# Who you do consider the three best portrayals of super heroes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736 "2016-08-04T13:49:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/1 "2016-08-04T13:49:57Z")
I recently saw Deadpool, and thought Ryan Reynolds portrayal of Deadpool was a simple caricature of a superhero. Big Whoop! The three best I’ve seen are: 1. Christopher Reeve as Superman. He is the best Superman ever. 2. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Nobody is ever going to portray Wolverine ever again. 3. The absolute best: Ron Perlman as Hellboy. A very hard character to portray, but he just nailed that role. Made him human and so believable. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/2 "2016-08-04T14:23:03Z")
Are you saying Ryan Reynolds did a bad job portraying Deadpool, or do you just not like Deadpool as a superhero character? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/3 "2016-08-04T14:24:18Z")
I thought he did an okay job. Nothing spectacular. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/4 "2016-08-04T14:38:34Z")
Someone who made it their own or who portrayed the character as written? Personally I think the MCU has had very few casting missteps. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/5 "2016-08-04T14:42:14Z")
RDJ as Tony Stark Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff Christopher Reeve as Kal-El Jackman would be next, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/6 "2016-08-04T14:45:02Z")
I can’t come up with three answers I like for the OP. So, instead, here’s my list of the three best portrayals of super villains: 1. Tom Hiddleston as Loki 2. Ian McKellan as Magneto 3. Geoffrey Rush as Casanova Frankenstein ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/7 "2016-08-04T14:57:39Z")
I won’t argue heavily with the OP, but these three are impressive: Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man - If you go back and look at, say, the mid-80’s Iron Man comics, then watch RD3 in the role, you would find it hard to believe the comics weren’t written based on the actor (as was the case for the version of Nick Fury that Samuel L. Jackson plays). Just spot-on. Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach - The movie **Watchmen** was questionable, but Haley absolutely nailed his character. Evan Peters as Quicksilver (X-Men version) - Not incredibly close to the comic version, but it’s no coincidence that all of the best scenes in the 2 most recent X-Men movies are the ones in which he appears. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/8 "2016-08-04T15:08:04Z")
Is Star Lord considered a “super” hero? cause I’m voting for Chris Pratt. Deadpool IS a simple caricature of a super hero, with the personality of Van Wilder so Ryan Reynolds was perfect for the role, I got him at number 2. What someone up there said about RDJ/Tony Stark is exactly how i feel about Mike Colter as Luke Cage, it’s like the cartoons from before he was born were drawn about his future self. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/9 "2016-08-04T15:10:05Z")
Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool Vin Diesel as Groot. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/10 "2016-08-04T15:15:52Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man - If you go back and look at, say, the mid-80’s Iron Man comics, then watch RD3 in the role :smack: Oops, that should be RDJ, not RD3. Although Downey probably wouldn’t be the worst Browns quarterback of the decade. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/11 "2016-08-04T15:16:00Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach - The movie **Watchmen** was questionable, but Haley absolutely nailed his character. Boom. There it is. He \*was \*great, wasn’t he? I would also nominate the combo of **Kevin Conroy** as Batman and **Mark Hamill** as Joker - vocal performance division. I am amused with one that came to mind: no one has replaced **Lynda Carter** as Wonder Woman yet, but maybe Gal Gadot can if this new movie nails it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/12 "2016-08-04T15:16:14Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern > Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool > Vin Diesel as Groot. Go home, Smurf, you’re drunk. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/13 "2016-08-04T15:20:58Z")
Third runner-up: Toss-up between Tom Tyler as Captain Marvel in the 1941 matinee serial, or Peter Hooten as Doctor Strange in the 1978 TV movie. Both actors were saddled with low budgets, bad scripts, and primitive special effects, but they did the best they could with the material they had to work with. Second runner-up: I grew up watching reruns of the George Reeves TV series, and cartoons drawn by artists who were trying to draw George Reeves. When the movie came along, I thought Christopher Reeve did not look right. (No doubt, there were Kirk Alyn fans who thought George Reeves was completely wrong for the role.) Best: Chris Evans as Captain America. Too many comic book writers try to shoehorn their own generation’s prejudices into the character. Chris Evans’ portrayal reminds me of World War II veterans I know. In a non-superhero role, the all-time best comic book performance is J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in the Tobey McGuire Spiderman movies. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/14 "2016-08-04T15:40:28Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > In a non-superhero role, the all-time best comic book performance is J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in the Tobey McGuire Spiderman movies. Man, that’s a good choice. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/15 "2016-08-04T15:46:57Z")
Christopher Reeve as Supes. Robert Downey as Iron Man. Toby McGuire as Spidey. In the later two cases, I think what they did wasn’t to cast the super-hero, but to cast the secret identity. Downey was believable as Iron Man, because he was believable as Tony Stark. Honorable mention. Ryan Reynolds as GL. That movie got a lot of negative buzz for a lot of reasons but Reynolds totally nailed Hal Jordan. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/16 "2016-08-04T16:06:08Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Best: Chris Evans as Captain America. Too many comic book writers try to shoehorn their own generation’s prejudices into the character. Chris Evans’ portrayal reminds me of World War II veterans I know. And you have to give Evans full credit. It’s all in his performance. He isn’t given juicy lines to deliver and flashy super-powers to show off or background angst to act out. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/17 "2016-08-04T16:42:35Z")
I think the best is Toby McGuire as Spiderman, but it’s very hard to pick two and three. There are a lot of portrayals that all seem good, but part of the problem is that I know so few comic characters well enough to compare and contrast the original character and the actor portrayal of it. Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man is one that definitely worked. I also liked the casting for Magneto (Ian McKellan) and Xavier (Patrick Stewart), especially the way they play against each other. (If there’s any problem, it’s that I keep waiting for Magneto to whip out his staff and for Xavier to say “Engage” or “Make it so.”) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/18 "2016-08-04T17:40:22Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Christopher Reeve as Supes. > Robert Downey as Iron Man. > Toby McGuire as Spidey. > > In the later two cases, I think what they did wasn’t to cast the super-hero, but to cast the secret identity. Downey was believable as Iron Man, because he was believable as Tony Stark. > > Honorable mention. Ryan Reynolds as GL. That movie got a lot of negative buzz for a lot of reasons but Reynolds totally nailed Hal Jordan. Christopher Reeve was cast in _Superman_ partly because the producers were looking for someone who was believable in the part of Clark Kent. In fact, he had to play a third role effectively, too - Kal-El in his scenes with Jor-El in the Fortress. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/19 "2016-08-04T17:47:35Z")
Bruce Willis in _Unbreakable_ Chris Evans as Cap Melissa Benoit as Supergirl ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736/20 "2016-08-04T18:27:14Z")
I’m not big on comic book movies, but for me the standouts are Chris Reeve and Toby McGuire. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-you-do-consider-the-three-best-portrayals-of-super-heroes/761736.md?page=2)