The world of comic books has expanded more than ever in recent years. There are almost countless video games, movies, and television shows based on characters from those pages, more than ever before. That's especially true with heroes and villains from DC comic books.
Not every TV show or film featuring these characters has been well received though. Some had mixed reviews for everything from accuracy towards the source material to the plot to the special effects. Of course, several DC Comics characters, both heroes and villains, have been lucky enough to be brought to life in fantastic fashion on the big and small screen.
Jim Gordon
The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012)/Gotham (2014-2019)/Harley Quinn (2019-)
- Stream The Dark Knight Trilogy on HBO Max
- Stream Gotham on Netflix
- Stream Harley Quinn on HBO Max
For the most part, James Gordon is a supporting character in Batman tales. Despite that, there have been several versions of Gordon over the years that were met with high praise. The first to really stand out was in Christopher Nolan's trilogy of films, portrayed by Gary Oldman.
However, it's the world of television where Gordon gets to truly shine. He was the centerpiece of the prequel series Gotham, which saw Ben McKenzie deliver a great performance as a younger detective before his days as commissioner. Meanwhile, Harley Quinn features an unhinged Gordon who went as far as to have a strong relationship with Clayface's severed hand.
Black Canary
Arrow (2012-2020)/Birds Of Prey (2020)
- Stream Arrow on Netflix
- Stream Birds of Prey on HBO Max and Max Go
Sometimes, the same superhero can be depicted by different characters in general and not just different actors. Black Canary was first showcased in the Arrow TV series, with Katie Cassidy doing strong work as Laurel Lance. For a time, the mantle was also taken up by her sister Sara, who continues to be a highlight on another series, Legends of Tomorrow and other versions of the Canary showed up too.
The Canary made a move to the big screen a few years later as part of the Harley Quinn spin-off film, Birds of Prey. This time, it was Dinah Lance, a tough singer with an extremely powerful voice. Jurnee Smollett took on the role and was praised for her chemistry with the rest of the cast.
Lex Luthor
Superman: The Movie (1978) & Superman II (1980)/Smallville (2001-2011)/Supergirl (2015-2021)
- Stream the Superman movies on HBO Max
- Stream Smallville on Hulu
- Stream Supergirl on Netflix
Although he's no match for him from a physicality standpoint, Lex Luthor is the most iconic rival of Superman's long history. That's why in almost every iteration of a Superman story, Luthor is present to give him trouble. The first memorable one on-screen came when Gene Hackman battled Christopher Reeve in the early Superman films.
Luthor returned for more as Clark Kent's long-tenured rival for the majority of Smallville. Michael Rosenbaum's performance is likely the iteration of Luthor that most modern fans are used to. Most recently, another interesting Luthor arrived in the Arrowverse, played by Jon Cryer. He was an antagonist during Supergirl and even played a pivotal role in "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
Superman
Superman: The Movie & Superman II/Smallville/Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006)
- Stream Justice League Unlimited on HBO Max
Gene Hackman needed someone to bounce off of as Lex Luthor and he got it in Christopher Reeve, who is often seen as the most recognizable version of Superman. In many ways, Reeve perfectly embodied the pure ultimate good guy that the character needs to be.
Tom Welling continued that legacy with great work in Smallville. An overlooked version was seen in Justice League Unlimited, which dove deep into Superman as a character. There were emotional episodes focusing on Superman living a different life with an entire family and one where he's sent into the distant future with no powers, making for intriguing storylines.
Bane
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)/Harley Quinn
The Bane that was seen in 1997's Batman and Robin lacked a lot of what made him a formidable villain in the comics. He was just an overpowered monster without a brain. That was rectified in The Dark Knight Rises, with Tom Hardy being brutal from both a physical and mental standpoint.
He breaks Batman's back and has a plan to ruin Gotham. While the performance was top-notch, most people remember the accent that Hardy used for the role. That carried over into the Harley Quinn animated series, with the character again using it. That version of Bane is fun due to how he's so intimidating in size only to get pushed around by his fellow villains.
The Flash
The Flash (2014-)/Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
- Stream The Flash on Netflix
- Stream Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max
During season 2 of Arrow, Barry Allen was introduced and was set up as the lead of his own series, The Flash. Since then, Grant Gustin has continued to portray the superhero through almost every up and down that can be imagined.
The Flash was introduced in the DCEU with 2017's Justice League and though Ezra Miller gave it his all, the character wasn't given that much to do. Thankfully, that was fixed with Zack Snyder's 2021 version. Miller shined with a more heartwarming performance and he got to save the day with his impressive powers in the end. The two versions even met at one point during "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (1975-1979)/DCEU (2016-)
- Stream the Wonder Woman TV show and movies on HBO Max
For decades, the defining take on Wonder Woman was Lynda Carter. She donned the suit and became an icon thanks to her work on the Wonder Woman television series that aired in the 1970s. Several attempts to bring another to live-action sputtered out over the years.
That changed in 2016 when Gal Gadot debuted as the hero in the DCEU with Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Though the film was panned, she was considered a highlight and Gadot has continued to be fantastic as Diana in her own solo movies and other team-up films.
Batman
Batman/Batman: The Animated Series/The Dark Knight Trilogy
- Stream Batman (1989) on HBO Max
- Stream Batman: The Animated Series on HBO Max
Batman is a character who has appeared in well-received films and TV shows for decades at this point. The iconic work of Kevin Conroy brought Bruce Wayne to life in Batman: The Animated Series and he has gone on to reprise the role in various forms ever since.
On the big screen, the history of Batman is a bit mixed. Adam West was fun but George Clooney and Val Kilmer were panned, while Ben Affleck got a mixed response in the DCEU. Two actors have been appreciated as the character, coming in Tim Burton's films (Michael Keaton) and Christopher Nolan's (Christian Bale).
The Joker
Batman (1989)/Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)/The Dark Knight (2008)/The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)/Joker (2019)
- Rent The LEGO Batman Movie on Vudu
- Rent Joker on Vudu
There are almost too many good versions of Batman's arch-nemesis to count. There are several here and that's not even including the ones from video games. First, there was Jack Nicholson's take on the Joker in 1989's Batman, which was seen as untouchable until Heath Ledger won an Oscar for his turn as the character in The Dark Knight.
Somehow, Joaquin Phoenix took it to the next level by also taking home an Oscar as the character in his own solo film, Joker. In a smaller dose, Zach Galifinaikis voiced a fun take on Joker in The LEGO Batman Movie. Despite all of those versions, Mark Hamill might be the best as his voice work in Batman: The Animated Series is the stuff of legend.
Harley Quinn
Batman: The Animated Series/DCEU (2016-)/Harley Quinn
- Stream all DCEU Movies on HBO Max
It's interesting to consider that Harley Quinn was originally created for Batman: The Animated Series. The character there became such a hit that she was introduced into the comic books as well. Her popularity has only continued to grow and is as high as ever these days.
Margot Robbie is so perfect in her take on the character through three movies in the DCEU so far that it's hard to imagine someone else playing her. However, the version in her self-titled animated show is possibly even better. She's independent, tough, has an engaging relationship with Poison Ivy, and Kaley Cuoco is great as the voice actor.