Alright! Today I'm listing who are, in my opinion, the twenty best comic book castings. Did I miss out on some folks? For sure. Did I choose bad castings? I hope not, but I probably did. And do I feel bad for writing yet another scammy, heavily opinionated, horribly clickbaity "Top Ten" article? You bet I do! But they're easy to write and I can pop 'em out quickly while writing Superman trilogies takes a month.
J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
The very first casting on the list is one of cinema's most underrated. J.K. Simmons was so iconic in the 2002 Spider-Man movie as J. Jonah Jameson that it's nearly impossible to imagine anyone else in the role - especially considering that Simmons went on to voice the character in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble, and even reprised his role for the MCU.
Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds has gone on book as saying that he does several interviews in his Deadpool character. That, combined with the fact that Reynolds himself genuinely loves the character and keeps one of the suits around and does silly YouTube videos with it, really cements Reynolds as the definitive Deadpool. And having a movie that practically redefines the superhero genre certainly helps.
RDJ as Iron Man
-Casts RDJ as Iron Man
-Makes $548 million
-Refuses to elaborate
-Leaves
Heath Ledger as the Joker
Between giving an Academy Award-winning performance, scene-stealing fan-favorite, one of the most famous cosplay pieces of all time, being a highlight of one of the greatest movies ever made, and a posthumous performance, Heath Ledger's Joker has every right to be as iconic and acclaimed as it is. It's a mesmerizing and haunting performance.
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Suicide Squad was a bad movie. A really bad one. But nearly everyone walked out of it absolutely loving Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who was so great that she went on to star in Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad. Even more impressive is that the "look" of Harley Quinn, as it were, was near re-invented from the classic red and black jumpsuit. Not too bad.
Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor
The DCAU is chock-full of good casting. One of the more underrated picks is Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor. Easily the best Lex Luthor we've ever gotten, Brown elevates the cool and ruthless side of Luthor while mixing in cold quips seamlessly. His perfect placement against Superman is also a factor - it's perfect, the way they can be uneasy allies yet archenemies simultaneously.
Mark Hamill as the Joker
Do I, like, need more evidence?
Thomas Haden Church as Sandman
Getting into an actually "underrated" casting, Thomas Haden Church as Sandman is one of, if not the, best thing about Spider-Man 3. Maybe it doesn't reinvent the character, maybe it's underused in the film in favor of a shoehorned-in Venom. Regardless, Haden Church does incredible. I literally cannot imagine better casting. He looks exactly like the character, has sympathetic motivations, and pulls off a striped green shirt even better than Steve from Blue's Clues.
Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon
Gary Oldman's frequently listed as one of the greatest actors of all time. The Dark Knight is frequently listed as one of the greatest movies of all time. He might not have his own Wikipedia page, but I'll be darned if I don't admit I cry every time I watch this scene. I'm also a bit biased, seeing as how Jim Gordon is one of my favorite comic book characters.
Kevin Conroy as Batman
Kevin Conroy had a quadruple role as Batman - Bruce Wayne, the night, vengeance, and Batman. Luckily, they hired the defining voice of my (And several millions more) childhood. With a strong background in dramatic theater, Kevin Conroy brings the right amount of theatricality, suave, and menacing. It helps that Batman: The Animated Series also sets the standard for who Batman is.
Ben Affleck as Batman
I'm not the biggest fan of Batman v Superman by any means. In fact, it seems like a large amount of my time online is spent politely arguing with those who seem to love the movie. The one thing I and those with... less favorable opinions... always find compelling is Ben Affleck as Batman. Ben Affleck's physicality is unmatched, first of all. The dude's an absolute unit.
But what I like most about him is that he gives me Kevin Conroy vibes. His voice is just perfect for Batman, it's very strange. While I might not love the Batsuit or several of the "artistic" changes made to the character, it's a solid casting nonetheless.
Tom Hardy as Bane
Like Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, Tom Hardy's Bane is largely overshadowed by the buzz around Heath Ledger's Joker. But it's really underrated, how great Hardy's performance is. I can't even see Tom Hardy, only Bane. It's even more interesting when you realize that the physicality of the performance is somehow complimented by the high-pitched voice.
It's forever astounding to me that such a large change was made from the Mexican wrestler on drugs we all know and love from the comics. And yet I don't hate it. In fact, I love it, I love it a lot more than the wrestler dude on venom.
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
When someone can play a role for 17 years, one can assume they're doing a good job at it. And a good job Hugh Jackman does, even if he comes in a full foot over the comic Wolverine's height. Hugh Jackman and Wolverine are the faces of the X-Men franchise, which in turn was the face of a revitalized superhero genre for the good part of a decade.
Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
If you need a calming, bald, soft-spoken British man and you cast Patrick Stewart, you've just made a good casting. I always find it impressive when I watch animated shows that came out before/around the movies and find that the interpretation of the characters is the exact same. Professor Xavier in X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men: Evolution may as well be Patrick Stewart.
Ian McKellen/Michael Fassbender as Magneto
If I was alive back in 2000 with the first X-Men, I would have walked out absolutely loving Ian McKellen's Magneto. He's everything you could want from a Magneto - He looks like Magneto, has a commanding presence, gives good speeches, and uses his powers creatively.
Michael Fassbender gives one of the best performances in a superhero movie in X-Men: First Class. While the franchise collapses from there, he's a worthy Magneto and successor/predecessor to Ian McKellen.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
It's hard to imagine anyone other than Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder, but it almost happened (Potentials included Tom Hiddleston, Liam Hemsworth, and Kevin McKidd). Thor just wouldn't be Thor without Chris Hemsworth's Australian charm and "too hot to handle" mentality. The bond between actor and character is made even stronger by Thor: Ragnarok's comedically epic turn, and then furthered by Avengers: Endgame's... new take on the character.
Grant Gustin as Barry Allen
Not only is the Flash most people's favorite DC hero, not only were the first two seasons incredible, but Grant Gustin's adorkable charm practically carries the entire show. And as the series goes on, you start tuning less in to see the plot unfold but to see Grant Gustin doing Grant Gustin things. Maybe it's the 10-year-old me happy that the Flash is still cool in live-action, but this casting absolutely slaps.
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Fun fact: When Marvel directly bases a character's personality and appearance off of your own, playing that character is a no-brainer. It automatically makes it perfect casting.
Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther
Christopher Reeve as Superman
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