Once an actor plays a superhero in a box office extravaganza worthy of its own franchise, fans tend to associate them with the character for the foreseeable future—the hero. More often than not, though, you'll learn that there are a lot of superhero actors who have played villains before or in between their more recognizable comic book movie outings. Forgetting these actors have played bad guys is a common phenomenon.
A great actor paints characters in shades of gray; they’re not just good or bad, and certainly not outright heroic... some less so than others. Here are the least heroic roles of well-known superhero actors we forgot weren’t always model citizens onscreen.
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Throughout Samuel L. Jackson’s lengthy career, he’s played a handful of villains that subvert the righteous precedent set by the MCU’s Nick Fury. As the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury’s life has been devoted to making the world a better place. That said, the Avengers would not exist without him and the Earth/Universe would most likely be in shambles.
The most iconic villain (arguably) Jackson has ever played is that of Elijah Prince, AKA Mr. Glass, in 2000’s Unbreakable and 2019’s Glass. Although he’s hyper-intelligent, Glass suffers from a condition that makes his body, well, breakable (or made of glass). Because of this, he is confined to a wheelchair, but this in no way limits him. Obsessed with comic books, his mission in life is to see the world improved by superheroes; to find David Dunn (Bruce Willis), Glass turns himself into a supervillain. He’s willing to go to extreme lengths for what he considers to be the “greater good.” While both Fury and Glass further the careers of superheroes, Glass breaking a lot more eggs to do so.
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2011’s Thor deconstructed Thor’s narcissism and arrogance before he could become the hero the Marvel Cinematic Universe knows and loves today (Avengers: Endgame’s “bro Thor” aside). That said, Hemsworth played another arrogant/narcissistic role in 2018’s Bad Times at the El Royale.
Bad Times follows seven strangers with a plethora of dark secrets, who intersect over one night in a shady hotel on the California-Nevada border. Two of those strangers are sisters Emily (Dakota Johnson) and Rose (Cailee Spaeny). Emily absconds with her brainwashed sister from a murderous cult led by Billy Lee (Hemsworth) and takes her to the El Royale. Rose briefly escapes, calls Billy, and tells him where she is. When Billy shows up at the El Royale, he essentially becomes the film’s main antagonist, toying with the group of people and propels the film’s dark, yet satisfying conclusion. It’s as close to Loki as Thor has ever been.
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Jeremy Renner may play the most grounded character in the MCU. Surrounded by meta-humans, Renner’s Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, is just a man who’s good at archery. He has a wife and kids and still chooses to put his life on the line as an Avenger. Yes, after losing his family to Thanos’ snap, he goes on a murderous rampage through the underworld in Avengers: Endgame. However, he’s still been ultra heroic in his other appearances, not to mention that he plays an active role in bringing everyone back.
In 2003’s S.W.A.T., Renner plays Brian Gamble, the partner of officer Jim Street (Colin Farrell), who is taken off of S.W.A.T. after engaging a hostile and injuring a hostage in during a bank heist. Disillusioned and frustrated with how he was treated by the system, Gamble aligns himself with French underworld boss Alexander Montel to help him break out of police custody. This decision puts Gamble in direct conflict with his former partner, Street, whose S.W.A.T. team is tasked with transferring Montel. Not only is Gamble not heroic, but he teams up with the same types of crooks that Hawkeye would rather beat them than join.
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When it comes to heroism, Captain America is the standard by which everyone else is judged in the MCU. Chris Evans proved to be the perfect actor to portray Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. That said, it’s extraordinarily strange seeing Evans play anything other than “the soldier.” Watching Captain America commit heinous acts is like hearing Santa Claus skipped Christmas. We had to suffer this in 2019’s Knives Out, and also in 2012’s The Iceman.
In The Iceman, Evans plays Robert Pronge, a hitman for the mob who teams up with protagonist Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) to split contracts unauthorized by the mob. In the thick of it, Pronge tells Kulinski that their families are threats now before suggesting that they do each other a favor: “Kill my family. You kill mine and I’ll kill yours.” Hardly the type of problem-solving you'd expect from Cap!
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Scarlett Johanssen’s Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a guarded, borderline emotionless epitome of a secret agent. However, throughout her interactions with characters like Captain America, she certainly becomes more heroic, ultimately making a pivotal sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. However, in Under the Skin, she plays a character who cares very little about the existence/betterment of humanity/life.
In Under the Skin, Johansson plays an extraterrestrial who disguises itself as a human woman to lure unsuspecting men into her van, seduces them, and then sends them to another dimension to be food. If you look at heroism the same way you look at love, then the opposite of heroism would be selfish indifference. Essentially a hunter, Johanssen's character in Under the Skin is exactly that.
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Besides Batman, Superman is perhaps the one superhero who needs no introduction. The Last Son of Krypton, AKA the Man of Steel, is the superhero, morally and physically superior to a fault. Henry Cavill contemporized the character in dramatic fashion in 2013’s Man of Steel. Not only does Cavill possess a look that appears synonymous with the character, but his performance proved as soft and simultaneously authoritative as anyone could hope for.
Cavill played his first on-screen villain in 2018’s Mission: Impossible—Fallout. As an arms dealer and leader of the Apostles" Cavill's John Lark goes head-to-head with Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt trying to dismantle the current world order for, as most villains rationalize, the “greater good.” Lark is ruthless and manipulative as he operates under the identity of CIA agent August Walker to achieve his goals. Near the end of the film, Lark attempts to detonate two nuclear devices at a medical camp that would contaminate the water supply for India, Pakistan, and China. Needless to say, Clark Kent would never do this (nor would he sport a mustache).
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Jason Momoa is known for his portrayal of Arthur Curry, AKA Aquaman, in the DC Extended Universe. The character, while not perfect, is one we as an audience root for (and is often aligned with other heroic characters). Momoa’s role in 2013’s Bullet to the Head sees him directly in conflict with the film’s protagonist.
Bullet to the Head follows veteran hitman Jimmy Bobo (Sylvester Stallone) after he and his partner eliminate a corrupt cop named Greely, causing the latter to be taken out by another hitman, Keegan, played by Momoa (who also tries to take out Bobo). Turns out, Keegan works for a corrupt entrepreneur that Greely tried to strongarm. As Bobo and Detective Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang) team up to take down the man (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Keegan stays hot on their tail and even kidnaps Bobo's daughter to try and hurt him.
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Everyone loves Paul Rudd—he’s every audience's best friend; making us laugh in films like I Love You, Man, and saving the day as Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2015’s Ant-Man, he's introduced as a well-intentioned thief looking to turn his life around and spend more time with his daughter. By the end of the film, he’s a full-on hero, going subatomic to defeat Yellowjacket.
Rudd also plays Cactus Bill in 2018’s Mute. Bill contains Rudd’s charisma but a little less of Lang’s altruism. Bill, along with his best-friend, Duck (Justin Theroux), run a black-market clinic for a futuristic crime lord. He’s mostly motivated by greed. While he does care for his daughter in the film (not unlike Lang), Bill’s actions become increasingly disgusting—he eliminates, torments, and manipulates. Seeing Rudd “break bad” in, let’s face it, a bad movie might be the most upsetting part of the performance.
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Bruce Banner—the mild-manner doctor with a rage problem. Heroic? Sure. The Hulk? Sometimes. Regardless, Mark Ruffalo tends to play extremely likable characters, both because of his natural charisma and puppy-dog eyes. When it doesn’t, it’s jarring and often spectacular. Ruffalo was one of the most dynamic actors in Hollywood’s long before he donned glasses and The Big Guy's purple pants. That said, his role in 2006’s All the King’s Men is not endearing (partially because the film pales in comparison to the novel).
The film follows Governor Willie Stark’s (Sean Penn) rise to power in the American South. Through his misconduct, Stark makes many enemies, of these is Dr. Adam Stanton, the son of a former governor. Eventually, Stanton comes to believe that Stark is framing him for embezzling money from the state. Also, Stark sleeps with Stanton’s sister. Naturally, Stanton assassinates him.
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If you haven’t heard, Michael Keaton is set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman in DC’s upcoming Flashpoint movie. As you know, Batman seeks to defend the innocent from those who terrorize Gotham City. It doesn’t get more heroic than Batman; even when the vigilante is being dark, he still refuses to take lives.
In another Tim Burton film, 1988’s Beetlejuice, Keaton plays the titular role. The film follows a mild-mannered couple and recently deceased couple, the Maitlands, (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who enlist the help of the charismatically chaotic poltergeist to rid their home of its new inhabitants. Beetlejuice proves to be an increasingly problematic entity; eventually, Beetlejuice promises to save the Maitlands from an exorcism for the young girl (Winona Ryder) living in the couple’s home if she marries him (allowing him to terrorize the mortal world). Thankfully, the ceremony is thwarted and Beetlejuice returns to the netherworld.
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Ben Affleck’s “Batfleck” took the DCEU by storm in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017’s Justice League (more so the former). As is the case with almost all interpretations of the character, Affleck’s Bruce Wayne puts the welfare of innocents above his own. This is one of the main reasons he initially hates Superman: because of the threat he poses and the destruction he contributed to in Man of Steel.
In 2013’s Runner Runner, Affleck plays online-gambling tycoon Ivan Block who turns out to be less than ethical: he bribes, cheats, blackmails, and takes lives. Block is consumed by greed and self-interest, something that cannot be said about Bruce Wayne (other than by those who only know the image he purposefully projects).
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Arguably more the prototypical soldier than Captain American, Don Cheadle’s Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes is the embodiment of laying one's life on the line for others. As made clear by his friendship with Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man—which leads to him becoming War Machine—Rhodey even ignores pressure from the government and military to take his friend’s armor because he believes it to be wrong. Rhodey has not only helped save Tony on multiple occasions but the universe. However, Cheadle hasn’t always been a hero on screen.
In 1993’s comedy The Meteor Man, Cheadle played Goldilocks, a member of a group called "The Golden Lords" (for their hairstyles) that terrorizes Washington, DC. Not only is Cheadle not heroic in this film, but he directly antagonizes Jefferson Reed (Robert Townsend), a school teacher turned superhero.
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In 2019’s Captain Marvel, Brie Larson plays US Air Force pilot turned superhero Captain Marvel. As far as characters go, she’s as noble and dedicated as they come. As Danvers, she’s a trusted friend and courageous pilot, and as the Kree warrior, Vers, she’s a tenacious warrior just trying to do the right thing in an intergalactic fight between her people and the Skrulls. However, in 2016’s Free Fire, she’s anything but trustworthy.
In Free Fire, Larson plays Justine, the intermediary at a deal gone bad. She finds herself having to navigate a series of chaotic happenings and double-crosses to get out of the warehouse where the deal is going down alive. Near the end of the film, Justine reveals she was orchestrating a plan to betray everyone else all along.
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The world knows him as the genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist: Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr.’s role in 2008’s Iron Man revitalized his career while simultaneously launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before that, he was a Hollywood bad boy, and some of his roles were a reflection of less-than-admirable character traits.
In the 1991 comedy Soapdish, Downey played David Seton Barnes, the producer of a daytime drama called "The Sun Also Sets." The film’s plot follows the soap’s star, Celeste Talbert (Sally Field), as Barnes attempts to unnerve Talbert because her “ambitious” co-star promises him sexual favors if he gets her a larger role (among other things). The lengths to which he goes to become increasingly deplorable, and, it’s safe to say, Downey does not come off as heroic. For a multitude of reasons, Soapdish would likely generate a lot of heat if it was released today.
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