I think it’s undeniable that we are in the golden age of comic book movies and we are seeing some of our childhood heroes finally grace the silver screen. With some of the big-guys already there and more to come, we’ve also seen their evil counterparts. Along with that, we have news that Marvel Studios is looking at delving into its lesser known characters to bring to the screen and we can hope that DC/Warner’s will soon follow suit.
But with so many characters to choose from and even more baddies, we seem to be missing some of our favorites. After reading MikeSanderson09’s recent article “Why The Riddler May Not Be The Main Antagonist In Nolan's Batman 3!” it ignited my desire to see the one and only Solomon Grundy in the next Batman film and it got me thinking as to which other villains I’d like to see.
I have compiled a list of comic book villains that I’d like to see in upcoming comic book movies. I have also included some characters that were portrayed rather badly or mishandled…to say the least. Along with the characters, I have selected the actor I’d like to see portray them.
First, the Marvel characters-
Apocalypse:
One of the greatest foes the X-Men have ever faced, creating some of the most epic battles we’ve seen. Imagine seeing the X-Men finally working as a team, and possibly adding in some of the Brotherhood and Magneto. To voice Apocalypse, I have chosen an actor that has one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood. To mix it up, I’d like to see them add some sort of modification to his voice to make it a tad more evil sounding.
CGI with Dennis Haysbert voicing
Carnage:
With the Spiderman franchise being rebooted, it’s possible that we may see some different villains, or at least I hope. Carnage would be amazing to see on screen and would take the Spiderman films into much darker realm. So obviously, Carnage is not a character I’d like to see right off the bat, but maybe to finish off the series. A lot of people would like to see Robert Knepper play the part of Cletus Casady/Carnage, which is a good choice, but I’d like to see someone a bit younger. This actor’s work on “Son’s of Anarchy” has shown that he can handle a serious role and I’d like to see what he can do with the character of Carnage.
Charlie Hunnam as Cletus Kasady/Carnage
Doctor Doom:
We got to see Victor Von Doom in the rather underwhelming 2005 film “Fantastic Four.” While Julian McMahon wasn't terrible in the role, the character was written so badly that he didn’t stand a chance. I’d like to see someone else take the reigns with this one. This actor is a favorite choice for many villains, including Sinestro and Mister Sinister, but I think he’d perfect for the role of Doom. Most known for his role in the Harry Potter series, he’s capable of taking any role and making it one of the highlights of any film.
Jason Isaacs as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom
Lizard:
In the previous Spiderman series, Dr. Curt Conners was shown in all three films, and just about all of us fan-boys were chomping at the bit to see him transition into The Lizard. When talks of a fourth Spiderman started, we all just assumed that Lizard would finally take the spotlight, but we then learned that the Vulture would be the villain (along with some other abortion of a character) and ultimately, Sony announced that the series would be rebooted. I say make the Lizard the villain in the first film and let the man have his turn!
Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Conners/Lizard
Mandarin:
With Iron Man quickly becoming one of the most popular comic book franchises, talk of when we’d be seeing the Mandarin on screen has been rampant. Recently, director Jon Favreau has mentioned that he’d like to use the Mandarin in the next Iron Man film. There are many different directions he could take the character, but I think that most of us want to see him in his traditional form. As for an actor, SHAMAN had him listed in the top spot in a poll and I think it’s a great choice, so credit goes to SHAMAN for this one.
Cary Tagawa as Mandarin
Mister Sinister:
Sinister has always been my favorite baddie and I hope that with all the X-films we will be seeing, he will get the opportunity to make it to the screen. He is dark, evil and just downright fun. Many different actors have been suggested for this role: Keith David, Jason Isaacs, and Christian Clark (was rumored to be playing the part of Nathanial Essex in Wolverine: Origins). I’ve selected someone who has been in a CBM before and has the look, the skill and the voice for the character
Michael Wincott as Mister Sinister
The Sentinels:
When we heard that The Last Stand would feature Sentinels, I think we all peed a little, but after seeing the film, we were all disappointed to see that it was a quick glimpse of two eyes and a giant robot head. To see the X-Men team up against these robots would be an epic battle that we’ve all dreamed of. However, some worry that they would come across as corny and just not worthy to be included in a film.
CGI Sentinels
Ultron:
With Avengers in the works, one of the villains we first thought of was Ultron. As with some of the X-Men villains I’ve mentioned, to see the Avengers team up against such and opponent would be a battle of epic proportions. Aside from that, to see him go up against just Iron Man would also be amazing to see. The character could be done the same way they’ve done the Iron Man suits in the past two films and use an actor for the voice over. With a bit of modification, I think this actor would do a phenomenal job with the role. He is most known for his role in the Stargate: SG1 series.
CGI with Christopher Judge voicing
Venom:
I think we can all agree, well mostly, that Venom was one of the most mishandled and miscast characters we’ve seen in a CBM. We were all very excited to see him appear in a movie, but his character was rushed way to fast, not to mention…they freaking killed him off! No bueno right there! As with Carnage, if done right, Venom could be an incredible character to see and would add a darkness to the film that we haven’t seen. The actor I chose here is a bit out of left field, at least to me. Most people have suggested Dominic Purcell, who would be good, but I wanted someone different. He’s shown that he can handle a starring role in JJ Abram’s Star Trek as well as play a pretty decent villain in Heroes (before the writers neutered him).
Zachary Quinto as Venom/Eddie Brock
Now for the DC characters-
Bane:
The last movie version of Bane that we saw was stuck in a film that is quite possibly one of the worst CBM’s we’ve ever seen. For a character that “broke the Bat,” he deserves a real chance on the screen. Some would argue that the next Bat-film should include him. I can’t say I disagree, but I have another “brute force” in mind. Bane is a very formidable foe and he needs someone who can handle a dramatic role but also give us the impression that the character is an intelligent yet strong villain. In his break-out performance as Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men,” he was a sadistic, cold-blooded killer, just the type of person we need for Bane. I believe it was JoshW who first suggested him, so credit goes to him.
Javier Bardem as Bane
Black Mask:
Another fan favorite for the next Bat-film, Black Mask would fit in very well in the “Nolan” universe and the crime syndicate of Gotham. Black Mask is known for controlling others and making minions do the dirty work for him, so this is were you could include the thug, my choice would be Solomon Grundy (more on that later) or Bane. For this role, there have been two main actors suggested, and I like them both, so I included both of them. Both have a great resume and would do very well with the role, not to mention fit in very well with the group of actors already involved with the Batman franchise.
Guy Pearce or Daniel Craig as Black Mask
Brainiac:
We have recently learned that Christopher Nolan will be producing the next film in the Superman franchise and talks of Brainiac have already surfaced. We’d all agree that we have seen enough of Lex Luthor as the main villain and it’s time to see someone new. Brainiac is an interesting choice for this. Again, most have their favorite to play this role: Hugo Weaving. Not a bad choice, but he seems to be type cast in that type of role. The actor I have chosen plays the antagonist in one of my favorite films, “Event Horizon” and he pulls it off with ease. He’s got a great voice for this type of character as well.
Sam Neill as Brainiac
Hush:
Yet another favorite for the next Bat-film, Hush is a relative new-comer to the Batman franchise. I am currently reading the graphic novel and I can see the attraction and the desire to see the character on film. As with Black Mask, I think he’s a great fit for the Nolan universe and the current crime syndicate-driven storylines. This actor recently played a character in a film that some feel is one of the best CBM we’ve seen to date: Watchmen. Hush requires a dramatic actor and if you’ve ever seen films like “Sleepers” or “Watchmen” you know that he is very capable.
Billy Crudup as Hush
Lobo:
We nearly got a taste of him when Guy Ritchie was attached to direct a Lobo film, but Ritchie has since pulled out of the project. Lobo is one of the most popular anti-heroes in the graphic novel world and fans are anticipating seeing him hit the screen. The character of Lobo is very interesting and needless to say, it would make for a very interesting film. As with several other characters I’ve discussed here, there are a couple fan favorites as to who should play the intergalactic bounty hunter. I have jumped on the band wagon of one of them.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Lobo
Metallo:
Recently, John Corben/Metallo was featured in a storyline in the “Smallville” series. I’m not a big fan of the show, so I never saw the episodes. What I saw though (pictures and clips) was rather unimpressive to me, but that’s another article for another time. Metallo could potentially be a formidable opponent for Superman and has potential to be a fun battle to see on screen. Several other CBM users have suggested this actor, so I’m not sure who to give credit to here, but I think this is a great choice. His work in “Band of Brothers and the film “Ravenous” is great and I think he’d do a great job as Metallo.
Neal McDonough as John Corben/Metallo
Solomon Grundy:
A while back, I wrote an article about why Solomon Grundy should be a villain in the next Bat-film and I will continue that article here. Like Bane, Grundy could portray the “thug” role for a higher villain…like Black Mask. I would not want to see the mindless brute, as we have seen in “Justice League” and other animated series. Much like Hulk in “Planet Hulk,” Grundy could be portrayed as a very capable and coherent foe to Batman. Imagine a mid-film climax with Batman going up against someone like Grundy. I think Nolan could take this character and really run with him and turn him into a real force and unique character. As for actors, I selected many different people who could play the part, but this actor is physically right for the role, as well as talented enough to hold his own with the likes of Gary Oldman, Christian Bale and Morgan Freeman.
Kevin Durand as Solomon Grundy.
There you have it. As I stated earlier, We have many different characters getting ready to hit the screen and even more in the works. We are truly in the midst of a golden age of comic book films and I think we have only scratched the surface of the many different worlds and characters that are available.