10 Comic Book Movie Characters Who Were Completely Reinvented & Turned Out Incredibly
Comic book movies often make some pretty dramatic changes to the characters they depict, and while these alterations can often negatively impact the story they"re trying to tell, in many cases, the character in question is actually improved by a movie change. The best comic book movies walk the fine line between respecting their source material and making meaningful changes befitting the translation to the silver screen. On occasion, superhero films can go in dramatically different directions with their characters that actually turn out far better than if they had just stuck to a basic adaptation.
The films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe tend to be particularly good at making prescient changes to their characters, in many cases influencing the comics following the release of a film to align better with the new interpretation. DC isn"t to be left out, however, making some fascinating changes of their own that still present a starkly different take on a classic hero or villain. From personality changes to entirely revised backstories, both aisles have taken some alarming liberties with well-known characters to the sound of high critical praise.
10 The Penguin The Batman![]()
Image via Max Previously, Christopher Nolan"s The Dark Knight trilogy was the most grounded, realistic take on the cinematic Batman mythos. However, in recent years, that title has been taken by Matt Reeves" The Batman, which arguably brings the character closer to reality than ever before. In doing so, heavy changes had to be made to each member of Batman"s rouge"s gallery that appears in the film, with Collin Ferrell"s Penguin seeing the most overt of them.
Not named Oswald Cobblepott, Matt Reeves" Oz Cobb seemingly has similar origins as the last member of a disgraced wealthy family attempting to reclaim the former glory of his name through criminal means. The implementation of a club foot compared to the sometimes grotesque physical mutations The Penguin endures at the hands of comic artists works wonders in making him an instantly recognizable figure. Oz"s New Jersey Italian immigrant mannerisms and bombastic personality also works far better than The Penguin"s traditional antiquated supervillain persona. It"s no wonder The Penguin got his own spin-off show.
9 Namor Black Panther: Wakanda Forever![]()
Namor the Submariner has always rode a fine line between hero and villain in the comics, but Black Panther: Wakanda Forever expands upon his backstory in an intriguing way. In reality, Namor began his comic career as Altantean royalty, similarly to the more famous nautical DC hero, Aquaman. Frequently coming into conflict with the surface world, Namor simultaneously battled and teamed up with everyone from The Human Torch (The original android, not Johnny Storm) to the X-Men and the Avengers.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made Namor more unique as a savior figure who helped found the empire of Atlantis, a secretive superpower just like Wakanda. In the movie, Atlantis and Namor are expanded to be an off-shoot of the Maya, giving them both a brilliant visual redesign to reflect this. Though Namor plays an antagonistic role, his motivations are very sympathetic, especially to Shuri, making his character arc all the stronger. Even Namor"s name is cooler in the MCU, being explained as a shortened version of "El Niño sin Amor", meaning "the child without love" in Spanish.
8 The Vulture Spider-Man: Homecoming![]()
As far as cinematic Spider-Man villains go, The Vulture"s appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming is quite high-ranking. In the comics, the villain known as The Vulture, a.k.a. Adrian Toomes, is a business person and genius inventor who designs an advanced flight harness that grants him the ability to soar through the air, as well as a degree of super-strength and durability. When he"s betrayed by his business partner, Toomes takes up a life of professional crime, officially becoming The Vulture by using his invention for evil.
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Vulture"s origins are re-arranged in a way that not only better ties in to the MCU"s overarching story, but feels more thematically appropriate. Here, Adrian Toomes takes the name quite literally, making a living scavenging for alien tech that fuels his deadly arsenal, including an intimidating personal flight suit. From his intimidating costume update to his more fleshed-out backstory and Micheal Keaton"s underrated performance, the movie version of The Vulture is better in just about every aspect.
7 Iron Man Iron Man![]()
Even the Marvel Cinematic Universe"s flagship character didn"t survive the translation to the screen without some severe changes. Originally, Iron Man was created as a challenge by Stan Lee to get audiences to love a hero with a very loathsome personality. In the comics, Tony Stark is indeed far easier to hate, making some alarmingly questionable moral decisions, especially in the original Civil War storyline.
When it came time for the character to star in the MCU"s flagshp film, this moral bankruptcy was lessened, making Tony Stark"s personality eccentric and erratic, but not outwardly malicious. It also helps that his armor was given an iconic redesign, feeling far more like a mechanized flying suit than the original skin-tight comic look. Iron Man"s heel turn in the movies was so successful that even today, his personality is written in the comics to be much closer to Robert Downey Jr."s excellent performance than his dark first persona.
6 The Winter Soldier Captain America: The First Avenger![]()
Indeed, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the most important film for the MCU"s Bucky Barnes, bringing him back as a remorseless killing machine just as had been done in the comics. However, Bucky"s first appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger made the most pressing and effective changes to his character arc, something that would later be reflected in his time as The Winter Soldier. In his debut comic appearance, Bucky is like a Robin to Captain America"s Batman, a teen sidekick with far less experience.
In the MCU, it"s explained that Bucky is actually Steve Rogers" childhood friend who managed to join the military, unlike the frail-bodied Steve. In a sense, Bucky is actually more experienced as a soldier than Captain America, having entered military service far earlier and acted as The Winter Soldier during Steve"s time in the ice. These changes work well in service to Bucky and Steve"s friendship, making their camaraderie more believable than if Bucky was simply some random kid who Captain America took under his wing.
5 Star-Lord Guardians of the Galaxy![]()
Custom Image by Robert Wood The Guardians of the Galaxy were quite an obscure superhero team at the time of their induction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With so few fans having hardset expectations on the characters, director James Gunn was able to make some pressing alterations to the various members" backstories. While Drax may be the most different from his comic counterpart, it"s hard to say that Star-Lord"s changes weren"t strictly for the better.
In the comics, Peter Quill is also a half-alien human who leaves Earth to become a spacefaring adventurer. But rather than the living planet Ego, Star-Lord"s father is a generic human-looking alien named J"son. Star-Lord also leaves Earth of his own volition in the comics as an adult after becoming an astronaut, rather than being abducted as a child. From his 70s" music taste to his poignant character arc in the movies, every change the MCU made to Star-Lord only improved the character, leaving the comics to follow suit.
4 The Mandarin Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings![]()
Few Marvel characters have as troubled a history as The Mandarin. Originally, The Mandarin was the Marvel Comics version of the well-known character Fu Manchu, a racist Chinese caricature who existed to demonize Eastern cultures in pulp stories. His rings of power were worn on his fingers, with each granting a different specific superpower, and he was primarily an Iron Man villain.
After the rug-pull that was The Mandarin"s fake identity in Iron Man 3, the MCU introduced The Mandarin in earnest as Xu Wenwu. This version of the warlord and supervillain has a rich backstory featuring tragic loss and a desperate hunger for power, making for a far more three-dimensional character than the poorly-aged original. The rings of power being updated into a distinct energy chain weapon that could also be worn on the forearms was also a nice touch.
3 M'Baku Black Panther![]()
Similarly to The Mandarin, M"Baku"s comic book history would have presented a problematic image to present modern audiences with in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the comics, M"Baku is better known as Man-Ape, a more straightforward villain of Black Panther"s that covets the Wakandan throne. Similar to the Black Panther"s consumption of the heart-shaped herb, Man-Ape enjoys a similar powerset thanks to his consumption of a special white-haired gorilla native to Wakanda.
Doing away with the bizarre mysticism and questionable implications of Man-Ape, the MCU elected to instead present M"Baku as the leader of an isolationist, but ultimately loyal fringe tribe in Wakanda. Though he does initially challenge T"Challa for the throne, M"Baku abides by Wakanda"s traditions and ultimately becomes a staunch ally of Black Panther. Ther levity that Winston Duke"s amazing performance introduced to the character took Man-Ape from a basic villain to a memorable supporting hero.
2 Lucius Fox The Dark Knight![]()
The Dark Knight is often lauded for its interpretations of famous villains like The Joker and Two-Face, but the crowning achievement of Christopher Nolan also deserves some credit for how it changed an undersung side-character. In the comics, Lucius Fox is the business partner of Bruce Wayne, who essentially runs Wayne Enterprises while Bruce is busy with his war on crime as Batman. It"s never directly stated that he knows Bruce Wayne"s secret, but it is heavily implied Fox is aware that Bruce is indeed the Caped Crusader.
In Christopher Nolan"s The Dark Knight, it"s revealed that Lucius Fox takes a far more active role in aiding Batman"s mission. In the Nolanverse, Lucius is a brilliant inventor responsible for manufacturing Batman"s Dark Knight trilogy gadgets, essentially acting as the Q to Batman"s James Bond. This set-up is far more believable, as it"s difficult to imagine Batman could have the time to engineer and maintain his own gear. Morgan Freeman"s performance as Lucius Fox also gives the character some welcome warmth and sarcasm.
1 Steppenwolf Zack Snyder's Justice League![]()
Steppenwolf may have been a strange choice for the Justice League"s first cinematic villain, considering his relative obscurity as a comic character. However, Zack Snyder"s re-imagining of him in Zack Snyder"s Justice League deserves more credit as a captivating alien antagonist. In the comics, Steppenwolf is a generic human-looking warrior in Darkseid"s employ, serving as a minor player in the supervillain"s schemes that presents little more than a roadbump for the Justice League.
Not only does Zack Snyder"s Justice League re-imagine Steppenwolf to be an intimidating reptilian alien that looks more at-home in Darkseid"s army, but it also gives him a far more interesting motivation. Steppenwolf is revealed to have failed Darkseid in the past, leading to his exile. The tyrant hopes to atone for his past by presenting his master with Earth and the Motherboxes, giving him a very personal stake in the action. Snyder"s version of Steppenwolf deserves more credit as a great update of a comic book movie villain.
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The films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe tend to be particularly good at making prescient changes to their characters, in many cases influencing the comics following the release of a film to align better with the new interpretation. DC isn"t to be left out, however, making some fascinating changes of their own that still present a starkly different take on a classic hero or villain. From personality changes to entirely revised backstories, both aisles have taken some alarming liberties with well-known characters to the sound of high critical praise.
10 The Penguin The Batman
Image via Max Previously, Christopher Nolan"s The Dark Knight trilogy was the most grounded, realistic take on the cinematic Batman mythos. However, in recent years, that title has been taken by Matt Reeves" The Batman, which arguably brings the character closer to reality than ever before. In doing so, heavy changes had to be made to each member of Batman"s rouge"s gallery that appears in the film, with Collin Ferrell"s Penguin seeing the most overt of them. Not named Oswald Cobblepott, Matt Reeves" Oz Cobb seemingly has similar origins as the last member of a disgraced wealthy family attempting to reclaim the former glory of his name through criminal means. The implementation of a club foot compared to the sometimes grotesque physical mutations The Penguin endures at the hands of comic artists works wonders in making him an instantly recognizable figure. Oz"s New Jersey Italian immigrant mannerisms and bombastic personality also works far better than The Penguin"s traditional antiquated supervillain persona. It"s no wonder The Penguin got his own spin-off show.
9 Namor Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Namor the Submariner has always rode a fine line between hero and villain in the comics, but Black Panther: Wakanda Forever expands upon his backstory in an intriguing way. In reality, Namor began his comic career as Altantean royalty, similarly to the more famous nautical DC hero, Aquaman. Frequently coming into conflict with the surface world, Namor simultaneously battled and teamed up with everyone from The Human Torch (The original android, not Johnny Storm) to the X-Men and the Avengers. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made Namor more unique as a savior figure who helped found the empire of Atlantis, a secretive superpower just like Wakanda. In the movie, Atlantis and Namor are expanded to be an off-shoot of the Maya, giving them both a brilliant visual redesign to reflect this. Though Namor plays an antagonistic role, his motivations are very sympathetic, especially to Shuri, making his character arc all the stronger. Even Namor"s name is cooler in the MCU, being explained as a shortened version of "El Niño sin Amor", meaning "the child without love" in Spanish.
8 The Vulture Spider-Man: Homecoming
As far as cinematic Spider-Man villains go, The Vulture"s appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming is quite high-ranking. In the comics, the villain known as The Vulture, a.k.a. Adrian Toomes, is a business person and genius inventor who designs an advanced flight harness that grants him the ability to soar through the air, as well as a degree of super-strength and durability. When he"s betrayed by his business partner, Toomes takes up a life of professional crime, officially becoming The Vulture by using his invention for evil.In Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Vulture"s origins are re-arranged in a way that not only better ties in to the MCU"s overarching story, but feels more thematically appropriate. Here, Adrian Toomes takes the name quite literally, making a living scavenging for alien tech that fuels his deadly arsenal, including an intimidating personal flight suit. From his intimidating costume update to his more fleshed-out backstory and Micheal Keaton"s underrated performance, the movie version of The Vulture is better in just about every aspect.
7 Iron Man Iron Man
Even the Marvel Cinematic Universe"s flagship character didn"t survive the translation to the screen without some severe changes. Originally, Iron Man was created as a challenge by Stan Lee to get audiences to love a hero with a very loathsome personality. In the comics, Tony Stark is indeed far easier to hate, making some alarmingly questionable moral decisions, especially in the original Civil War storyline.When it came time for the character to star in the MCU"s flagshp film, this moral bankruptcy was lessened, making Tony Stark"s personality eccentric and erratic, but not outwardly malicious. It also helps that his armor was given an iconic redesign, feeling far more like a mechanized flying suit than the original skin-tight comic look. Iron Man"s heel turn in the movies was so successful that even today, his personality is written in the comics to be much closer to Robert Downey Jr."s excellent performance than his dark first persona.
6 The Winter Soldier Captain America: The First Avenger
Indeed, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the most important film for the MCU"s Bucky Barnes, bringing him back as a remorseless killing machine just as had been done in the comics. However, Bucky"s first appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger made the most pressing and effective changes to his character arc, something that would later be reflected in his time as The Winter Soldier. In his debut comic appearance, Bucky is like a Robin to Captain America"s Batman, a teen sidekick with far less experience.In the MCU, it"s explained that Bucky is actually Steve Rogers" childhood friend who managed to join the military, unlike the frail-bodied Steve. In a sense, Bucky is actually more experienced as a soldier than Captain America, having entered military service far earlier and acted as The Winter Soldier during Steve"s time in the ice. These changes work well in service to Bucky and Steve"s friendship, making their camaraderie more believable than if Bucky was simply some random kid who Captain America took under his wing.
5 Star-Lord Guardians of the Galaxy
Custom Image by Robert Wood The Guardians of the Galaxy were quite an obscure superhero team at the time of their induction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With so few fans having hardset expectations on the characters, director James Gunn was able to make some pressing alterations to the various members" backstories. While Drax may be the most different from his comic counterpart, it"s hard to say that Star-Lord"s changes weren"t strictly for the better.In the comics, Peter Quill is also a half-alien human who leaves Earth to become a spacefaring adventurer. But rather than the living planet Ego, Star-Lord"s father is a generic human-looking alien named J"son. Star-Lord also leaves Earth of his own volition in the comics as an adult after becoming an astronaut, rather than being abducted as a child. From his 70s" music taste to his poignant character arc in the movies, every change the MCU made to Star-Lord only improved the character, leaving the comics to follow suit.
4 The Mandarin Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Few Marvel characters have as troubled a history as The Mandarin. Originally, The Mandarin was the Marvel Comics version of the well-known character Fu Manchu, a racist Chinese caricature who existed to demonize Eastern cultures in pulp stories. His rings of power were worn on his fingers, with each granting a different specific superpower, and he was primarily an Iron Man villain.After the rug-pull that was The Mandarin"s fake identity in Iron Man 3, the MCU introduced The Mandarin in earnest as Xu Wenwu. This version of the warlord and supervillain has a rich backstory featuring tragic loss and a desperate hunger for power, making for a far more three-dimensional character than the poorly-aged original. The rings of power being updated into a distinct energy chain weapon that could also be worn on the forearms was also a nice touch.
3 M'Baku Black Panther
Similarly to The Mandarin, M"Baku"s comic book history would have presented a problematic image to present modern audiences with in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the comics, M"Baku is better known as Man-Ape, a more straightforward villain of Black Panther"s that covets the Wakandan throne. Similar to the Black Panther"s consumption of the heart-shaped herb, Man-Ape enjoys a similar powerset thanks to his consumption of a special white-haired gorilla native to Wakanda.Doing away with the bizarre mysticism and questionable implications of Man-Ape, the MCU elected to instead present M"Baku as the leader of an isolationist, but ultimately loyal fringe tribe in Wakanda. Though he does initially challenge T"Challa for the throne, M"Baku abides by Wakanda"s traditions and ultimately becomes a staunch ally of Black Panther. Ther levity that Winston Duke"s amazing performance introduced to the character took Man-Ape from a basic villain to a memorable supporting hero.
2 Lucius Fox The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is often lauded for its interpretations of famous villains like The Joker and Two-Face, but the crowning achievement of Christopher Nolan also deserves some credit for how it changed an undersung side-character. In the comics, Lucius Fox is the business partner of Bruce Wayne, who essentially runs Wayne Enterprises while Bruce is busy with his war on crime as Batman. It"s never directly stated that he knows Bruce Wayne"s secret, but it is heavily implied Fox is aware that Bruce is indeed the Caped Crusader.In Christopher Nolan"s The Dark Knight, it"s revealed that Lucius Fox takes a far more active role in aiding Batman"s mission. In the Nolanverse, Lucius is a brilliant inventor responsible for manufacturing Batman"s Dark Knight trilogy gadgets, essentially acting as the Q to Batman"s James Bond. This set-up is far more believable, as it"s difficult to imagine Batman could have the time to engineer and maintain his own gear. Morgan Freeman"s performance as Lucius Fox also gives the character some welcome warmth and sarcasm.
1 Steppenwolf Zack Snyder's Justice League
Steppenwolf may have been a strange choice for the Justice League"s first cinematic villain, considering his relative obscurity as a comic character. However, Zack Snyder"s re-imagining of him in Zack Snyder"s Justice League deserves more credit as a captivating alien antagonist. In the comics, Steppenwolf is a generic human-looking warrior in Darkseid"s employ, serving as a minor player in the supervillain"s schemes that presents little more than a roadbump for the Justice League.Not only does Zack Snyder"s Justice League re-imagine Steppenwolf to be an intimidating reptilian alien that looks more at-home in Darkseid"s army, but it also gives him a far more interesting motivation. Steppenwolf is revealed to have failed Darkseid in the past, leading to his exile. The tyrant hopes to atone for his past by presenting his master with Earth and the Motherboxes, giving him a very personal stake in the action. Snyder"s version of Steppenwolf deserves more credit as a great update of a comic book movie villain.
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