Take a trip through the theatrical DC universe, and you'll find a world of lovable crime fighters and heroes. And for every one of those is a very capable and evil villain, ready to emerge from the shadows and fight their enemy to the death. With storylines and attributes lifted straight from the pages of DC comics, DC villains can have a legion or two of followers. The villains are usually insane, evil or powerful people who are experts in crime, terror, doom and fear, and can sometimes be deadly assassins with a strong ability to fight and kill. Oh, and they also have plenty of enemies.
And the further you dive into the world of the DC villain, the more you'll find that the level of popularity surrounding them matches that of many of the Justice League's heroes. Names like Bane, Ra's Al Ghul, Catwoman and Lex Luthor are big ones, but really you need to look no further than the Joker. The latest iteration of the character is hitting theaters soon in sequel form via Joker: Folie à Deux, which you can buy tickets for here. It's a follow up to 2019’s twisted take on the DC villain, Joker, with director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix returning, plus Lady Gaga joining the cast as Harley Quinn. And this time, it's a musical!
Putting together a list of the best DC villains wasn't easy. Heroes like the Flash, Wonder Woman and Black Adam have faced great villains, but this list -- voted on by nearly 2,000 Fandango movie fans -- is pretty much centered around Batman villains and Superman villains. What can we say, Batman matters. And while some of these also function as anti-heroes, most of the names on this list are just flat-out famous super villains. And that's no joke!
Too Long, Didn't Read Summary:
· Theatrical DC villains have come in all shapes and sizes, taken from the pages of DC comics and creating their own kind of lore in the DC universe, and are just as popular as the heroes.
· The list is dominated by Batman villains, especially the Joker, just in time for Joker: Folie à Deux, which you can buy tickets for here.
· While you'll find names like Bane, General Zod, Ra's Al Ghul and Lex Luthor on this list, it's pretty clear that the most popular villain in the DC universe is the Joker.
15. The Joker (Jared Leto)
As seen in: Suicide Squad (2016)
26% on the Tomatometer
58% on the Popcornmeter
Jared Leto dove deep into his process while playing the insane crime boss the Joker for 2016's Suicide Squad, the third installment in the DC Extended Universe, or DCEU. The film was written and directed by David Ayer and tells the story of a team of imprisoned super villains, hired for their services by a secret government agency to execute secret black-ops missions in exchange for clemency.
Warner Bros. reportedly offered Ryan Gosling various roles in the film, including The Joker, but it was Leto who landed the part and never let go – as in he stayed in character all throughout filming. The actor cited David Bowie as an influence on his version of the Batman villain, and he even shaved his eyebrows to make himself look more deranged and psychotic. Suicide Squad won an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling, but it wasn’t much of a hit with critics or fans. Five years later, another title with mostly new characters and actors, The Suicide Squad, was received much more favorably.
14. General Zod (Michael Shannon)
As seen in: Man of Steel (2013)
56% on the Tomatometer
75% on the Popcornmeter
This Zack Snyder-directed movie from 2013 marked the first installment in the DCEU, serving as a reboot of the Superman film series and covering the character's origin story. Michael Shannon plays the film’s main villain, General Zod, a Kryptonian general with the same superpowers as Superman, who is looking to turn Earth into a new Krypton.
Shannon beat out names like Daniel Day-Lewis and Viggo Mortensen to land the role of Zod – whose first name is Dru, according to the DC comics – a villain that’s been considered one of Superman's greatest archenemies since the early days of the comics. Zod first appeared in live action in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980).
13. The Riddler (Jim Carrey)
As seen in: Batman Forever (1995)
41% on the Tomatometer
33% on the Popcornmeter
Batman Forever is the third installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series, with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman. It was produced by Tim Burton, who had directed the previous two Batman films; however, his vision was deemed too dark for younger kids and hurt the box office, so Joel Schumacher got the directing nod. And this bright and colorful offering introduced two evil villains, including the Riddler.
Robin Williams was in discussions to be the Riddler and Michael Jackson lobbied hard for the role, while other actors like John Malkovich and Mark Hammill were considered. But it was one of most famous movie stars of the time, Jim Carrey, who was ultimately cast. The character, also known as Edward Nygma in the film, is a former Wayne Enterprises employee who resigns after his latest invention is personally rejected by Bruce Wayne. So he becomes the villain Riddler, known for the trademark of leaving riddles and puzzles at scenes of his crimes.
12. Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy)
As seen in: Batman Begins (2005)
85% on the Tomatometer
94% on the Popcornmeter
Batman Begins, the first of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight series, follows the origin story of Bruce Wayne – played this time by Christian Bale – through his journey to become Batman, which leads to him taking on two villains: the Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul. Those characters were chosen by director Christopher Nolan and his co-writer, David S. Goyer, because the characters had not appeared in any previous Batman films or the 1960s TV series.
Cillian Murphy was cast as Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow, a corrupt psychopharmacologist working at Arkham Asylum who secretly creates a fear-inducing toxin, and plots with Ra's al Ghul to expose Gotham. It was a breakthrough role for Murphy who, after reading various Batman comics featuring the Scarecrow, successfully lobbied to make the character look less theatrical in the film.
11. Catwoman (Anne Hathaway)
As seen in: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
87% on the Tomatometer
90% on the Popcornmeter
This third installment in the Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight (2009), with the movie’s main villain, Bane, forcing Bruce Wayne back into his role as Batman in order to save Gotham City. But another villain made her way to The Dark Knight Rises: Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, played by Anne Hathaway. The character is a professional cat burglar and grifter who forms a playful relationship with Wayne. Hathaway has said she didn’t know what role she was auditioning for, and the one she got ended up being the most physically demanding of her career, causing her to double down on trips to the gym and receive martial arts training.
The movie was a hit to the tune of $1 billion earned at the box office, and Hathaway would go on to win the 2013 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Action for her performance.
10. R'as al Ghul (Liam Neeson)
As seen in: Batman Begins (2005)
85% on the Tomatometer
94% on the Popcornmeter
Liam Neeson was cast as Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul in this film, the first of Christopher Nolan's Batman films. The character is the leader of the League of Shadows (also known as the League of Assassins in DC lore), an ancient society that uses chaos to punish, and he goes undercover as an associate of the League to train Bruce Wayne in martial arts. Ra's al Ghul reveals his true identity during the film’s climax, in a move that Nolan hoped would shock viewers given Neeson’s tendency to always play the mentor.
Gary Oldman was actually the first choice for the role of Ra's al Ghul, but he ended up playing James Gordon instead. Guy Pearce and Viggo Mortensen were also considered for Ra's al Ghul before Neeson got the part.
9. General Zod (Terence Stamp)
As seen in: Superman 2 (1981)
83% on the Tomatometer
76% on the Popcornmeter
After his brief appearance in 1978’s Superman – mostly to set up his story arc for the sequel – General Zod plays a much bigger role in Superman 2. The story revolves around the arrival of Zod and his cohorts on planet Earth after being released from a Krypton prison known as the Phantom Zone. Along with going head-to-head with Superman, Zod also teams up with another villain, Lex Luthor, who’s still looking for world domination. Classic Lex.
The evil Zod is a ruthless, arrogant and megalomaniacal leader played wonderfully by Terence Stamp. He gains the same powers as Superman after landing on Earth, and quickly becomes bored with how little of a challenge humans are to him. His lust for power is slowly replaced by a thirst for revenge as he learns that the Earth's hero, Superman, is trying to stop him.
8. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart)
As seen in: The Dark Knight (2009)
94% on the Tomatometer
94% on the Popcornmeter
A certain clown-like villain may have stolen the show in this Batman film from Christopher Nolan, but Aaron Eckhart’s take on Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, has earned him plenty of respect from both critics and fans alike. That's especially notable considering the level of actors who played the role before him, namely Billy Dee Williams in Batman (1989) and Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever (1995).
And what Eckhart brought to the role of Gotham’s good-guy district attorney-turned-violent vigilante fit well with what Nolan was doing with his reboot of the film series as a whole: making it more real. Eckhart was cast after a long line of big names were considered, including Liev Schreiber, Ryan Phillippe, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon and Hugh Jackman.
7. Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer)
As seen in: Batman Returns (1992)
82% on the Tomatometer
73% on the Popcornmeter
It’s hard to believe that the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Batman Returns was initially secured by Annette Bening. After Moore backed out due to her pregnancy, a who's who of actresses threw their hats in the ring for the part, including names like Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Demi Moore, Jodie Foster, Geena Davis, Bridget Fonda, Cher and Madonna. But it was Michelle Pfeiffer who earned the role, turning in an absolutely iconic performance. That meant she also got to wear the latex Catsuit, of which there were more than 60 created for the six-month shoot, costing roughly $1,000 each.
Pfeiffer, who was also considered for the role of Vicky Vale in Batman (1989), trained for months in kickboxing and in mastering the whip, to the point where she could perform some of her own stunts with the weapon. Batman Returns didn’t initially live up to the success of its predecessor, but has since been reassessed as one of the best Batman films, boosted by its versions of both the Catwoman and Penguin characters.
6. The Penguin (Danny DeVito)
As seen in: Batman Returns (1992)
82% on the Tomatometer
73% on the Popcornmeter
In one of the most iconic roles of his career, Danny DeVito plays the malformed crime boss Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin in this sequel, which also features Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and Christopher Walken’s Max Shreck as villains. Batman – with Michael Keaton reprising the role – certainly had his hands full as Penguin and Shreck fought for power, while Catwoman looked for revenge.
An impressive list of actors was considered for the part, but DeVito became an obvious choice when the character was re-envisioned as human-bird hybrid. And it took DeVito’s friend, Jack Nicholson, to convince him to take the part after Nicholson played the Joker in the previous Batman film.
5. Bane (Tom Hardy)
As seen in: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
87% on Tomatometer
90% on the Popcornmeter
This film marks the final installment in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. It picks up eight years after the events of The Dark Knight (2008) and introduces the villain Bane, played by Tom Hardy, drawing inspiration from Bane's comic book debut in 1993.
The physically imposing and mysterious Bane was kicked out of the League of Shadows (or League of Assassins in some DC comics) and acts as a revolutionary, looking to continue Ra's al Ghul's legacy by destroying Gotham. Nolan has said he liked Bane for this movie because the villain wants to test Batman on both a mental and a physical level. The Dark Knight Rises became the second film in Nolan’s Batman film series to earn over $1 billion, and the seventh-highest-grossing film ever at the time.
4. Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman)
As seen in: Superman (1978)
94% on the Tomatometer
86% on the Popcornmeter
This is the first of four installments in the original Superman film series, all starring Christopher Reeve as Superman. Superman, directed by Richard Donner, features Gene Hackman as the main villain, Lex Luthor, a scientific genius and businessman. With plans of sinking of the western United States to make his desert land more profitable, Luthor uses a Kryptonian meteorite, aka Kryptonite, to weaken and trap Superman.
Hackman came into the project already a three-time Oscar nominee and one-time winner, and would ultimately play the character in two more films, 1980’s Superman II and 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. This first movie was a monster hit with fans and critics, kick-starting decades of live action Superman films, putting Reeve’s name on the map and adding to the iconic status that defines Hackman’s career.
3. Joker (Joaquin Phoenix)
As seen in: Joker (2019)
69% on the Tomatometer
89% on the Popcornmeter
Featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Joaquin Phoenix – not to mention his BAFTA, Critics Choice, SAG, Golden Globe and other award wins – Joker follows a failed comedian named Arthur Fleck as he seeks connection on the streets of Gotham City. For Phoenix, the idea of reprising a role didn’t sit well with him, which is why he had never done a comic book franchise film to this point. But he was intrigued at the idea of a more low-budget character study, and this Todd Phillips-directed project ultimately fit the bill.
Despite having just a fraction of the typical comic book movie budget at $55 million, Joker became the first R-rated movie to cross the $1 billion dollar mark at the global box office. And that's why Warner Bros. was able to find a way to put together a sequel, Joker: Folie À Deux, and convince Phoenix to return – which they did by making it a musical and adding Lady Gaga to the cast.
2. The Joker (Jack Nicholson)
As seen in: Batman (1989)
77% on the Tomatometer
84% on the Popcornmeter
The first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, who faces off against his biggest foe the Joker, aka Jack Napier, played by Jack Nicholson. Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker under conditions that reportedly included top billing, a portion of the film's earnings and his own shooting schedule.
Actors like Tim Curry, David Bowie, John Lithgow, Ray Liotta and James Woods were all reportedly considered for the role of the Joker, but Nicholson was the right man for the job, as evidenced by his now-iconic and very quotable performance. With over $400 million earned at the worldwide box office, Batman became one of the highest-grossing films in history at the time of its release.
1. The Joker (Heath Ledger)
As seen in: The Dark Knight (2009)
94% on the Tomatometer
94% on the Popcornmeter
Some of Christopher Nolan's inspirations for the second film in his Dark Knight trilogy included the Joker's comic book debut in 1940, and the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke. But one of the main reasons this movie is unlike any other in the trilogy is because of the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker.
Ledger, who was picked over actors like Adrian Brody and Robin Williams, died a few months after he completed filming and six months before the movie’s release. He was posthumously awarded a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. The Dark Knight became the highest-grossing film of 2008 with over $1 billion dollars earned, and became just the second superhero film to be selected for preservation in the National Film Registry after 1978's Superman. But, more importantly, it has become a great way to remember a fine young actor at the top of his game, delivering an unforgettable performance.
