Best Superhero casting

[Hector]

Movies:

1. Chris Reeve as Superman - The only actor/character combo that effects how I look at a character every time. Reeve and Supes are inseperable to me.
2. Bale as Batman - FINALLY, the right guy for the Dark Knight version.
3. Maguire as Spidey - Maguire is a Ditko drawing come to life. Not ugly, but not overly handsome. The "everyman". Great casting.
4. Jackman as Wolverine - What more can be said. He makes the X movies. Looking forward to the solo Wolvy
5. Oldman as Jim Gordon - My god...the man's a chameleon! He may be a Skrull! He looks just like a young Gordon from Year One, Long Halloween, etc.
6. JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson - I swear I would go see a Daily Bugle movie with Simmons in it. PERFECTION!!!
7. Chiklis as the Thing - Just enough gruffness and pathos to make us care for poor old Ben Grimm. Great job.
8. Evans as the Human Torch - A jerk, but a loveable jerk. Just right!
9. Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul - Perfect casting. Before I had the movie spoiled for me (before it's release) I couldn't understand why they would cast him as Ducard and not Ra's. His Jedi past didn't hurt his performance as a wise teacher, even if he was nuts.
10. Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen - This is an odd choice I know, but I thought Huntington stole just about every scene he was in. And no offense to Marck McClure who did a fine job, he's the best Jimmy we've had since THE Jimmy, Jack Larson. And you can understand why this guy would be your best "pal".

These are just the ones that rise to the surface. The X-Men movies are full of great casting choices, but I'm not a huge X-Men freak, so it doesn't jump out at me like some of these others. I didn't list Stamp as Zod, because he pretty much MADE that character. He was a fairly minor character until Stamp made him Superman's #3 baddy (after Luthor and Brainiac only).

TV (live action):

1. Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman - They're going to have a hard time finding any other actress who can pull WW off like Carter.
2. West as Batman - The Silver Age Caped Crusader brought to life.
3. Ward as Robin - He looked just like him! Acted just like him! When guys like George Perez are still using us as inspiration 15 years later, you were pretty good.
4. George Reeves as Superman - The confindence. The charm. The Silver Age Superman!
5. Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen - He was so good, DC launched a Jimmy comic that ran for 20 years. Nuff said.
6. Noel Neil as Lois Lane- See above.
7. Craig as Batgirl - My first TV crush no doubt. Since Batgirl was a new character, she still influences her comic and toon cournterpart today.
8. Newmar as Catwoman - Beautiful and nuts. That's Catwoman! Her chemistry with West was great!
9. Burgess Meredith as the Penguin - Dead on the comics.
10. Bixby as Banner/Ferrigno as Hulk - Sure they changed the story, but Bixby's Banner was even better than the comics. And Ferrigno sure looked better than a blubbery CGI model!

I didn't include Gorshin, since he pretty much MADE the Riddler himself. Without him, he'd be just as forgotten as the Polka-Dot Man. Who? Exactly.

Chris

Great post.

[joshvox]

My favorites have already been mentioned (Bale as Batman, Reeves as Superman) I'll add Orson Welles as The Shadow in the radio show days.

[Meule]

Lots of good choices here, but your all wrong on one critical character. ADAM WEST is, was, and will always be the BATMAN! No one else need apply!!!

Christian Bale as Batman (Surprisingly. Adam West is still my favorite Batman, but from a more "realistic" point of view I gotta go with Bale)
Frank Gorshin as the Riddler
Julie Newmar as Catwoman
Burgess Meredith as the Penguin
Yvonne Craig as Batgirl
Jack Nicholson as the Joker
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
Christopher Reeve as Superman
Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor
Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk
Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman
Ron Perlman as Hellboy
Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
Halle Berry as Storm

[kingdom warrior]

A lot of agreement with others, but I don't see anyone giving any love to John Wesley Shipp as the Flash.

I would've had him in my top twenty list. I did like the Flash tv show and was upset at the time that CBS didn't give it a chance. Had it been syndicated it might have lived a bit longer.....I actually got to speak to Shipp about this he was amazed at how many people still love him for that role.

[huedell]

Here's the problem---my top ten favorite TV superhero/villains
would all be from Timm's DCU, so I'll do two different lists, one for
movies/TV live action

and the second for Timm DCU characters

LIVE ACTION:

1. That dude as J. JONAH JAMESON
(Does it get any better? No.)

2. Kevin Spacey as LEX LUTHOR
(I love his comitment to the character. Makes Hackman look like.. a well...a
hack...and I loved Hackman)

3. Christian Bale as BATMAN
(I didn't go ga-ga over the movie----but I can't deny how cool he is for the part)

4. Tobey McGuire as SPIDER-MAN
(Fit everything I imagined about that guy)

5. Terence Stamp as GENERAL ZOD
(Oh the evil joy)

6. Christopher Reeve as SUPERMAN
Great actor in okay movies---SUPERMAN II is still a top fave tho'

7. Brandon Routh as SUPERMAN
(Give 'im some time and he'll grow into the character. I like a
youngish Supes tho', as long as he stays around playing the same
part for at least 15 years it'll be worth it!)

8. That 70s guy as VENOM
(I don't know much about the Venom cahracter but for the small amt. of
dialogue this guy had he was just amusing to listen to and watch)

9. Jack Nicholson as JOKER
(Jack as the Joker---either you like it or ya don't---what can I say?)

10. Michelle Pfiefer as CATWOMAN
(Hard character to pull off that accent without sounding totally forced---
I tip my cat---I mean...hat)

TIMM TOP TEN:

1. JOKER
(Hamill did great things with an already great character)
2. LUTHOR
(Clancy Brown did great things with a usually boring character)
3. BATMAN
(Doesn't this guy deserve a lot of credit? I think so.)
4. GREEN ARROW
(Some how this dude found a way to give this chaarcter a real live
identity with an unusual amount of unique identity)
5. AQUAMAN
(This guy really helped the whole Timm team change the impression of this
much ribbed character)
6. GRODD
(It's tough to give an ape a voice, and this guy did a great job with it)
7. J'ONN J'ONNZ
(Doesn't get much more distinctive than that guy's vocal performance and overall tone.)
8. THE SCARECROW GUY FROM THE JOKERZ GANG
(Love that Chistopher Walken imitation!)
9. SUPERMAN
(I think the guy that took over in JL was a great replacement and just sounds
very Supermanly!)
10. MYXLPLTLYK
(Gottfried was inspired casting for an annoying imp!)

[Brue]

I'd like to add JJJ - PERFECT
and even though he was in a bad movie General Ross was dead on.

[Goblin19]

I'm all about getting the best actor for the job, though looks are inportant.

1. Patrick Stewart as Prof X
2. Christopher Reeve as Supes
3. Tobey Maguire as Spidey
4. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
5. Ian McKellan as Magneto
6. Christian Bale as Batman
7. Adam West as Batman
8. George Reeves as Supes
9. Jack Nicholson as The Joker
10. Ron Perlman as Hellboy

[Earth 2 Chris]

Movies:

1. Chris Reeve as Superman - The only actor/character combo that effects how I look at a character every time. Reeve and Supes are inseperable to me.
2. Bale as Batman - FINALLY, the right guy for the Dark Knight version.
3. Maguire as Spidey - Maguire is a Ditko drawing come to life. Not ugly, but not overly handsome. The "everyman". Great casting.
4. Jackman as Wolverine - What more can be said. He makes the X movies. Looking forward to the solo Wolvy
5. Oldman as Jim Gordon - My god...the man's a chameleon! He may be a Skrull! He looks just like a young Gordon from Year One, Long Halloween, etc.
6. JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson - I swear I would go see a Daily Bugle movie with Simmons in it. PERFECTION!!!
7. Chiklis as the Thing - Just enough gruffness and pathos to make us care for poor old Ben Grimm. Great job.
8. Evans as the Human Torch - A jerk, but a loveable jerk. Just right!
9. Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul - Perfect casting. Before I had the movie spoiled for me (before it's release) I couldn't understand why they would cast him as Ducard and not Ra's. His Jedi past didn't hurt his performance as a wise teacher, even if he was nuts.
10. Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen - This is an odd choice I know, but I thought Huntington stole just about every scene he was in. And no offense to Marck McClure who did a fine job, he's the best Jimmy we've had since THE Jimmy, Jack Larson. And you can understand why this guy would be your best "pal".

These are just the ones that rise to the surface. The X-Men movies are full of great casting choices, but I'm not a huge X-Men freak, so it doesn't jump out at me like some of these others. I didn't list Stamp as Zod, because he pretty much MADE that character. He was a fairly minor character until Stamp made him Superman's #3 baddy (after Luthor and Brainiac only).

TV (live action):

1. Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman - They're going to have a hard time finding any other actress who can pull WW off like Carter.
2. West as Batman - The Silver Age Caped Crusader brought to life.
3. Ward as Robin - He looked just like him! Acted just like him! When guys like George Perez are still using us as inspiration 15 years later, you were pretty good.
4. George Reeves as Superman - The confindence. The charm. The Silver Age Superman!
5. Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen - He was so good, DC launched a Jimmy comic that ran for 20 years. Nuff said.
6. Noel Neil as Lois Lane- See above.
7. Craig as Batgirl - My first TV crush no doubt. Since Batgirl was a new character, she still influences her comic and toon cournterpart today.
8. Newmar as Catwoman - Beautiful and nuts. That's Catwoman! Her chemistry with West was great!
9. Burgess Meredith as the Penguin - Dead on the comics.
10. Bixby as Banner/Ferrigno as Hulk - Sure they changed the story, but Bixby's Banner was even better than the comics. And Ferrigno sure looked better than a blubbery CGI model!

I didn't include Gorshin, since he pretty much MADE the Riddler himself. Without him, he'd be just as forgotten as the Polka-Dot Man. Who? Exactly.

Chris

[saildog]

Terri Hatcher was the HOTTEST Lois Lane ever but Noel Neill still gets props as being the definitive Lois in my book.

Agree on both counts.

Noel Neill has been connected to almost every Superman project spanning almost 60 years.

[The Toyroom]

Terri Hatcher was the HOTTEST Lois Lane ever but Noel Neill still gets props as being the definitive Lois in my book.

[The Bat]

OH! Terri Hatcher was the best Lois Lane period.

Yeah...She was excellent! But I HATED Dean Cain as SUPERMAN.

[Comic Book Geek]

OH! Terri Hatcher was the best Lois Lane period.

[The Bat]

My last list were All Movie's...here's My TV Pick's:

Tom Welling-Superman(Smallville)
Michael Rosenbaum-Lex(Smallville)
Annette O'Toole-Martha Kent(Smallville)
John Snider-Pa Kent(Smallville)
What's His Name-Green Arrow(Smallville)
Joh Wesley Ship-The Flash
Kevin Conroy-Batman(TAS)
Frank Gorsgin-Riddler
Julie Newmar-Catwoman
Lynda Carter-Wonder Woman

[thunderbolt]

A lot of agreement with others, but I don't see anyone giving any love to John Wesley Shipp as the Flash.

I did, then realized I forgot Wonder Woman, and somebody had to go.

[Captain]

Lots of good choices here, but your all wrong on one critical character. ADAM WEST is, was, and will always be the BATMAN! No one else need apply!!!