Comic Book Movie Mount Rushmore. Heroes and Villains.

[The Natural]

This idea came to me today. A Comic Book Movie Mount Rushmore, one for heroes and one for villains celebrating the best performances of each in the genre’s history.

Heroes:

Clark Kent/Superman…Christopher Reeve

Steve Rogers/Captain America…Chris Evans

Tony Stark/Iron Man…Robert Downey Jr

Bruce Wayne/Batman…Christian Bale

Pains me to exclude Logan/Wolverine…Hugh Jackman.

Out of the four, I feel Clark Kent/Superman is the hardest to play. Reeve nailed both sides of the character, you believe he’s Superman and his Clark Kent throws you off that you would never think it was the same person. Steve Rogers/Captain America is difficult as there’s a nobility to him some may see as dull or preachy compared to showier characters. Evans’ delivered in the part, he’s my favourite character in the MCU.

Tony Stark/Iron Man is the face of the MCU, Marvel Studios needed to start with a bang and they did with Downey Jr. Christian Bale’s Batman voice was too much in the sequels but I liked his turn as Batman though preferred his Bruce Wayne. I’ll be honest, Bale and Jackman were fighting it out for the last spot and I’m not sure I got that one right. That I might switch round.

Villains:

The Joker…Heath Ledger

Thanos…Josh Brolin

Loki…Tom Hiddleston

Magneto…Ian McKellen

Shame I had to leave Arthur Fleck/Joker by Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Fassbender’s Magneto.

Heath Ledger’s Joker stands out as the best performance by a comic book villain and transcends the genre into GOAT cinematic performances. I can truthfully say I was in the very small minority who was happy when his casting was announced. The payoff to Thanos’ build was worth the wait, he needed to be a true big bad and he was. Brolin voiced/mo-capped Thanos and Ledger’s Joker are the only comic book villains who really got a win over their heroes/hero.

For a while, Hiddleston’s Loki was the exception to the Marvel Studios can’t do good villains, his popularity ensured he’s stuck around. McKellen brought gravitas to the part of Magneto, defending his fellow mutants though violence unlike the peaceful means of Professor Charles Xavier.