Comic book movies aren’t always the best at predicting which of their characters will have a strong audience reaction, with many a scene being stolen from unexpected roles. More so than any other genre, superhero movie castings are incredibly important, with many films in the genre failing or succeeding under the force of personality of their leading role. However, it’s just as often that the protagonist can be overshadowed by another presence.
The most frequent scene-stealers in superhero movies are often side characters that don’t have a ton of relevance to the story, with exaggerated personalities that allow them to become far more memorable. Other times, the best movie supervillains can sometimes eclipse the star protagonist of the film they’re in, whether through having a stronger performance or simply being better-written. Whatever the case, a great deal of superhero movies have fallen victim to a fan-favorite character stealing every solitary second of screentime they’re afforded.
10 Gambit
Deadpool & Wolverine
Few expected that Channing Tatum’s Gambit would ever see a genuine movie theater screen. For years, a Gambit solo movie headed by Tatum languished in production limbo at Fox studios, only to crumble away when Disney acquired the cinematic rights to the X-Men for use in the MCU. As a show of good faith, Marvel Studios brought Tatum in for a notable cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, in which he finally got to show off his card tricks, Cajun accent, and comic-accurate costume.
Gambit’s hilarious dialogue delivery makes up some of the best jokes in Deadpool & Wolverine. Stealing the scene from a character as bombastic as Deadpool is no easy feat, but Gambit’s delivery of his Cajun drawl and sheer force of personality are somehow able to do so, truly making a name for himself just as he intended. It’s no wonder Gambit’s scenes in the film have quickly gone on to become meme fodder, with fans across the internet hoping to replicate his suave aura.
9 Luis
Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp
Sometimes, it isn’t even a costumed hero or villain that steals the show of a comic book movie. If they’re played well enough, a simple civilian ally can easily steal the spotlight from even the most bombastic of heroes, and Michael Peña’s Luis manages to do just that in both Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp. One of Scott Lang’s former criminal associates, Luis finds himself pulled into all sorts of wacky scenarios thanks to his friendship with the size-changing Avenger.
Peña improvised the majority of these lines
The way Luis tells long-winded stories with rapid-fire anecdotes and countless meandering detours is endlessly hilarious, easily making up the best jokes of either film he’s in. Impressively enough, Peña improvised the majority of these lines, basing Luis’ mannerisms on an actual friend from his real life. It’s a shame Luis didn’t return for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, perhaps explaining part of that film’s drop-off in quality compared to the first two.
8 Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultron
At first, it should be no wonder that Ultron was the star of the show in his titular film, Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, the film’s troubled pacing gave him an oddly small amount of screentime, with the drama being split too many ways between the myriad of characters within the narrative. Luckily, in the scenes he does get, James Spader positively steals the show as the walking homicidal A.I.
Ultron believes that saving Earth requires eradicating humanity, echoing Isaac Asimov’s Zero Law of Robotics: “A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.”
Spader’s buttery smooth voice effortlessly delivers Ultron’s dialogue, making him come across as eerie and menacing while still having his own twisted sense of humor. His dry jokes and zealous belief in the failure of humanity is something to behold, and it’s a shame the MCU killed him off so early, considering how comprehensive of a threat Ultron is in the comics. Thankfully, James Spader will reprise the role in the upcoming VIsion series, where he’ll hopefully continue to steal scenes as easily as he steals nuclear codes.
7 The Joker
The Dark Knight
Not only does Heath Ledger’s Joker utterly steal the show of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, but he completely defines the film, and perhaps even the entire trilogy. By far one of the single most iconic comic book movie performances ever, Ledger’s Joker went on to influence the character for decades to come, having a profound impact on the popularity of Batman as a whole. With all this influence, it’s easy to forget that he also undermines Batman’s importance in his own film.
The Joker is simply mesmerizing for every second he’s on screen, whether he’s being a genuinely funny dark comedian or a chilling, unpredictable killer. His performance is so arresting that during the filming of one scene, Michael Caine actually forgot all of his lines as Alfred, which led to such a brilliant take that it was used in the film anyway. Even if he is the main antagonist of the film, it’s hard to point to any story in which a non-hero character steals the show as hard as Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance did.
6 Johnny Storm
The Fantastic Four
It’s hard to measure up each member of The Fantastic Four against each other in terms of importance, but on paper, The Human Torch could easily be the least consequential of the quartet. Mr. Fantastic is the leader and the brains of the operation, The Invisible Woman is arguably the most powerful member, and The Thing is the team’s emotional anchor. Yet Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm comprehensively steals the spotlight in all of the scenes he’s afforded in Fox’s original Fantastic Four.
It was clear that Chris Evans in a superhero role was someone to watch
Even if he is an arrogant jerk, Johnny Storm is endlessly entertaining to watch, whether he’s showing off, attempting to abuse his powers, or simply annoying Benjamin Grimm. It was clear that Chris Evans in a superhero role was someone to watch, even before he managed to lead his own franchise as Captain America. Evans’ brief, but memorable cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine reminded audiences just how much of a focal point the character could be, as eye-catching as the fire he conjures.
5 Peacemaker
The Suicide Squad
Of all the wrestlers to become Hollywood movie stars, John Cena is arguably the most critically successful. No matter what situation he is, the WWE superstar’s comedy chops are evident no matter what role he takes, especially when inhabiting the silver helmet of Peacemaker. Once an obscure villain from the DC Comics, James Gunn introduced Peacemaker to general audiences in The Suicide Squad, to the fanfare of instant audience obsession.
Cena’s comedic timing is unparalleled even in such a talented cast
While Idris Elba’s Bloodsport and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn are arguably the two most important viewpoint characters of the ensemble cast, it’s hard to get enough of Peacemaker’s antics. Cena’s comedic timing is unparalleled even in such a talented cast, leading to Peacemaker doling out easily the funniest jokes of the film. It’s no wonder that the DCEU decided to afford Peacemaker his own streaming series on HBO, which has continued to cement the character’s legacy.
4 Drax
Guardians of the Galaxy
Like The Human Torch, Drax could be argued as the least important or consequential member of the team he resides on. However, Dave Bautista has proven his skill as the character time and time again, somehow managing to be the most noteworthy thing in scenes filled with hectic space battles and sentient treants. Drax’s unintentional comedy is pure gold, whether he’s eating snacks as slowly as possible in an attempt to be invisible or fondly recalling the night of his own conception.
His tattoos represent the memories of his fallen loved ones.
When he needs to be, Drax is also capable of putting the jokes on the shelf in order to dispense with some brilliant emotional beats. These include Mantis absorbing Drax’s pain at the loss of his family while he simply smiles at peace with it, or the moment he successfully makes a metaphor by giving Quill advice on his endless chase for Gamora’s affection. Even in a fully-fledged Avengers film, Drax is easily the most entertaining character in a given scene he’s in, an impressive feat considering the personalities at work within the MCU.
3 Bullseye
Daredevil
Ben Affleck’s Daredevil isn’t exactly a fondly-remembered superhero film, being a relic of the unfortunate era of the early 2000s in which Hollywood just couldn’t seem to get many comic book movies right. If there’s one shining light throughout the mostly phoned-in performances of the film, however, it’s Colin Farrell’s Bullseye, a maniacal villain with a penchant for marksmanship. Unlike the rest of the gritty characters in Daredevil, Farrell embraces the absurdity of his character, laughing with glee at every murder he commits.
Bullseye’s very appearance is hard to look away from, with a comic-accurate costume shedded away in exchange for a crosshair-shaped scar on his bald forehead and an ostentatious crocodile-skin leather jacket. Farrell is easily the best part of the film, and watching him pull off elaborate trick shots with improvised weaponry is a joy few superhero films are able to emulate. It’s no wonder Matt Reeves recognized his supervillain potential with a casting as The Penguin in The Batman.
2 Spider-Punk
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse introduced a whole new slew of Spider-Man variants for Miles Morales to meet and go up against, with some incredibly creative worlds and designs. If there’s one new addition that truly stands out, however, it’s Hobie Brown, a.k.a. Spider-Punk. A British punk-rocker from a dimension ruled by an authoritarian regime, Spider-Punk’s personality and striking art style is an instant attention-grabber.
He embodies the punk rock culture, reflecting the rebellious spirit of the 1970s and 1980s, fighting against oppressive systems, specifically battling a fascist version of President Norman Osborn in his universe.
It’s the small details of Spider-Punk’s brilliant animation that set him apart from the rest of the cast. Besides looking like a cobbled-together scrap book of rock magazines that constantly shifts in color, Hobie’s need to rebel is embedded in his very movement, with the character’s animation using completely different rules than every other Spider-Man. Add in a proper punk rock theme song and the fact that Hobie is Miles’ only real ally among the network of other webheads, and it makes sense that Spider-Punk is the real star of the show.
1 J. Jonah Jameson
Spider-Man
It’s rare that a given comic book performance steals their scenes so well that they’re actually brought into a new continuity by sheer popular demand. Yet somehow, this is the case for J.K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson, who was iconic enough to be brought back for the MCU version of the character with no explanation. Originally, Simmons’ J.J.J. made his debut in Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man, where his quick wit and brash personality quickly made him a fan-favorite.
Jameson’s time-is-money attitude and hilarious quips stood out among the cast of Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy. However, he was also capable of genuine moments of heroism as well, such as when he refuses to give Peter Parker’s identity to the Green Goblin even under threat of death. While he doesn’t get as much screentime in the MCU as he does in the original trilogy, Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson is a powerful enough presence to absolutely own any comic book movie scene he features in.
