A villain can make or break a film, and some highly anticipated antagonists have dragged down their films. When big franchises bring back popular villains, it inevitably puts extra pressure on the actor and writers to do the character justice. Some villains simply mean more to fans, like Blofeld in James Bond franchise and the Joker in Batman films. Unfortunately, the reintroduction of these characters doesn't always go as planned.
Another reason a villain might garner a lot of hype before a film's release is if a popular actor has been cast to play him. For example, fans of Indiana Jones franchise was excited to see Mads Mikkelsen starring The Fate Dial, given the fact that he's played some high-profile villain roles over the years. High expectations can harm a villain and affect a film's entire legacy.
10
Lex Luthor - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg spoke about the harsh criticism he received for playing Superman's most famous enemy in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, saying it hurt his career. Eisenberg's version of Luthor subverted audience expectations by being much younger than usual and having long hair instead of Luthor's iconic bald look. Ultimately, this experimental approach was widely rejected by Superman fans.
Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor in James Gunn's film Superman, and Eisenberg offered him the ironic advice "Don't watch me." The trailer doesn't reveal much about Hoult's version of the character, but his bald appearance is an indicator that Gunn may be bringing Lex Luthor back to basics. Batman v Superman tries to make him seem like a more grounded and culturally relevant villain by comparing him to real-life tech billionaires and corporate CEOs.
9
Blofeld - Spectrum (2015)
Christoph Waltz
Blofeld is without a doubt the best James Bond villain, and he is certainly the most iconic. Blofeld has been Bond's most frequent foe in the franchise's history, with different actors playing him each time he appears on screen. Donald Pleasence's performance in You only live twice It has often been cited as the gold standard, both in terms of appearance and presence. Telly Savalas offers a more violent alternative in In Her Majesty's Secret Service, while Charles Gray has some good moments in Diamonds are forever.
Due to some legal disputes regarding the character's rights, Blofeld disappeared from the Bond franchise for decades, then his return in 2015 Spectrum it was an emotional moment. The casting of Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz only added to the excitement. In the end, Waltz didn't have a compelling story that would allow him to create a character as memorable as some of his other villains. The ridiculous twist that Blofeld is Bond's adoptive brother is a low point for the franchiseand represents a missed opportunity for Blofeld in the Daniel Craig era.
8
The Joker - Suicide Squad (2016)
Jared Leto
The Joker is Batman's most famous enemy, and there have been numerous adaptations of the character in films and TV shows. Jared Leto's version of the Joker in Suicide Squad it is generally ranked as one of the least popular and this reflects the poor reputation of the entire film. From the moment the first images were released online until Suicide Squad, the character's tattooed appearance drew ridicule from fans.
Jared Leto had the unenviable task of following one of the best versions of the Joker, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.
Jared Leto had the unenviable task of following one of the best versions of the Joker, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, so the pressure was there from the beginning. Leto tries to make the character his own, but his performance is a big reason Suicide Squad failed. He could have had a major role in the DCEU if things had turned out differentlybut he deviates greatly from the comic book version of the character.
7
Russ Cargill - The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Alberto Brooks
The Simpsons Movie introduces a handful of new characters to Springfield, the most notable of which is the villainous Russ Cargill. Albert Brooks' character is the head of the Environmental Protection Agency who decides to encase Springfield in a giant, impenetrable glass dome to contain its extreme levels of pollution. It has some fun moments and Brooks plays the role well, but it doesn't hold a candle to some of the best villains in The Simpsons.
The Simpsons has created many hilarious villains like Hank Scorpio, Frank Grimes, and Rex Banner, but Cargill isn't on the same level.
Cargill is part The Simpsons Movie This didn't live up to the hype. His plan could have easily been carried out by Mr. Burns, similar to how he blocks the sun in Who shot Mr. Burns? Sideshow Bob would have been another suitable villain for the film, albeit with a different plot, and Hank Scorpio was also considered as a possible villain. The Simpsons created many hilarious villains, like Scorpion, Frank Grimes, and Rex Banner, but Cargill isn't on the same level.
6
King Louie - The Jungle Book (2016)
Christopher Walken
The Jungle Book is one of Disney's best live-action remakes and one of the few that offers something new and interesting when compared to the animated original. One problem is that the music doesn't fit as perfectly as the original, because the look and tone aren't as upbeat. This is especially noticeable when it comes to King Louie's "I Wanna Be Like You."
The remake features a much darker and more threatening type of villain.
The upbeat, whimsical music is perfectly suited to the lively King Louie, voiced by big band and swing music legend Louis Prima. The same can't be said for Christopher Walken's live-action King Louie. The remake features a much darker and more threatening type of villain. The character's affable charm has completely disappearedmeaning his iconic music no longer makes sense and overall he is less unique. It's a huge disappointment for such a memorable event
5
Santiago Moncada - Uncharted (2022)
Antonio Banderas
The film adaptation of Unknown makes some bold changes to the popular game series, casting Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg as two younger versions of Nathan Drake and Sully. The plot is mostly original, but there are some references to famous scenes from the games, like when Nathan has to get back on a cargo plane. The villain is one of the new creations and is not as attractive as he could be.
THE Unknown The games have some brilliant villains, from Rafe's personal vendetta against the Drake brothers to Zoran Lazarevic's unpredictable brute strength. THE Unknown the film could have been better by taking one of these villains directly from the gamesbecause Santiago Moncada is relatively forgettable. He's a rival treasure hunter who pushes Nathan and Sully to the limit, but he could have been so much more.
4
Miles Bron - Glass Onion: A Knife Mystery (2022)
Ed Norton
Glass Onion is a solid sequence of Knives out, even if it's not that revolutionary. One of the disadvantages is that Glass Onion fails to produce a villain as compelling as Chris Evans' Ransom Drysdale from the first film. Ransom is a fun villain who completely reverses the direction of the story. On the other hand, Miles Bron always seems like a selfish thug, so it's no big surprise when Benoit Blanc deduces that he's the killer after all.
Ransom is a fun villain. On the other hand, Miles Bron always seems like a selfish thug.
Glass Onion uses a strange type of anti-twistwith Rian Johnson playing with his audience's expectations. While most people considered Miles Bron too obvious to be a serious suspect, Johnson's twist is that the evil, disgusting billionaire is as bad as he appears to be. This is a fun concept, but it doesn't connect as satisfyingly as Knives out. Wake Up Dead Man: a mystery with knives will be the next step in Johnson's game with his audience.
3
Screenslaver - Incredibles 2 (2018)
Catarina Keener
Screenslaver had to follow Syndromeone of Pixar's best villains ever, so it was always a tough challenge for the Incredibles 2 antagonist. However, Screenslaver initially appears to be a great villain, more mysterious and perhaps even more powerful than Syndrome, but still fits perfectly into the comic book world of The Incredibles. Gradually, the initial appeal begins to fade.
Screenslaver's philosophy doesn't really challenge Elastigirl in the same way that Syndrome's morals are diametrically opposed to Mr. Incredible's in the first film.
Screenslaver has an intimidating appearance and an interesting philosophy about society's obsession with voyeurism and entertainment. The problem is that this philosophy doesn't really challenge Elastigirl in the same way that Syndrome's morals are diametrically opposed to Mr. Incredible's in the first film. After the villain's identity is revealed, Evelyn has a few more things to say about superheroes, and it would be powerful if she hadn't spent so much time talking about the evils of the screen.
2
Supreme Leader Snoke - The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Andy Serkis
Supreme Leader Snoke is introduced as a mysterious new villain in The Force Awakens, towering over Kylo Ren via hologram and pulling the strings from an unknown location. When he is finally seen up close in The Last Jedi, it is much smaller, but no less intriguing. Just as Snoke appears to be preparing to replace Kylo Ren as the main antagonist, much like the Emperor in the original trilogy, he is surprisingly killed by his own subordinate.
Snoke's death is a shocking moment that sends the sequel trilogy into uncharted territory, but it's an unceremonious end to a character who had so much more to offer. Snoke's death appears to be the main reason why Emperor Palpatine returns in The Rise of Skywalker, which is one of the most divisive points in the entire Star Wars franchise. Snoke is still a shadowy figureand it seems unlikely that he will appear on screen again anytime soon.
1
Jürgen Voller - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Mads Mikkelsen
Indiana Jones and the Fate Dial It ended up being a soft ending for the franchise, in part because it tried so hard to return to the style that the original trilogy had in the 1980s. This means that the story doesn't fully explore the potential of seeing Indy in the late 1960s. Instead, he returned to fight the Nazis, just as in Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, and the forgettable villain is symptomatic of this lack of new ideas.
Ironically, his plan to return to the philosophy of the Third Reich echoes The destiny dialdesire to relive the past.
Mads Mikkelsen is a great actor, especially when he can play the villain, but The destiny dial It doesn't get the best of him. Jürgen Voller is not as physically imposing as Mola Ram or as cunning and slimy as Belloq. THE Indiana Jones the franchise deserved a last breather, but because it had a generic villain, it lacked the necessary dynamism. Ironically, Voller's plan to return to the philosophy of the Third Reich echoes The destiny dialdesire to relive the past.