THE DC Universe has a special talent for making films with brilliant performances, although not all of the franchise’s great actors receive what they deserve for a phenomenal interpretation of the character. It’s easy to remember some of the DC Universe’s best cinematic performances, with Christian Bale’s Batman, Heath Ledger’s Joker, and Christopher Reeves’ Superman all coming to mind in conversation. However, there are so many unsung heroes from the various DC cinematic universes who never received the recognition they deserved for their fantastic character work.
Actors working under the DC banner have been unfairly covered up for a number of reasons. Sometimes the characters they played were undermined by choices that weren’t the fault of the actor playing them, like editing, writing, or even wardrobe and makeup. In other cases, their performances are simply overlooked because they are overshadowed by other Oscar-winning performances from DC characters in the same film, making it harder to appreciate the more underrated roles.
10
Val Kilmer’s Batman
Batman Forever
Val Kilmer rarely figures into the debate over the greatest live-action Batman, often overshadowed by Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, and even Adam West. It is certain that his only characteristic as a character, Batman forever, has a lot of problems that make it difficult to see the genius of Kilmer’s take on the character. But cutting through the nonsense of Batman forever, Kilmer’s talent as the Caped Crusader deserves more recognition beyond his costume’s bizarre rubber spikes.
Kilmer really leans into the dual nature of the Bruce Wayne/Batman dichotomy in a way that few other cinematic Batmans can match. Hints of his brooding nature as Batman seep into his boyish charm as Bruce Wayne, and vice versa. This is well demonstrated in the film’s romantic subplot, in which Bruce Wayne finds himself in a love triangle with his alter ego. The shy smile Batman gives the camera when Dr. Chase Meridian admits that his feelings for Bruce Wayne brim with personality is proof enough of Kilmer’s unique take on the stern hero.
9
Steppenwolf by Ciarán Hinds
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
It’s easy to dismiss Steppenwolf as yet another generic gray CGI monster villain after watching Justice League, which completely destroyed the concept of the character. However, Zack Snyder’s Justice League expanded the alien warlord, giving him the depth and backstory needed to be a truly interesting antagonist. This allowed Ciarán Hinds’ performance to shine surprisingly well, proving the actor’s talent for emoting convincingly, even through layers of CGI.
Impressively, Hinds was at once the voice, body double, and motion capture framework for the character’s face, providing a comprehensive package for the computer-generated villain. This allowed Steppenwolf to feel truly dynamic and consistent in Zack Snyder’s cut, which was able to make him feel almost sympathetic in his desperate bid for Darkseid’s approval. Hinds was able to give surprising depth to what was easily a stock villain in the previous version, a performance worthy of further praise.
8
Harvey Dent / Two-Face by Aaron Eckhart
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is a film full of brilliant performances, all particularly overshadowed by Heath Ledger’s legendary Joker. As great as Ledger’s career-defining villain was, he tends to overcrowd the conversation among the film’s all-star cast, eclipsing other well-realized characters. Lost in the shuffle is Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent, who eventually becomes Two-Face as the action unfolds.
Eckhart does such a phenomenal job as Harvey Dent that it’s hard to remember he didn’t appear in the previous film, Batman begins, feeling like a cohesive Nolan play Dark Knight universe. It’s very easy to believe why the people of Gotham feel so inspired by him as their knight in shining armor, which makes his tragic transformation into the psychopathic Two-Face even harder to bear. Eckhart has to go through explosive grief and rage after Rachel’s death, and it’s a mammoth task that he’s impressively capable of accomplishing.
7
Jared Leto’s Joker
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
The reveal of Jared Leto’s Joker was one of the most infamous moments in DCEU history. His edgy Hot Topic appearance and rumors of Jared Leto’s ridiculous on-set activities while in character as Joker were not a good first impression for the villain’s first attempt since Heath Ledger’s death. When it hit theaters in Suicide Squad, the film’s editing did him no favors, breaking the performance into pieces in the final version of the film, much to Leto’s own chagrin. It’s safe to say that audiences have never seen Leto’s Joker in full force.
That being said, Zack Snyder’s Justice League gave a brief glimpse of how good Leto’s Joker could have been in more capable hands in his brief appearance in the alternate future nightmare sequence. Here, the Joker is quite lucid, having a fascinating conversation with his archenemy while maintaining an air of alarming danger. With better costumes, direction and editing, Leto’s Joker could have been much more highly regarded.
6
Ben Affleck’s Batman
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Another great performance let down by the DCEU’s decisions, Ben Affleck’s Batman deserved more than he got. First appearing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Affleck’s performance was not typically among the numerous complaints that critics and fans had with the film, which dampened the strength of his performance. Combined with the controversial choice to make Batman an assassin in the DCEU, the character ended up leaving an uneven legacy on screen.
It’s a shame that Ben Affleck’s solo Batman movie was cancelled, as his darkness and direction as Batman was quite infectious. It was hard not to sympathize with his criticism of Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, particularly after seeing his response to the catastrophic events of Man of Steel. With his steely gaze, square jaw, unwavering determination, and gritty dialogue, Ben Affleck was a fantastic version of an older Batman before Justice League turned him into a sassy babysitter.
5
Orm by Patrick Wilson
Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom
Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is one of the most celebrated members of the main cast of the DCEU’s Justice League, juggling two villains in his solo film debut. While Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta is a rather intimidating presence, Patrick Wilson’s Orm actually deserves more credit as a promising villain. In particular, its reappearance in Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom gives the character much more flavor and nuance as a defeated ex-royal forced to work alongside his nemesis half-brother in a desperate bid to save Atlantis.
Patrick Wilson deserves more credit as one half of the dynamic buddy cop who carries the strongest sequences in Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom. The perfect foil to Jason Momoa’s wild Arthur Curry, Orm’s refined but bitter story casts him as one half of the aquatic odd couple. That said, he also manages to develop a certain sense of humor in the second film, proof that Wilson was able to develop a rather one-dimensional character.
4
Alfred by Michael Gough
Batman (1989)
Famously, the face beneath Batman’s cowl changed frequently in the original Batman quadrilogy, with Michael Keaton, George Clooney and Val Kilmer having their moment in the spotlight. However, the ones that don’t get talked about enough are the supporting cast who have remained steadfast between each film’s dramatic tonal shifts, continually returning to help Batman. Among them, Michael Gough’s Alfred is the shining star, not always getting his due as the archetypal Alfred performance.
A veteran of 1950s Hammer horror films, the British actor had the perfect gothic pedigree for the Batman films, lending his experience an air of prestige and warmth. Gough’s Alfred was a constant confidant and mentor in three different Batman performances, making up a significant part of the series’ appeal. It’s hard to believe that Gough’s Alfred isn’t talked about more, drowned out by the star power of other Batman movie Alfred actors like Jeremy Irons, Michael Caine, and Andy Serkis.
3
Ray Fisher’s Cyborg
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Another DCEU victim of Justice League, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg has undoubtedly gotten the worst of his superhero teammates. One of only two heroes who didn’t get a solo film alongside Ben Affleck’s Batman and by far the holder of the shortest overall screen time in the DCEU, Fisher’s Victor Stone was all but written out of the original version of Justice League, making his appearance as vestigial as the few remaining organic parts of his body. That being said, Zack Snyder’s Justice League at least it gave Fisher more time to shine.
Cyborg is a very interesting and nuanced character whose powers are both a curse and a blessing. Fisher managed to convey this while convincingly playing a college-aged young man in his early 30s at the time of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The complexity of Fisher’s performance was sadly wasted in the DCEU, whose fans and critics rarely acknowledged how rich and rich his character truly was.
2
Shazam by Zachary Levi
Shazam!
Shazam! Fury of the Gods it was one of the DCEU’s last box office bombs that led to the franchise’s dissolution, making it difficult to fondly remember anything from the brief duology. That said, Zachary Levi’s Shazam deserves more credit as one of the series’ most likable heroes. While Superman and Batman were overly concerned with being dour and serious in most of their runs, Levi was able to inject a healthy amount of flair into his DCEU appearances.
Particularly, in Shazam! Zachary Levi is quite believable as a teenager trapped inside the muscular body of an adult with magical powers. Levi’s mannerisms and overall personality perfectly match his child form, Asher Angel’s Billy Batson. Even after Zachary Levi’s bitter statements about the failure of Shazam! Fury of the Gods and subsequent right-wing political pundits, it’s hard not to admit that he nailed the role.
1
King Shark by Sylvester Stallone
The Suicide Squad
Between John Cena’s Peacemaker, Idris Elba’s Bloodsport and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, the cast of The Suicide Squad is filled with phenomenal performances that make it difficult to stand out. If there’s one character in the team’s cast who perhaps hasn’t yet received his due, it’s Sylvester Stallone’s King Shark. Following in the footsteps of action movie legend Vin Diesel, who voices Groot in the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy series, Stallone lent his vocal talents to a CGI character that quickly became a fan favorite.
That said, Stallone has gotten little recognition for how well he was able to hit King Shark’s comedic marks with such limited material to work with. As good as the CGI character is, his expressionless face relies heavily on simple dialogue to make a good impression, something Stallone is able to accomplish while wringing plenty of laughs from King Shark’s simple mind. Buried beneath the impressive character work of The Suicide Squadlist, Sylvester Stallone’s King Shark is the definition of an underrated character in a DC Universe film.
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