Ian McKellen as Magneto
You could say that the premise of this post is shamelessly stolen from ComicBook.com's Top 10 Comic Book Movie Actors. I prefer to think of this as a response. The execution of their list was excellent, but I disagree with their selections.
For better or worse, I'm focusing on superhero comic book films and live-action material only. Otherwise, this list would be dominated by Will Smith (Men in Black), Mark Hamill (Joker), and Kevin Conroy (Batman).
Honorable mentions: Adam West has some serious balls. Next? Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane in Iron Man. Finally, Stan "The Man" Lee. Who could forget "Guy Who Gets Turned Away from Reed and Sue's Wedding" or "Guy Who Gets Sick from Banner's Blood in a Soda Bottle"???
9. Michael Chiklis as The Thing. It's easy to forget that Chiklis is under pounds and pounds of makeup because he makes Ben Grimm look so natural. His work is both memorable and charming. Big props.
8. Heath Ledger as Joker. Should he be higher up on this list? While Ledger was terrific, I don't dig on his performance as much as most. I think he was solid and unique (and worthy of this list), but his acting was also very forced.
7. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. A truly odd choice for the role of Logan. Back in 2000, everyone said Wolvie was too soft in X-Men. Though he was unusually sensitive, he really let loose in X2: X-Men United and claimed the character in that film.
6. Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. She became a cat. Seriously, Selina Kyle never looked so sexy and so feline in her entire existence until Michelle took hold of the role. The physical element of her performance is simply amazing.
5. Michael Keaton as Batman. The litmus test for being great? Keaton's Bruce Wanye sticks in my head like no other live-action Batman performance. Like Jackman, he's an oddity from a casting perspective, but he really delivers.
4. Famke Janssen as Jean Grey. I can close my eyes right now and hear the soft delivery of Famke as Jean. Her acting is so well-rounded and composed that I always forget I'm watching an actress and completely believe I'm watching Jean Grey.
3. Jack Nicholson as Joker. It seems easy to play a wacky Joker until you think about the inherent contradiction between his aggression and his humor. Nicholson maintained an amazing balance that inspired fear and laughter at the same time.
2. Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto. Now this is what I'm talking about! When you find yourself quoting an actor without even trying, they've done their job. "Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answers?" "We are the future, Charles, not them." Wonderful.
1. Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man. Downey is Tony. Tony is Downey. I mean, REALLY, this guy became the character. Tony Stark, while having fluctuating levels of charm within his own comics, was catapulted to the Hall of Fame of Charisma by Robert Downey, Jr. 'Nuff said.
More: Comic Book Disloyalty and the Future of Cinema.
Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is better. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.
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