Dwayne Johnson has been teasing his Black Adam costume for the past few months, but no official reveal has been made just yet. When the time comes, he could well be joining the DCEU's roster of supervillains whose looks stand out as distinctly cool, creative, or just plain fun to look at thanks to costume designers from Michael Wilkinson to Judianna Makovsky.

Related: 5 Best DCEU Superhero Costumes (& 5 Worst)

On the other hand, viewers have also found the appearance of many of these villains to be lacking, either due to radical deviation from the source material in unfulfilling ways or in designs that were just visually unappealing to look at. The success or failure of these costumes ultimately depends on a combination of fidelity to their comic book inspirations and a willingness to update their looks for modern-day audiences.

Best: Deathstroke (Justice League)

Deathstroke speaks to Lex Luthor on a boat during sunset in Justice League.

Joe Manganiello's cinematic depiction of Deathstroke was brief but memorable. With his one-eyed helmet and arsenal of weapons strapped to his back, the would-be antagonist of Ben Affleck's canceled standalone Batman film would have surely made for an incredible villain just from the look alone.

As one of Michael Wilkinson's comic-accurate outfits, Deathstroke's costume faithfully honors the black-and-orange color scheme of the original comic book look but updates it with realistic body armor. Slade Wilson's mask is transformed into a protective helmet that looks like it could withstand the blows of Superman. Most importantly, the design keeps the character's iconic eyepatch that conveys Deathstroke's violent past without having to say a word.

Worst: Harley Quinn (Suicide Squad)

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn smiling. in Suicide Squad

Costume designer Kate Hawley's idea for Harley Quinn's costume in Suicide Squad was inspired by Blondie rock star Debbie Harry, whose punk aesthetic was co-opted to create the villain's look. Harley Quinn wore sparkly hotpants with fishnets and a tight shirt that memorably proclaimed her as "Daddy's Lil Monster." The outfit was heavily criticized for being too revealing and needlessly sexualizing a character that originally debuted in Batman: The Animated Series, a children's television show. In the sequel The Suicide Squad, the outfit doesn't make an appearance as the designers opt to dress Harley in a flowing red dress that doesn't needlessly objectify her.

Best: Starro (The Suicide Squad)

Starro the Conquerer breaking out of Jotunhein in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.

While not a costume necessarily, Shane Baxley's Starro design is indicative of tremendous respect for visual authenticity to classic comic books, at least for this particular character. Starro the Conqueror's resemblance to his goofy comic book counterpart is uncanny, fully embracing the camp and bright color scheme of the iconic Justice League villain.

The mind-controlling alien monster is voiceless, yet its design is inherently fun and intriguing, from its gruesome appendages, all-seeing giant eye, and swarms of deployable minions. Starro has always been a visually stunning DC antagonist, and seeing it come to life in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad was a fascinating sight.

Worst: Ares (Wonder Woman)

Ares stretches his arms out as fire rages behind him in Wonder Woman.

The concept of Ares' iconic armor being created from the metal plating of vehicles and tanks during WWI made for a fascinating take on the God of War, but what turned off many fans was the inclusion of one detail they found made it difficult to take seriously: David Thewlis' visible mustache through his horned helmet.

Related: 10 Villains WW84 Sets Up For The Next Installment, Based On The Comics

However, it does appear to be a significant step up from a rejected concept of Ares as a fiery cloud, which would have joined Galactus (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer), Darkseid (Smallville), and Parallax (Green Lantern) in the category of villains who deviated from the source material to terrible effect. Still, the Ares in Wonder Woman is a generic-looking bad guy that could easily be in a number of other movies. He fades into the background, which makes him one of the worst-looking DCEU villains.

Best: Darkseid (Zach Snyder's Justice League)

Darkseid flanked by DeSaad and Granny Goodness in Justice League.

Designed by concept artist Jerad Marantz, DC villain Darkseid made his full cinematic debut in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Adding to his intimidation factor with thick plates of armor while staying true to Jack Kirby's New Gods design with the overall simplistic silhouette, the monstrous inter-dimensional giant is a sight to behold.

Marantz's design comes in two forms, one sans a shirt in warrior mode during the "history lesson" scene in which he invades Earth five thousand years ago, and his modern-day look on his home planet of Apokolips where the upside-down "omega" logo is present on his black metal armor. The result is a memorable-looking villain that successfully conveys Darkseid's overwhelming power and stature. He is not an antagonist that can be dealt with lightly, and should a Justice League sequel ever be made, the team will have their work cut out for them when they battle him.

Worst: Joker (Suicide Squad)

Joker holds his hand to his mouth in Suicide Squad.

Jared Leto's first appearance in the DCEU as the iconic clown supervillain was mired in uncertainty from the start. Leading up to the release of Suicide Squad (2016), fans were already not fond of the many tattoos dubbed "edgy" or the metal teeth, considering it too dramatic a deviation from the source material in favor of making Joker too much like a modern gangster.

Though the design should be praised for its craftsmanship, which it was in 2017 when Kate Hawley won an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Jared Leto's Joker look was considered to be a misfire in the iconic villain's history of live-action iterations. Leto's Joker is too human and easy to categorize. The success of previous Jokers like Heath Ledger's utilized the villain's sinister mystique to terrify viewers.

Best: Black Manta (Aquaman)

Black Manta with glowing eyes in Aquaman (2018).

A brilliant creation of costume designer Kym Barrett, the authenticity of Black Manta's scuba-like battle armor perfectly complements the comic accuracy of Jason Momoa's green and gold Aquaman suit. With its large, glowing red eyes and wide silhouette, Black Manta retains a degree of menace, especially in dark lighting.

It all manages to remain serious and intimidating without looking too goofy with the large helmet, much like a diving suit. Worn by actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the authentic design of this classic Aquaman villain is perfectly fitting in James Wan's vibrant and adventurous story.

Worst: Cheetah (Wonder Woman 1984)

A closeup of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984.

Kristen Wiig's performance as Barbara Ann Minerva was great for most of Wonder Woman 1984. What viewers found disagreeable was her final form as Cheetah, a furry CGI creature that was found by many to be unconvincing in the one scene in which the villainess appeared at the end of the film.

Based on a design by Maciej Kuciara, the dark lighting was also found to have hurt the audience's ability to see Cheetah, which some found to be an attempt to hide the poor quality of the effects and makeup. This is unfortunate, as Wiig did do some close-ups in a partial practical costume that looked decently solid. Many compared the CGI look unfavorably to 2019's Cats, which was widely derided for its subpar visual effects.

Best: Steppenwolf (Zack Snyder's Justice League)

Steppenwolf in the nuclear facility in Zach Snyder's Justice League.

One of the biggest and most anticipated differences between Justice League and Zack Snyder's Justice League is the inclusion of Steppenwolf's original demonic design first seen in Batman v Superman. Layered in spiky armor, the Jerad Marantz-designed costume is far more threatening, alien, creative, and visually enthralling.

Related: 10 Best Snyderverse Fight Scenes, Ranked

Steppenwolf's armor is literally alive as the twitching shards of alien metal ripple over his anatomy like an external musculature. How the armor moves is also dependant on his mood and emotions, with the spikes indicating rage or combat readiness, steadiness equals calm, and rippling like water emphasizes otherworldly jubilation. The result is a villain who is far more intimidating than his previous iteration in 2016's Justice League.

Worst: Steppenwolf (Justice League)

Steppenwolf looks forward in Justice League.

Likely concluding that his spiky design from the "communion" scene in Batman v Superman would be too scary for younger audiences, Warner Bros. took the liberty of mandating alterations to Steppenwolf's appearance for Justice League. The titanic New God now resembled something more like Ares, but with pale white skin under blue-tinted warrior armor. Viewers found the character's design to be generic and the quality of his CGI leaving much to be desired. The henchman looked like any other generic fantasy film bad guy and didn't inspire the fear and intimidation needed for a blockbuster franchise film like Justice League.

Next: DCEU Movies Ranked By Re-Watch Value