Who was/is the best portrayal of a comic character?

[The Bat]

I remember an interview with 89 Batman screen-writer Sam Hamm in Comics Scene, I think Ray Liotta was his Batman preference.

Chris

Anybody would have better than Keaton! Although I liked Jack as the Joker....Heath Ledger was MUCH better! I can also see Dafoe in the part!

[knight errant00]

I remember an interview where Hamm said he wanted Charlie Sheen and Willem DaFoe.

I remember an interview with 89 Batman screen-writer Sam Hamm in Comics Scene before Keaton and Nicholson were cast and he had Dafoe picked for Joker and I think Ray Liotta was his Batman preference. Honestly I think both of those would have worked. Dafoe is dead-on the Brian Bolland Killing Joke version of the Joker, and Liotta can play an intense Batman-type well.

Chris

[Earth 2 Chris]

I remember an interview where Hamm said he wanted Charlie Sheen and Willem DaFoe.

I think I remember him mentioning Sheen too. Not sure he could pull it off, but physically, he looked like a Dick Sprang Bruce Wayne. Even the original BTAS design always reminded me of Sheen somewhat.

Chris

[Mego Milk]

Fred Savage should have been Robin in the Burton films.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Fred Savage should have been Robin in the Burton films.

He would have worked out well, I think.

A few years back, when there were no Batman films being made, Frankie (Malcom in the Middle) Muniz would have been a great young Dick Grayson Robin. He had that smart but scrappy factor Dick needs.

Chris

[megoscott]

Seems like collectively you guys have mentioned every single performance of every single character ever.

Here's one from left field: Robin Williams as Popeye.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Here's one from left field: Robin Williams as Popeye.

Agreed! Popeye is an odd movie. Too high-brow for its own subject matter, I think. Too...artsy. Kind of like the way they went with Dick Tracy. Almost TOO much reverance for the material to make it really fun. But the casting was dead-on. Shelly Duvall was actually good as Olive Oyl, and I normally can't stand her.

When I first saw the movie in the theaters, I hadn't seen the old Fleischer Popeyes yet. Just the made-for-TV toons from the 50s and 60s. So I didn't get why Williams did all of that mumbling! But when I did finally see the original cartoons, I had a whole new appreciation of the movie.

Chris

[PNGwynne]

For really iconic portrayals, I'd have to choose Chris Reeve as Superman. Jeez, he was wonderful and I miss him. I'm not even a big Supes fan and I think he's the best on-screen superhero, ever.

But...Lynda Carter's WW and Tobey Macguire's Spidey are pretty nearly as good.

All three bring something to their performances that transcends the occasional weaknesses of the scripts.

And if WBs ever does a Shazam! film, I vote for Jerry O'Connell to star.

BTW, I liked Affleck as DD--check out the director's cut: It's a subtantially better performance and a better movie.

[PNGwynne]

Villains: Well, maybe I'm biased, but I think Buzz Meredith's Penguin
was the best foe on the show, in terms of capturing the essence of the comics version.

And let's recognize BIlly Campbell as the Rocketeer and Billy Zane as the Phantom--really earnest, on-key performances in modest B-films that were nice tributes to the characters.

[thunderbolt]

Yeah, Robin WIlliams' Popeye is an overlooked one.