The 20 best superhero movie performances of all time

Eckhart's performance as Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent, who is tragically disfigured and driven mad, is overshadowed by Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." But we believe Dent's sudden transformation because of Eckhart's acting.

Danny DeVito's portrayal of The Penguin is over-the-top and disgusting, but he does it as only he can. The character hasn't been seen on screen since, and it would be hard for anyone else to top.

Perlman was pitch-perfect casting as the demonic superhero Hellboy in Guillermo del Toro's film, capturing both his brutish nature and the sadness within him. "Stranger Things" star David Harbour will play the character in an upcoming reboot, and he has big shoes to fill.

Everyone has their favorite Batman/Bruce Wayne actor, but it's hard to argue with Michael Keaton. The, "You wanna get nuts? Lets get nuts!" line delivery alone puts him at the top.

Hiddleston's Loki is a fan favorite villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he's at his best in "Ragnarok" where Loki's evolution as a character truly shines.

My favorite "Spider-Man" movie is "Spider-Man 2," but while Tobey Maguire was a fine Spider-Man, Tom Holland truly personifies everything great about the character. Spider-Man was originally created as a relatable teenager, with all the problems of a teenager while still balancing how to be a superhero, and Holland is the first Spider-Man actor who nails that.

Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool. It's as simple as that. He spent years trying to get the character the big screen, solo movie treatment, and when it finally happened, he didn't disappoint.

The late Margot Kidder is the best actress to play Lois Lane. She embodied the character's toughness and intelligence better than anyone else, and was perfect alongside Superman actor Christopher Reeve.

People sympathized with the villain Killmonger, and many moviegoers even felt he was right in "Black Panther," though his methods were questionable. Jordan showed his bad-guy acting chops in the role, while also maintaining the character's internal struggle throughout the movie.

Brolin was surprisingly emotive as the "Infinity War" big bad, and made us even feel sympathetic toward a genocidal mad man. The audience could tell he was having a good time in the role, but he also delivered a powerful performance that towered over the huge, all-star cast.

In his second outing as X-Men villain Magneto, McKellen brought even more of his A-game. The scene in which he escapes from the plastic prison is a highlight of "X2," in large part because McKellen acts the heck out of it — just as he does in every other scene.

Gadot's comical confusion as Diana when thrust into the world beyond her island home of Themyscira, along with her ferociousness when charging into battle, proved she was the perfect person to bring Wonder Woman to life.

The "Spider-Man 2" interpretation of the web-slinger's classic foe, Doctor Octopus, is one of the best comic-to-film interpretations of a villain yet, and that's mainly due to Molina's performance, from the friendly mentorship to Peter Parker to the sympathetic quest for vengeance that drives him mad.

Even with Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker, Jack Nicholson's nearly 30-year-old performance still holds up. Nicholson let loose all of his wild impulses to bring the character to life.

Downey Jr. saw a career comeback with his pitch-perfect casting as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's debut. We didn't know it at the time, but he would go on to make his mark as the character for another decade. But it was in "Iron Man" that he gave his best performance as the cocky but conscientious billionaire-turned-superhero.

Reeve was the perfect on-screen Superman, and embodied the character's best attributes: his awkward charm as Clark Kent and his Boy Scout nobility as Superman.

Still the best Catwoman, Pfeiffer's portrayal was everything that makes the character who she is and more: seductive, mysterious, and complicated. Screenwriter John August recently revealed on Twitter a "Batman Returns" sequel starring Catwoman that he pitched to Warner Bros. in 1998 — it started infinitely better than the Halle Berry-starring "Catwoman" we actually got.

Ledger posthumously won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker. It's often regarded as the best performance in a superhero movie, and one of the best villainous performances of all time.

Jackman played Wolverine for 17 years, and he gave it his all in his last hurrah as the character, capturing Logan's loneliness, anger, and overall pain that had piled up over the years. It wasn't just Jackman's final bow, it was the character's as well, and the audience felt it right up until his last breath.