Today I’ll be taking a look at the smartest comic book movie characters to ever hit the big screen. IMPORTANT NOTICE: This is not only about whose the smartest educationally, but whose the smartest when it comes to fighting, creating and using a good strategy, and most of all, protecting the people while defeating there villains in the best way possible. So without further or due, here’s my list of the smartest superhero characters ever!
Smartest CBM Characters:
5) Hugo Weaving as Red Skull/Johann Schmidt: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Always the most controversial pick, Red Skull nearly defines intelligence. Not only is he smart mentally when it comes to science and such, but fighting and strategy wise, he is brilliant. For instance, his incredibly smart main goal is to get the most powerful object on the earth, the cosmic cube. Not only does he use its power to nearly conquer the world, but he uses it to transport himself into an unknown time period/universe to keep himself alive. With the power of the super solider serum, he’s about equal to Captain America in strength, he’s an amazing fighter that knows how to use his power to his advantage, and above all, his brain makes him able to succeed, because although he did not win the war for Germany, he still is alive and will be able to make a difference in the future. It’s a simple and easy choice if you think about it, and with his impending return in a Captain America sequel, a case to support his will be even easier.
4) Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor: Superman Returns (2006)
Another risky pick, Spacey’s Luthor exceeds Gene Hackman’s original Luthor because he’s less wacky, and he actually almost puts Superman on his death bed by using his brain and Superman’s one weakness, kryptonite. First off, it was incredibly smart of him to fund this operation by marrying an incredible rich, older woman about to die to get money, and than he cleverly stole the kryptonite from the museum. After this, he kidnaps Superman’s love, Lois Lane, and her son, which is also Superman’s son, and then sets Superman in a trap that holds kryptonite. Although he does not win in the end, he gets pretty damn close to killing, according to many people, the “greatest superhero ever,” Superman. For a man who has no powers, no incredible fighting skill, and only money and a smart mind, Kevin Spacey’s Luthor was the highlight of this film, and he certainly deserves the number 4 spot on the smartest superhero/villain characters list.
3) Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards: Fantastic Four (2005), Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
In the comics, Reed Richards is one of the smartest heroes and people. In the movies he is also a genius mathematically and scientifically, but as a hero, he’s very smart too. He did many things to contribute to the Fantastic 4, like discovering there powers, learning how to restore, enhance, and change them, and one of the most important contributions is the creation of their special suits that adapt to each of there powers. Whether it came to building the signature planes used in the sequel, or taking down one of the most powerful characters to ever appear in a CBM, the Silver Surfer, Reed Richards has done it all. Although his power of stretching his body did contribute to taking down the Silver Surfer, it was his brains that helped him determine how to do it. Not only has he taken down the Silver Surfer, before they knew he was good, but he even defeated Dr. Doom twice! Mr. Fantastic lives up to his name when it comes to his intelligence in the lab, and as a amazing superhero.
2) Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark: Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013)
There is no doubt you knew Tony Stark was on this list. One of the best characters in comic book movie history, Stark has proven throughout every single movie that he is a pure genius. Sometimes the man does wacky, and crazy things, but that’s one of the reasons why we love him. Between building the Iron Man suits, to developing the largest weapons industry in the world, to defeating dangerous villains, and to even discovering a new element based off his father’s past research clues that keeps Tony alive, Stark has done it all. Another key reason he beat out Reed Richards is because he was the first member of The Avengers, and is a key patron of the team, helping bring in various heroes like the Hulk! His achievements for fighting to save the people, and his achievements outside of the battlefield make him a definite choice to hold the #2 spot on this list, and not only has his significance been shown on the screen, but off the screen and into reality, he’s become a major contributer to the success of Marvel’s supremacy in the movie theaters today.
vvvv Must watch video down below! vvvv
1) Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier: X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Yes I know, he has powers that have him able to read and mess with peoples minds, I know!!! But come on, Professor X has made each and every X-Men strong, smart, and dedicated to protecting the people. Nurturing and helping many of the strongest mutants grow like Jean Grey/Phoenix, Cyclops, Rogue, Storm, and even Wolverine, Professor X has done so much to help the X-Men reach their full potential. Although a lot of the teaching to Magneto came during X-Men:First Class, where Stewart did not appear, Magneto’s troubles and strengths have grown due to Professor X. He’s done so many things through out his several movies, this includes helping the X-Men defeat Magneto and his team, helping Wolverine discover his blurry past, and even in helping hundreds of mutants use there powers for the greater good, like seen in his cameo in X-Men Origins: Wolverine where he took in all of the kidnapped mutants. His appearance in X-Men 1, way back in 2000, helped make this movie ground-breaking, and vital to the future of superhero movies. Professor X is a genius in any aspect of the term, and although he can’t fight, he uses his mind to do something even more powerful than violence, and that is reason and justice. Professor X lands the number 1 spot on my smartest CBM characters ever list, and in the future as James McAvoy continues to grow the character, we can only watch and wait to see what else Professor X can do!
Thanks for reading! Any questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcomed! If you liked it, show the article some love and give it the thumbs up (y). Also if you'd be interested in me maybe making some videos with these top 5's, let me know!