The new DC Universe has the chance to finally do some of DC Comics’ most iconic supervillains justice after previous DC movies completely ruined them. DC has struggled to properly bring some of the comics’ best stories and characters into live-action in the past, with few previous DC movies actually being universally beloved — though the tide is changing with James Gunn’s new DCU. Every good superhero movie needs a good villain, and the response to some of these twisted foes have often soured the impact of DC’s projects, as their live-action adaptations have regularly fallen flat.
Supervillains including the likes of Bane, the Riddler, Black Mask, Poison Ivy, Darkseid, Black Manta, Parallax, and many more have all been failed in DC movies. However, few villains have been done as big a disservice as these seven antagonists from the last four decades of live-action DC projects. The future of DC Studios’ rebooted DCU is looking much brighter, and the impact of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), the inhabitants of Earth X in Peacemaker season 2, and more has been great, so we hope future DC movie villains are handled better than these seven.
7) Joker in Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad made a good attempt at bringing some of DC’s most iconic characters to the big-screen, including the likes of Deadshot (Will Smith), Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman), and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for everyone, and with so many villains, it’s hard to pin one down. Suicide Squad’s interpretation of the Joker (Jared Leto), however, is so far-removed from anything we’ve seen from the character before that it could have been great — but wasn’t. His erratic tone, gangster aesthetic, disconnection from Batman, and minimal appearances made this Joker a poor representation.
6) Two-Face in Batman Forever (1995)
Tommy Lee Jones is one of the greatest actors of his generation, but his portrayal of Harvey Dent’s Two-Face in Batman Forever is not indicative of his remarkable career. This over-the-top, too-chaotic, and bloodthirsty interpretation of Two-Face was a huge departure from the villain’s more subtle and restrained DC Comics roots. Many found Batman Forever’s Two-Face to be too similar to the Joker, while the movie’s depiction of the Riddler (Jim Carrey) was also criticized. We luckily got a better interpretation of Dent in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, but it’s hard to forget Jones’ cartoonish version.
5) Hector Hammond in Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern from 2011 is widely regarded as one of the worst superhero movies ever made. It didn’t do any of its characters justice, including the titular Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern (Ryan Reynolds), and its huge villains. Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard), a scientist who was exposed to Parallax’s yellow fear energy that transforms him into a superpowered monster, was perhaps the biggest failure of Green Lantern. The physical design was divisive, but the character’s depiction as a one-note villain driven by jealousy was even more heavily-criticized. Hammond is a sinister villain in DC Comics, but this did not translate.
4) Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Lex Luthor is among DC’s most notable, recognisable, and influential supervillains, and he has been adapted to death. Nicholas Hoult has recently delivered one of the greatest versions of live-action Lex Luthor in Superman in 2025, but Jesse Eisenberg was not as successful in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice back in 2016. Eisenberg played the character as a young maniacal genius with wealth, which was perhaps more relevant for the modern age, but removed much of what made the villain so great from DC Comics. Some praised his performance, but Eisenberg himself has stated that playing this Luthor had a detrimental impact on his career, so the jury’s out.
3) Nuclear Man in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
It’s a shame that Christopher Reeve’s final movie as the Man of Steel received such a negative response, but the inclusion of Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow) in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace arguably ruined the movie. The character’s poor on-screen powers, nonsensical motivation, generic execution, and overly-dramatic performance put the nail in the coffin for Nuclear Man. This is a little cheat, as Nuclear Man made his debut in DC Comics years after his on-screen appearance in 2018’s Superman (Vol. 5) #2, but he has already made a bigger impact in the comics’ continuity than he did in live-action.
2) Steppenwolf in Justice League (2017)
The production of the original Justice League movie was tainted by controversy, issues, and behind the scenes drama, which ultimately failed many of the movie’s most iconic characters. This includes Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), who traveled to Earth in Justice League in search of the Mother Boxes. Steppenwolf was let down immediately be poor CGI effects and a generic design that made him a forgettable villain. His watered-down personality and poorly-developed backstory also failed to make him an intimidating threat. Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021 did a better job at delivering an impactful Steppenwolf, but even this was lackluster.
1) Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin (1997)
Considered not just one of the worst superhero movies, Batman & Robin from 1997 is considered one of the worst movies ever made. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance as Mr. Freeze did not help to improve Batman & Robin’s ratings, though his campy and humorous take on this legendary DC villain has received a cult following more recently. Mr. Freeze was not threatening whatsoever in Batman & Robin, and was reduced to little more than a pun-machine, which removed the impact of a more grounded, sinister antagonist. Some argue the extreme interpretation of Mr. Freeze worked, we’re not so sure we agree.
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