For its first three phases, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had two poles: Iron Man, who was the movies’ first and most popular hero, and Steve Rogers’ Captain America, the perfect, brilliant hero. Captain America was the leader of the Avengers and the inspiration for the rest of the team. Audiences loved the character and the way he developed over the years, and his ending seemed to suit many MCU fans.
However, comparing Captain America to other superhero movie characters fails him. That’s not to say he’s not a great hero, but there are others, from the MCU and beyond, who are better in many ways.
ten Michael Keaton’s Batman Is Still Amazing All These Years Later
Chris Evans had acted in several comic book movies before debuting as Cap, so it was no surprise that he did a good job. The same can’t be said for Michael Keaton when he was announced as Batman. Keaton was known as a comedic actor more than anything and no one thought he was going to be a good Batman. They were wrong.
Keaton’s performance managed to expertly capture Batman and Bruce Wayne. Too many superhero actors only play one side of the character, but Keaton captured the hero and the man. It was a distinct performance and remains a fan favorite all these years later.
9 It’s impossible to choose a wild card because the majority are stellar in different ways
The Joker is pop culture’s most recognizable villain and has been for decades. Four actors have played seminal Jokers in movies: Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix. Each was completely different and captured disparate facets of the character. Romero was the clown, Nicholson the gangster, Ledger the agent of chaos, and Phoenix the broken man transforming into something frighteningly new.
Captain America is a great character and Evans did an amazing job with him, but those four Jokers were so much more than Cap could be. The bad guys often get the best stuff, and Joker is a ticket to play as wide as possible, with each of these four making a distinct mark on their respective films.
8 Fans got to see Professor X’s entire journey
The x-men movies have wild drops in quality, but one thing that remained constant was the quality of Professor X. Played by Sir Patrick Stewart and then James McAvoy in the First class prequels, fans got to see Xavier grow, first introduced as the former teacher and founder of the X-Men before seeing him on the road there.
Both actors have done a wonderful job with the character, portraying different sides of him. Stewart was able to bring the royalty and uncanny warmth of Xavier to the role, while McAvoy showed a younger, less experienced teacher finding his way. Professor X’s journey spanned almost two decades and has always been one of the highlights of the x-men movies.
seven Magneto has never failed to impress
Much like Xavier, moviegoers also spent almost twenty years with Magneto, enthralling as Sir Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbender showcased the life of the mutant master of magnetism, one of the most powerful villains in all superhero movies. . McKellan was able to capture both the likable and monstrous aspects of the character, while Fassbender showed the villain’s genesis.
Magneto stole almost every scene he was in. The two actors brought different things to the table, and somehow both somehow managed to make the character their own. Few other superhero movie characters, heroes or villains, have been as well fleshed out and acted as Magneto.
6 Christian Bale’s Batman Character Arc Made It Memorable
The Dark Knight Trilogy brought Batman back to the multiplex and a big part of its success was Christian Bale’s Batman. His portrayal of the character was very different from other actors, a more intense performance that captured new aspects of the character. Bale’s Batman was often the best character in his trilogy and gave the movies a different feel than other Batman movies.
Beyond that, Batman’s character arc throughout the films, realizing there could be more to life than just revenge, is fully realized by the end. That’s what makes him a better character than Cap; Cap got his happy ending, but calling what he had an arc misunderstands the structure of the story.
5 Sam Wilson is a more human character than Rogers could ever be
Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson first appeared in Captain America: Winter Soldier. He immediately made an impact on viewers, but his next appearances were more limited, appearing in the biggest sets of Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. However, his main role in Falcon and the Winter Soldier took it to the next level.
Fans watched Sam for longer than ever before and saw everything he could be. By the end of the show, Sam had earned the shield given to him at the end of End of Game. Sam’s Cap is amazing and a more human version; Steve is perfect, but Sam is a person who does the right thing without being superhuman.
4 Thanos has become a sensation after a full appearance
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Thanos’ shadow was heavy on the MCU’s 2012 The Avengers sure, but it wasn’t until fans were introduced to Josh Brolin’s Thanos that they grew to love him. Thanos was a magnetic freak, in that many people believed his reasons for genocide were actually justified. Even moviegoers who didn’t get that far still loved the villain, because there was something likeable even about his inhumanity.
Beyond that, Thanos won. He beat the pants of any Avenger within reach of his fists, with the death of the first Thanos coming because he won and the alternate version of the past dying because Iron Man broke it. Brolin’s Thanos is a perfect villain, and it seems like it will be impossible for the MCU to create such a great villain again.
3 Christopher Reeves’ Superman pioneered the perfect hero
Superman is the ultimate role model, and Christopher Reeves brought him to life on the big screen like no one else. Evans’ Captain America owes a debt of gratitude to Reeves’ Superman, who deftly portrayed all of America’s perfect hero. On top of that, Reeves brought Clark Kent to life beautifully, in such a way that he felt like he was playing a completely different character.
Reeves made the public believe that a man could fly. Even when the movies lost their luster after the second one, he was still the highlight of them. His performance was amazing and his Superman could fly rings around Cap.
2 Iron Man grew as a character in ways Cap didn’t.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man was quite different from the comic version, and that was part of the charm. His billionaire playboy Tony Stark went from a selfish man to a self-aggrandizing hero who then became an icon who gave his life for the universe. When moviegoers met Cap, he was already perfect and fully developed; Iron Man was a work in progress, and fans got to experience it as it went.
Iron Man was the devious heart of the MCU, a man who used his humor to hide pain. His sense of responsibility grew with each encounter with an indifferent and destructive universe. His final sacrifice was a fitting end for the MCU’s greatest hero.
1 Wolverine starred in the greatest superhero movie ever made
Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine longer than any other actor has ever played a superhero. For seventeen years he was the star of Fox x-men films, a violent but complex man who captivated fans as much as the comic version. Wolverine is another character with a perfect arc throughout the movies, one that ended in the best possible way.
Logan is by far the greatest superhero movie ever made, a character study about a man who searches for his family and all that makes his life worthwhile at the end of his life. Cap’s ending didn’t quite suit the character, but Wolverine’s was perfect; the end of a journey unlike any other in superhero cinema.
