Actors Who Have Played Both Superheroes And Supervillains

Highlights

RDJ’s return as Doctor Doom in
Avengers: Doomsday
sparks excitement for fans eager for epic showdowns in the MCU.
Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson’s journey from heroes to villains showcases their versatility and range as actors.
Michael B. Jordan’s transition from Human Torch to Killmonger highlights the complexity and depth he brings to his villainous roles.

As a die-hard fan of superhero movies and a connoisseur of cinematic performances, I must say that the journey of these talented actors has been nothing short of captivating.

Since the conclusion of “Avengers: Endgame,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe has faced some criticism, with both praised and panned films being released. To add an exciting twist, Kevin Feige and team have announced that Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Doctor Doom in the upcoming film “Avengers: Doomsday“. This announcement has sparked enthusiasm, particularly due to the anticipated encounter between Doctor Doom and Spider-Man, as well as with his longtime rival, Reed Richards of The Fantastic Four.

Some people pondered if it would have been more appropriate to cast a Romani actor as a Romani character in the MCU’s version of Doom (assuming he maintains his heritage), or to keep Kang and switch roles for a consistent plan. This raises the curious point that Robert Downey Jr. would then have portrayed both a superhero and a supervillain within the same narrative continuity. However, it’s not uncommon for actors to take on heroic roles one year and villainous ones the next, or vice versa, which simply adds an intriguing twist to their resumes.

9 Samuel L. Jackson & Scarlett Johansson

The Octopus/Nick Fury, Silken Floss/Black Widow

Actors Who Have Played Both Superheroes And Supervillains

As a Hero (SLJ): Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Captain Marvel, The Marvels
As a Hero (SJ): Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame,Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Deadpool and Wolverine
As Villains: The Spirit

As a lifelong comic book enthusiast, I can attest to the enduring influence of “The Spirit” comics. Having grown up reading these pulp noir adventures, I was always captivated by Denny ‘The Spirit’ Colt’s gritty yet humorous battles against crime. What made this series stand out for me was its unique blend of mystery, action, and humor that kept readers on their toes. The story follows the titular character as he wakes up from a long slumber to take on the criminal underworld in a way that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Guided by the skilled hand of renowned comic author Frank Miller, the film morphed into a chaotic production that bore more resemblance to “Sin City” than Will Eisner’s original comic strip. However, it features Samuel L. Jackson as the previously unseen Octopus, who transforms into a prominent villain alongside Scarlett Johansson’s Silken Floss. Despite their impressive performances in this movie, they were arguably more suited to their roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Watching “The Spirit” today offers an intriguing experience, as it requires a significant effort of imagination to envision these two actors portraying evil villains resembling Nazis.

8 Josh Brolin

Cable/Thanos

As a Hero: Deadpool 2
As a Villain: Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame

In their cross-universe escapades, Deadpool and Wolverine’s adventures could potentially lead Josh Brolin to appear as both a hero and a villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following Robert Downey Jr., if he reprises his role as Cable once more. This is based on how Deadpool 2 showed Brolin traveling back in time to prevent Russell Collins, the future villain, from committing his initial violent act, thus altering his destiny and potentially saving lives.

His portrayal as Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was equally eclipsed by other factors. Beyond benefiting from Disney/Marvel’s extensive promotional campaign, Brolin’s Thanos was convincingly terrifying, an invincible foe that even the heroes found impossible to defeat. In many fans’ eyes, his character stood as the final boss of the MCU, its ultimate showdown, and since then, the MCU has struggled to surpass his arc.

7 Hugo Weaving

V/Red Skull

As a Hero: V for Vendetta
As a Villain: Captain America: The First Avenger

Alan Moore chooses not to receive credit, earnings, or any involvement with film versions of his stories because they often fall short. The most successful adaptation so far is “V for Vendetta,” where Hugo Weaving gave voice to V’s zeal for V-related words while striving to overthrow the oppressive government that had seized control of Britain. However, it wasn’t flawless; even though it was superior to other Moore adaptations from that decade, such as “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.”

The character of V, known for wearing the Guy Fawkes mask, gained widespread recognition and later became symbolic for the hacktivist group Anonymous. On the other hand, Ian Weaving brought a unique weight to his portrayal of the Red Skull. Despite expressing interest in reprising the role, Weaving’s stint as Captain America’s arch-nemesis was confined to the initial Captain America film; Ross Marquand assumed the role for Avengers: Infinity War.

6 Shawn Ashmore

Iceman/Lamplighter

As a Hero: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: Days of Future Past
As a Villain: The Boys Season 2

More often than not, actors switching between heroic and villainous roles following their previous contrasting parts is usually down to chance. Regardless if it’s a multi-million dollar project or just an average paycheck, it’s still work. However, Shawn Ashmore‘s portrayal of Lamplighter, the former Seven member turned cleanup crew in The Boys, seems like a cleverly planned casting choice.

In earlier times, Ashmore portrayed Iceman in the X-Men films, most notably when his character revealed his mutant identity in X2: X-Men United. Consequently, it seemed appropriate for him to reappear as a different character in Lamplighter, this time as a pyromaniac who wields fire and is mistreated by the other members of the Seven. This character realizes his own shortcomings, creating an interesting contrast that wouldn’t have been possible without Ashmore’s initial portrayal.

5 Michael B. Jordan

Human Torch/Killmonger

As a Hero: Fant4stic
As a Villain: Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

In another somewhat accidental contrast, Michael B. Jordan transitioned from portraying a hero in one of the least successful superhero movies, to playing a villain in one of the most highly praised ones. He tried his hand at Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in the final effort by Fox to reintroduce The Fantastic Four to the big screen with the film titled _Fant4stic_. Unfortunately, this attempt didn’t succeed, or else he would still be playing that role following Disney’s acquisition of Fox.

Instead, he transformed into Killmonger, a character resonating with fans as an antagonist due to his actions, though brutal, carrying a valid message. For years, fans have been engaged in discussions about his objectives, as numerous people find merit in his resistance against colonialism and suppression, despite the fact that his methods would’ve left little for reconstruction among his followers. The most compelling villains are often those who genuinely believe they are right, and Killmonger embodies this trait flawlessly.

4 Tom Hardy

Venom/Bane

As a Hero: Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Spider-Man: No Way Home
As a Villain: The Dark Knight Rises

Labeling Venom as a hero might be pushing it too far, but the Venom films don’t necessarily revolve around Spider-Man. Instead, they belong to Sony’s peculiar universe featuring characters like Spider-Man without Spider-Man, such as Morbius, Madame Web, and the forthcoming Kraven the Hunter movie. What makes the Venom series distinctive within this lineup is the exceptional acting of Tom Hardy, who portrays both Eddie Brock and the symbiote residing within him.

Instead of Hardy’s performance as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises being universally praised, it drew a few skeptical looks. This wasn’t made easier by the fact that his speech was often difficult to understand due to his mask and needed to be enhanced in post-production to ensure it could be heard clearly. Additionally, some viewers felt that he sounded more like Sean Connery than the authentic Hispanic Bane portrayed in other media. Despite these criticisms, Hardy successfully broke Batman’s spirit and seized control of Gotham City, while also providing some humorous one-liners throughout the film.

3 Christian Bale

Batman/Gorr The God Butcher

As a Hero: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises
As a Villain: Thor: Love and Thunder

Discussing The Dark Knight, the portrayal of Batman by Christian Bale stirred up a lot of debate due to his intensely deep voice. His films were excellent, with The Dark Knight often considered among the greatest Batman movies ever made. Bale excelled in his role as both Bruce Wayne and Batman. However, he will likely be most remembered for his gravelly voice (“DO I LOOK LIKE A COP?!”).

It’s fair to say that his role in something other than Thor: Love and Thunder had a greater impact. Now, let me clarify that his portrayal of Gorr the God Butcher in the movie wasn’t disappointing; on the contrary, it was often highly regarded, with many drawing parallels to Killmonger for its depth and to Pennywise the Clown for its chilling aspects. Yet, the film’s humor, while intended to be humorous, seemed out of place amidst the drama, creating a less smooth viewing experience compared to the harmonious blend presented in Thor: Ragnarök.

2 Michael Pfeiffer

Catwoman/Janet Van Dyne

As a Hero: Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
As a Villain: Batman Returns

The film, titled “Ant-Man and the Wasp“, was alright within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The main characters had to venture into the Quantum Realm to save Janet Van Dyne, who they believed had been trapped there for decades following a size reduction to subatomic levels. In the original “Ant-Man” movie, Janet was portrayed by Hayley Lovitt because she looked like Michelle Pfeiffer. However, for this sequel, they managed to secure the genuine Michelle Pfeiffer for the role. It’s not that Pfeiffer needed to prove herself in superhero films; she was already well-established.

She has already made history with her portrayal of Catwoman in 1992’s Batman Returns. It was a more unhinged take on the character, as she sought revenge on corrupt business executive Max Shreck, using the Penguin and Batman to get closer to her prey. It’s also the definitive cinematic take on the character, as subsequent movie versions didn’t quite capture her mix of allure and danger.

1 Michael Keaton

Batman/The Vulture

As a Hero: Batman (1989), Batman Returns, The Flash
As a Villain: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Morbius

In much the same way, for those who experienced the 1990s, Michael Keaton became synonymous with THE Batman. Despite being replaced by Val Kilmer and George Clooney in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, Keaton embodied the character perfectly, blending charisma and emotion. It’s ironic that fans initially opposed his casting as The Dark Knight back in 1989, given his role as ‘Mr Mom’.

In the movie “Birdman,” his experience as Batman could be beneficial, as it’s about an actor struggling to break free from being typecast as a superhero on Broadway. However, that didn’t deter him from accepting the role of The Vulture in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Despite the different context, he managed to convey the same charisma and emotion. In this film, he portrayed a blue-collar worker who lost his job due to the Avengers. This made audiences empathize with Spider-Man when he was torn between allowing The Vulture to escape to protect his daughter’s feelings, or making the morally correct choice at the cost of his relationship.

2024-08-13 05:05