10 Comic Book Movie Characters Who Stole Every Scene They Were In

Comic book movies They aren’t always the best at predicting which of their characters will have a strong audience reaction, with many a scene being stolen from unexpected roles. More than any other genre, superhero movie castings are incredibly important, With many films in the genre failing or succeeding under the force of their leading role’s personality. However, it is just as often that the protagonist can be overshadowed by another presence.

The most frequent scene-stealers in superhero movies are often side characters who don’t have much relevance to the story, with exaggerated personalities that allow them to become much more memorable. Other times, the best movie supervillains can sometimes eclipse the star protagonist of the film they are inWhether by having a stronger performance or simply being better written. Whatever the case, a lot of superhero movies have fallen victim to a fan-favorite character stealing every solitary second of screentime they’re afforded.

10

Gambit

Deadpool & Wolverine

Few expected Channing Tatum’s Gambit to ever see an actual movie theater screen. For years, a Gambit solo movie starring Tatum has been in production limbo at Fox StudiosOnly to fall apart when Disney acquired the cinematic rights to the X-Men for use in the MCU. As a show of good faith, Marvel Studios brought Tatum in for a notable cameo deadpool and wolverine, In which he finally got to show off his card tricks, Cajun accent and comically-accurate costume.

Gambit’s hilarious dialogue delivery makes for some of the best jokes in Deadpool & Wolverine. Stealing the scene from a character as bombastic as Deadpool is no easy feat, however Gambit’s delivery of his Cajun drawl and sheer force of personality are somehow able to do thatTruly making a name as he intended. It’s no wonder Gambit’s scenes in the film quickly became meme fodder, with fans all over the internet hoping to replicate his suave aura.

9

Louis

Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp

Sometimes, it’s not even a costumed hero or villain that steals the show from a comic book movie. If they play well enough, a simple civilian ally can easily steal the spotlight from even the most bombastic of heroes.And Michael Peña’s Luis manages to do it in both Ant man And Ant-Man and the Wasp. One of Scott Lang’s former criminal associates, Lewis finds himself pulled into all sorts of wacky scenarios thanks to his friendship with the size-changing Avenger.

The way Lewis tells long-winded stories with rapid-fire anecdotes and countless meandering digressions is endlessly hilarious, Easily make the best jokes of every film he’s in. Impressively, Peña improvised the majority of the lines, basing Luis’ mannerism on an actual friend from his real life. It’s a shame that Lewis didn’t return for Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaPerhaps explaining part of the film’s drop-off in quality compared to the first two.

8

Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron

At first, it should come as no surprise that Ultron was the star of the show in his titular film, Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, the film’s choppy pacing gave him an oddly small amount of screen time, with the drama being split too many ways between the myriad of characters in the narrative. luckily, In the scenes he gets, James Spader positively steals the show as the walking homicidal AI

Spader’s buttery smooth voice effortlessly delivers Ultron’s dialogue, making him come off as creepy and menacing while still having his own twisted sense of humor. His dry wit and fervent belief in the failure of humanity is something to beholdAnd it’s a shame the MCU killed him off so early, considering how complete of a threat Ultron is in the comics. Thankfully, James Spader will reprise the role in the upcoming Vision series, where he will hopefully continue to steal scenes as easily as he steals nuclear codes.

7

The Joker

The Dark Knight

Not only does Heath Ledger’s Joker completely steal the show from Christopher Nolan The Dark KnightBut he completely defines the film, and maybe even the entire trilogy. By far one of the most iconic comic book movie performances ever, Ledger’s Joker influenced the character for decades to comeWith a profound impact on the popularity of Batman as a whole. With all this influence, it is easy to forget that he also undermines Batman’s importance in his own film.

The Joker is simply mesmerizing for every second he’s on screen, whether he’s a really funny dark comedian or a chilling, unpredictable killer. His performance is so arresting that during the filming of one scene, Michael Caine actually forgot all his lines as AlfredWhich led to such a brilliant name that it was used in the film anyway. Even if he is the film’s main antagonist, it’s hard to point to any story in which a non-hero character steals the show as hard as Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance.

6

Johnny Storm

The Fantastic Four

It’s hard to measure each member of the Fantastic Four against each other in terms of importance, but on paper, The Human Torch could easily be the least consequential of the quartet. Mr. Fantastic is the leader and brains of the operation, the Invisible Woman is arguably the most powerful member, and the Thing is the team’s emotional anchor. After Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm completely steals the spotlight in all the scenes he is afforded in Fox’s original Fantastic practice.

Even if he’s an arrogant jerk, Johnny Storm is endlessly entertaining to watch, whether he’s showing off, attempting to abuse his powers, or simply annoying Benjamin Grim. It was clear that Chris Evans in a superhero role was someone to watch, Even before he managed to run his own franchise as Captain America. Evans’ short, but memorable cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine Reminding audiences just how much of a focal point the character can be, as eye-catching as the fire he conjures.

5

peace maker

The Suicide Squad

Of all the wrestlers to become Hollywood movie stars, John Cena is arguably the most critically successful. No matter what situation he’s in, the WWE Superstar’s comedic chops are evident, no matter what role he’s taking onEspecially when wearing the silver helmet of a peacemaker. Once a dark villain from the DC comics, James Gunn introduced Peacemaker to general audiences in The Suicide SquadTo the fanfare of instant audience obsession.

Although Idris Elba’s Bloodsport and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn are arguably the two most important viewpoint characters of the ensemble cast, it’s hard to get enough of Peacemaker’s antics. Cena’s comedic timing is unparalleled even in such a talented cast, Which leads to Peacemaker easily the funniest jokes of the film. It’s no wonder the DCEU decided to give Peacemaker his own streaming series on HBO, which has continued to cement the character’s legacy.

4

Drax

Guardians of the Galaxy

As the Human Torch, Drax could be argued as the least important or consequential member of the team he inhabits. however, Dave Bautista has proven his skills as the character time and time againSomehow managing to be the most noteworthy thing in scenes filled with hectic space battles and sentient treants. Drax’s unintentional comedy is pure gold, whether he’s eating snacks as slowly as possible in an attempt to be invisible or fondly recalling the night of his own performance.

When he needs to be, Drax is also capable of putting the jokes on the shelf to drop some brilliant emotional beats. These include Mantis absorbing Drax’s pain at the loss of his family while he simply smiles at peace with him, Or the moment he successfully makes a metaphor by giving Quill advice on his endless pursuit of Gamora’s affections. Even in a full-fledged Avengers film, Drax is easily the most entertaining character in any given scene he’s in, an impressive feat considering the personalities at work in the MCU.

3

Bullseye

Daredevil

Ben Affleck Daredevil isn’t exactly a fan-memorable superhero film, being a relic of the unfortunate era of the early 2000s in which Hollywood just couldn’t seem to get many comic book movies right. However, if there’s one shining light in the film’s most cast-in performances, it’s Colin Farrell’s Bullseye, a maniacal villain with a penchant for marksmanship. Unlike the rest of the gritty characters in DaredevilFarrell embraces the absurdity of his character, laughing with glee at every kill he encounters.

Bullseye’s very appearance is hard to look away from, with a comically-pointed costume shed in exchange for a crosshair-shaped scar on his bald forehead and a gorgeous crocodile-skin leather jacket. Farrell is easily the best part of the filmAnd watching him pull off elaborate trick shots with improvised weapons is a joy few superhero films can emulate. It’s no wonder that Matt Reeves recognized his supervillain potential with a casting as the Penguin The Batman.

2

Spider-Punk

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Introducing a whole new series of Spider-Man variants for Miles Morales to meet and go up against, with some incredibly creative worlds and designs. If there’s one new addition that really stands out, though, it’s Hobie Brown, aka Spider-Punk. A British punk-rocker from a dimension ruled by an authoritarian regimeSpider-Punk’s personality and striking art style is an instant attention-grabber.

It’s the small details of Spider-Punk’s brilliant animation that set him apart from the rest of the cast. Except for a cobbled-together scrap book of rock magazines that constantly shifts in color, Hobby’s need to rebel is embedded in his very movementWith the animation of the character using completely different rules than any other Spider-Man. Add in a proper punk rock theme song and the fact that Hobby is Miles’ only real ally among the network of other webheads, and it makes sense that Spider-Punk is the real star of the show.

1

Jonah Jacobson

Spider-Man

It’s rare that a given comic book performance steals their scenes so well that they’re actually brought into a new continuity by sheer popular demand. Yet somehow, this is the case for JK Simmons’ JJonah Jameson, who was iconic enough to be brought back for the MCU version of the character without explanation. Originally, Simmons’ JJJ made his debut in Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man, where his quick wit and brash personality quickly made him a fan-favorite.

Jameson’s time-is-money attitude and hilarious quips stood out among the cast of Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man Trilogy. however, He is also capable of genuine moments of bravery, such as when he refuses to give Peter Parker’s identity to the Green Goblin even under threat of death. Although he doesn’t get as much screen time in the MCU as he did in the original trilogy, Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson is a strong enough presence to absolutely own any comic book movie scene in him.