For many years, DC led the way when it came to live-action adaptations, featuring some of the most titillating and terrifying villains on the big and small screen. There has always been a rivalry between the two greats when it comes to comics and superheroes. And this is only amplified when both organizations are all in their respective film and television universes. However, while the MCU currently holds the top spot in terms of profitability and popularity, DC has managed to bring in some exciting villains in the DCEU and before.
When it comes to live-action storytelling, there’s a lot riding on the actors being cast in the roles. With the right actor in a role, the character can come to life in a way that has so much more depth and intensity compared to animation. However, it has to be the right person, with a clear vision of the villain they are playing. Despite whatever faults or flaws the DC movies and shows may possess, one of the things they tend to get right often is their villains.
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Sofia Falcone
Christine Milioti in The Penguin
One of the most recent examples is also one of the most compelling, with Cristin Milioti’s take on Sofia Falcone. The penguin is the first spin-off in the Matt Reeves Batverse, which explores a fractured Gotham city after the Riddler and his followers cause destruction of the city. One of the victims of the conflict is also Carmine Falcone, the first father of crime in Gotham. With Carmine’s death, mobs run amok, and there is a void waiting to be filled to take charge.
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One of the people who is ready to step into the role is Sofia Falcone, Carmine’s daughter. Sophia was previously held in Arkham Asylum, and deemed to be mentally unstable, which means that despite her lineage, her father’s men are less than thrilled to take orders from her. Despite this, Sophia proves to be a formidable criminal mastermind, with the guts and the brains to take charge. However, she has an unstable streak that also makes her unpredictable and incredibly dangerous.
9
The Riddler
Corey Michael Smith in Gotham
The Riddler in 2022s The BatmanPlayed by Paul Dano, was a very different take on the character from the comics, with Dano’s version going for a much darker, more violent approach. And in an earlier version, played by Jim Carrey in 1995s Batman ForeverThe character was significantly more colorful, playful, and finally, kind of ridiculous. While both actors brought something to the character, the best live action version today is Cory Michael Smith’s version in the TV series, Gotham.
Smith does an excellent job of playing both the dark and twisted side of the character, and the goofy, puzzle-loving aspect. Of course, since the TV show runs for five years, and Smith was present in every episode, it gave him much more for the character to be developed. But regardless, this version of Edward Nygma is mysterious, conflicted, sometimes cruel and always ready to solve a puzzle.
8
Lex Luthor
Gene Hackman in Superman: The Movie
In 1978, comic book movies still leaned more into bright, campy, and playful motifs. with these Batman Series starring Adam West creating a foundation for how superhero stories are told, it’s only natural that Superman: The Movie would follow a similar pattern. And opposite the spectacular Christopher Reeve as Superman, Gene Hackman, a highly regarded Oscar winning actor, was cast as the ultimate rival for Superman, Lex Luthor.
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Hackman’s version of the villain was a notable departure from the super genius inventor and engineer who appeared in the comics, instead becoming more comical, more megalomaniacal and more melodramatic. This still required significant effort from Hackman to create an identity and personality that made the character distinct, yet recognizable. However, he proved his talents and delivered an incredible performance that really helped shape the villain’s future.
7
Lex Luthor
Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville
Another version of the same character came decades later and with a younger, less experienced actor Smallville. In this coming of age superhero story, a young Clark can deal with the normal growing pains of being a kid in high school, but dealing with the added stress of being an alien with extraordinary superpowers. This version of the character may have been played by the younger Michael Rosenbaum, but he proved that he was fully worthy of the role when he brought up the monastery and secret Lex.
At first Rosenbaum’s Luthor befriends Clark Kent, and most of his anger and frustrations are directed at his father, Lionel, who constantly puts him down and does not see him as capable, responsible, or in any real sense Way, value. Lex may have a chip on his shoulder, but that doesn’t make him any less capable of seeing things that most others miss, as he puts his extraordinary intelligence to work uncovering the secrets that seem to plague Smallville, and constantly how to bring it back. Too young Clark.
6
Two-faced
Aaron Eckhart in the Dark Knight
Among some of the darker and more tragic DC villains that have helped shape the films over the past couple of decades, few are as tragic as former District Attorney Harvey Dent. In Christopher Nolan The Dark Knight trilogy, the legendary director redefined comic book movies, creating a much darker tone with villains that are more fully developed than in potentially any other comic book movie. Dent arrived in the second movie, The Dark Knight, and he became the White Knight of Gotham, helping to clean up crime in the city.
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However, thanks to the interference of another great villain, the Joker, Dent became the target of a disturbing attack where either his life or the life of his beloved Rachel Dawes could be saved, but not both. While Batman thought he was racing to save Rachel, he found out at the last moment that the Joker had double crossed him, leading him to Harvey instead. Batman was in time to save Dent’s life, but not before he suffered horrific scarring injuries to one side of his body. This tragic incident was enough to turn Gotham’s White Knight into yet another menacing villain like Two-Face.
5
Penguin
Play Colin Farrell in The Penguin
Next up is another villain from the Matt Reeves Batverse, Penguin. While Colin Farrell debuted in this role in 2022’s The BatmanThe character didn’t come into his own until the spin-off series, The penguin. In this role, Farrell shows his incredible ability to transform, physically and in terms of personality, when he plays Oz Cobb, a dirty, double-crossed villain who will do anything to achieve his own goals. Cobb plays everyone against everyone else, and displays a spectacularly quick wit, as he is able to redirect others’ anger and frustration away from himself and onto whatever scapegoat he chooses.
Cobb is perfect, he’s awkward, and he has an extraordinary talent for playing people. However, while most people dismiss him as a weak and spineless henchman, he plots and makes his play for power under the radar. It may not be fair, but when it comes to criminals, no one is to be trusted. Cobb proves that lesson to be true as he constantly uses people, like Sophia Falcone, to achieve what he wants to be.
4
The Joker
Joaquin Phoenix in Joker
When it comes to the best villains of any DC property, the Joker is one of the highest. He may not be the most powerful, considering his general lack of powers, but his complete unpredictability makes him a real contender for the top spot. However, the Joker has always been a character shrouded in mystery, with much of his origin story obscured. Todd Phillips decided to change that with his movie, Jokerin 2019.
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Joaquin Phoenix was cast as Arthur Fleck, an unassuming and fragile man who struggles in his social interactions. Due to a history of vices, and some mental health issues, Fleck is unstable, and tends to live somewhere between reality and fantasy. Joker Pulled back the curtain on the psyche and origin of the Joker, and Phoenix absolutely killed it in the role. There may be only one interpretation of the character, but the character has almost never been as intimidating and terrifying as when Phoenix took on the role.
3
Catwoman
Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns
Going back to some of the more camp and wild DC projects, one of the standout characters in the films has to be Catwoman. Michelle Pfeiffer is cast as the downtrodden Selina Kyle, a woman whose luck runs out, but also triggers the next of her nine lives as Catwoman. Pfeiffer plays the character as dangerous, but also incredibly alluring. Flirty when she sees Bruce, but ready to strike at any moment. This opposite personality made her an incredibly well-matched villain for Batman ReturnsAlong with Danny DeVito’s disturbing penguin.
By the time the early Batman movies moved to Batman ReturnsThey began to get more dark, and present a sense of constant conflict in Gotham. Selina Kyle was a victim of the city, and like many of the others on this list, it turned her into something much more threatening. From the costume, to the multiple lives, and the seductive menace that Pfeiffer brought to the role, it remains one of the best DC live action villains of all time.
2
Harley Quinn
Margot Robbie in DCEU
Yet another dangerous diva of the DC movies, Harley Quinn, stands out as one of the best modern additions to the comics and screen. The character first appeared in comics in 1992, but her live-action theatrical debut didn’t come until 2016 in The Suicide Squad. Bringing this character to life, the Australian actress, Margot Robbie, perfectly captured the wild and dangerous Queen.
Margot Robbie played the character in three separate films; The Suicide SquadDirected by David Ayers, Birds of preyand James Gunn’s semi-reboot, Suicide Squad. Every time, she was perfect. From the high, nasal New York accent, the luck-based fighting style, and the clear madness that leads her to love hard, often dance and brutally kill. Robbie is a perfect fit as Harley Quinn, and if she isn’t used in the future of the DCU, it would be a tragic shame.
1
The Joker
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
Finally, top of the list is an actor who tragically died shortly after appearing in this role, Heath Ledger as the Joker. Ledger was cast to play Batman’s archnemesis in Nolan’s trilogy, and when he saw his performance in the movie, it was clear that he was the perfect fit for the mad clown king of Gotham. While the script and direction in the movie certainly created a mold for the character, Ledger filled it perfectly and created one of the most haunting and dangerous villains in any DC project.
While he only appeared in one movie, he died earlier The Dark Knight RisesLedger’s performance lives up to the gold standard for both playing the Joker, but also simply playing a supervillain. From the first moment he appears on screen, to his crazy stories, and the brutal challenges and tests they present to Gotham and Batman, the Joker is the Best DC villain ever to appear in a live action project.
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