Comic Book Movie Villains You Forgot You Loved

In today’s Hollywood, you’re bound to see a comic book movie wherever you turn. In 2018 alone, there are slated to be at least nine of these films.

We’re not complaining, but all of these additions to the comic movie collection have crowded the shelf; characters, that should be remembered and celebrated, tend to be forgotten. This is especially true of the villains in these films.

Nowadays, it’s all about building to an ‘ultimate’ villain, and many of the bad guys in the solo films get overlooked. However, these are normally the most well-acted and exciting villains you’ll come across.

These are some of The Comic Movie Villains that we tend to forget about, but that always deserve more recognition than they get.

Sandman – Spider-Man 3

Between the terrible iteration of Venom in Spider-Man 3, and the awkward appearance of Emo-Peter Parker, fans tend to only remember the negative parts of this movie.

However, upon revisiting it, there is really something to celebrate in Sam Raimi’s final Spidey film.

The Sandman, played by Thomas Haden Church, was quite an awesome villain. The guy had a devastating backstory that people were able to connect with, and the kind of broken, desperate demeanor that perfectly captured the tone of his character.

If Venom hadn’t been a part of the movie, and Sandman was the only villain, we might have a very different attitude looking back.

Scarecrow – Batman Begins

Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of Scarecrow helped make Batman Begins an extremely memorable film, but he got a bit overshadowed in when the rest of the trilogy was released.

Heath Ledger’s take on The Joker has gone down as one of the best of all time, and Tom Hardy’s Bane was the focal point of Dark Knight Rises. After those two blockbusters, it was easy for people to forget about Scarecrow.

Watch Begins again sometime, so you can revisit the masterful performance of Murphy. He kept things dark and creepy, just as they should’ve been, without going too far over the top. 

You’ll find that the cool-factor of Bane might wear off over time, but Scarecrow will always be terrifying.

Red Skull – Captain America: The First Avenger

Red Skull wasn’t forgettable, by any stretch of the imagination, but the MCU has grown so much since Captain America: The First Avenger.

The focus has shifted from origin stories, to massive team-up efforts, and brilliance like Hugo Weaving’s villain has shifted to the back-burner.

With there never being a real confirmation of Red Skull’s death, and the character playing a part in numerous Marvel stories, now would be the perfect time to bring him back into the fold.

Sabretooth – X-Men

When you think of Sabretooth, a picture of Liev Schrieber probably comes into your head. While there was nothing wrong with Schrieber’s performance, the first Sabretooth was the far superior adaptation.

Tyler Mane played the character in the first X-Men film, and he looked like he was pulled straight out of the comic books. The hair was spot-on, the costume was authentic, and his actions made it seem like he’d read every single appearance of the character.

The best part of Mane’s portrayal, was the idea that Sabretooth was still a primal being. He was a step down from Wolverine, and that really helped audiences separate the two.

The Lizard – Amazing Spider-Man

When telling an origin story, you don’t need to bring out a hero’s main nemesis. Starting off with a smaller, raw villain helps establish the balance of good and evil, and gives the main character a bit of a training ground.

The Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans, was the perfect set-up character for Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man.

This character was vulnerable, and had the ability to connect with audiences. He also provided a deeper connection to Peter Parker, which helped create a stunning third act for the film.

Penguin – Batman Returns

Gotham has made the Penguin a popular figure again, but it was Danny DeVito’s portrayal of the sewer-dwelling character that put him on the map.

Not only did DeVito capture the horrific essence of Penguin, but the villain was used to perfection. The disgusting habits of Penguin clashed with the sex appeal of Catwoman, and the combination made for a great, but sometimes overlooked, entry in Batman’s history.