3 Great Comic Book Movie Villains That Were (Wrongfully) Forgotten

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Some comic book movie villains, like Jack Nicholson’s Joker and Heath Ledger’s Joker, have become truly iconic. Others, such as Mark Pillow’s Nuclear Man, were quickly forgotten. But there’s a middle ground – villains who made a good impression initially but have largely faded from public memory over time. This list focuses on those characters, with the understanding that the actors gave strong performances despite the material, and that most general audiences have mostly forgotten them. For example, Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce from *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* isn’t as famous as the main villain in that film, but he’s still remembered by many, even appearing briefly in *Avengers: Endgame*.

Nick Nolte’s portrayal of David Banner in *Hulk* is certainly memorable, mainly because of the character’s abusive and manipulative behavior. However, the film doesn’t develop the character beyond that, which prevents him from being considered a truly great villain.

3) Jared Nomak in Blade II

If someone watched the *Blade* movies when they first came out and you asked them about the villains now, they’d likely remember Deacon Frost or the character Stephen Dorff played. That really shows how forgettable Dracula was as a villain in *Blade: Trinity*.

Jared Nomak from *Blade II* is a complex character who deserves recognition alongside Frost. He’s a powerful, genetically engineered vampire who despises ordinary vampires, especially his own father, who created him. This creates a lot of inner turmoil, and actor Luke Goss brilliantly portrays Nomak’s intense anger.

Stream Blade II on Paramount+.

2) Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of Mr. Freeze is the villain most people remember from Joel Schumacher’s poorly received *Batman & Robin*. He contributed significantly to the film becoming a joke, largely due to his over-the-top performance and corny lines. Interestingly, Schwarzenegger earned $25 million for the role, a staggering amount – twenty-five times more than George Clooney received for playing Batman.

Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy is definitely the more compelling of the two villains. Despite being given some ridiculous lines, she delivers them with a surprising amount of poise and clearly enjoys playing the role. Considering the movie includes a scene where a villain kisses the hero, who then reveals he’s wearing a lip guard, that’s really all you can ask for. It’s particularly strange that, instead of kissing him again while he’s right in front of her, she simply pushes him away – it doesn’t make much sense.

Stream Batman & Robin on HBO Max.

1) Kingpin & Bullseye in Daredevil

Most people would probably say Colin Farrell starred in *The Batman*, especially since his version of the Penguin got his own popular, award-winning series. Similarly, if you asked who plays Kingpin, Vincent D’Onofrio would likely be the first name mentioned, as he’s been a fixture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a while now.

Although Colin Farrell is now known for *The Batman*, his first superhero role was actually in the 2003 film *Daredevil*. Notably, *Daredevil* remains the only live-action movie to feature the Kingpin (who has since appeared in animated form in *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* and in smaller roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe). One reason people don’t readily recall Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan’s characters from *Daredevil* is simply that the movie itself wasn’t very good. Aside from Jennifer Garner’s performance as Elektra, the strongest parts of the film were Farrell and Duncan’s portrayals of the villains. While the movie wasn’t a success, their villainous pairing deserves recognition.

Stream Daredevil on Disney+.

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2025-09-25 19:40