captain America and Han Solo. Pratt actually lost 60 pounds in six months to get in shape for the role, and while he is certainly one of Marvel’s hunkier characters, it’s sarcastic wit and charming demeanor that makes him a fan favourite.
#7: Brandon Routh – Superman
“Superman Returns” (2006)
The return of Superman to the big screen in 2006 was met with a luke-warm reception from both critics and the audience, but there is no denying Routh’s portrayal of the Man of Steel was worthy of the character. As Christopher Reeve proved many years earlier, the key to playing a good Superman is as much in Clark Kent as it is in Superman. Routh captures the humility needed to depict Clark Kent and the character’s true heroism in Superman.
#6: Mark Ruffalo – Bruce Banner
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)
Edward Norton is a fantastic actor, and when it was announced that he wouldn’t return to the universe as The Hulk in Marvels 2012 Avengers film fans were mortified. Enter Mark Ruffalo, who captured the essence of Bruce Banner perfectly as the shy and reserved scientist who transforms into a violent yet misunderstood green monster. Banner is as much at war with himself as he is with anything else, and this inner turmoil is beautifully portrayed by Ruffalo on screen. Critics almost universally praised his addition to the cast, proving that recasting a hero, even someone as respected as Edward Norton is always possible.
#5: Chloe Grace Moretz – Hit-Girl
“Kick-Ass” franchise (2010-13)
The foul-mouthed and excessively violent Hit-Girl is certainly an entertaining character, but an extremity difficult and demanding role for a child actor. The then 13-year-old Chloe Grace Moretz was cast, and she was certainly up for the part. Moretz spent months learning how to handle guns and swords so that she could perform most of her own stunts. While her character offended some of the film’s more conservative viewers, she quickly became a fan favourite and is without doubt one of the cooler comic book characters to ever appear on the silver screen.
#4: Karl Urban – Judge Dredd
“Dredd” (2012)
This is a performance you need to see to believe as Urban was able to give an outstanding performance as the no-nonsense Judge Dredd without ever removing his helmet. Urban underwent intensive physical and technical training to prepare for the part, and also gave the character a harsh and raspy voice which Urban himself admitted was difficult to maintain throughout the film. Although the film was an under-appreciated gem and performed poorly in the box office, Urban’s portrayal of Dredd was praised by critics makes it much easier for Dredd fans to forget about Sylvester Stallone’s previous attempt.
#3: Brandon Lee – The Crow
“The Crow” (1994)
A rising star at the time, this role tragically resulted in Brandon Lee’s death on set. Lee impressively captures the Eric Draven who becomes the supernatural avenging angel The Crow. Everyone knew Lee was an excellent martial artist and stunt-man, but it’s his dramatic acting in this film that proved that Lee was an action-star triple threat. Tragically we will never see how far his carrier would have gone, but, like The Crow, Lee is forever immortalized in this fantastic cult classic.
#2: Christian Bale – Batman
“The Dark Knight” trilogy (2005-12)
Okay sure, the voice is a bit much, but Bale did a great great job capturing the intensity of the Dark Knight while also portraying the tortured and conflicted Bruce Wayne. Christopher Nolan’s focus on creating a realistic Gotham meant Bale needed to showcase a believable Batman, something he does again and again throughout the trilogy, particularly in the second film as he goes toe-to-toe with Heath Ledger’s Joker. In fact, Bale was so popular among fans that many lobbied for him to return for Zack Snyder’s upcoming “Batman v Superman” film.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions:
Wesley Snipes – Blade
“Blade” trilogy (1998-2004)
Scarlett Johansson – Black Widow
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)
Kelsey Grammer – Beast
“X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006)
Andrew Garfield – Spider-Man
“The Amazing Spider-Man” franchise (2012-14)
Samuel L. Jackson – Nick Fury
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)
#1: Chris Evans – Captain America
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)
We had to see it to believe it, but the guy who played the goofy self-involved Jonny Storm in 2005’s Fantastic Four returned to the big screen as Captain America. However, Evans not only succeeds as the Star Spangled Man, but also brought a huge amount of respect for the character while convincing the audience to respect him back. From his journey as a 90 pound weakling to one of the oldest and most iconic superhero of all time. Not only did Evans have the responsibility of humanizing an American icon, but he also had to portray a soldier and veteran of the modern era’s most defining conflict.
Do you agree with our list? What do you think is best movie portrayal of a superhero? For more great Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.