10 DC Actors Who Totally Defined Their Role With 1 Appearance
Across the history of the DC Universe of movies, there have been a select few actors that have been able to define their role with only one appearance. Even long before the beginning of the DCEU’s movie timeline, DC movie adaptations were bringing the heroes and villains of DC Comics to life on the big screen in emphatic fashion. With such a rich vein of iconic characters to access, DC adaptations have seen a number of incredibly talented performers cast as prominent heroes and villains over the years.
The movies of the DCEU and other DC projects haven’t always achieved continued success, however, and roles are often recast. This has seen a considerable number of excellent actors only play their respective DC roles on one occasion. However, many of their performances were so exceptional that they helped define – or redefine, as the case may be – their character. With that in mind, here are 10 DC actors who defined their roles with just one appearance.
10 Liam Neeson As Ra’s Al Ghul Batman Begins (2005) Close The first major villain of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was Ra’s al Ghul. Batman’s mentor and later enemy was introduced in Batman Begins, initially using theatrical trickery to conceal his true identity. Liam Neeson turned in an exceptional performance as the leader of the League of Shadows, helping to define what was once a lesser-known Batman villain outside of all but the most well-versed comic book fans. While Ra"s Al Ghul does briefly return in The Dark Knight Rises for a post-death hallucination, Batman Begins is the film that defines the importance and resonance of the character.
Neeson’s performance as Ra’s al Ghul was informed by Christopher Nolan’s grounded approach to adapting the DC source material. Neeson’s take on the immortal villain was decidedly understated, doing away with the more fantastical and mystical elements of the character to instead favor deception and tactical prowess. Not only did he make for the perfect introductory villain for the Dark Knight trilogy, but Neeson’s take on the character also helped to make Ra’s al Ghul a more clinical and well-known part of Batman’s wider mythos.
9 Keanu Reeves As John Constantine Constantine (2005) Close 2005’s Constantine was not the most popular movie upon its release, earning poor critical reviews and being seemingly destined to become an obscure chapter in DC movie history. However, the years since have been far kinder, with almost every element of the film being reappraised in a much more positive light. This includes the performance of Keanu Reeves as the eponymous character, with his take on John Constantine subtly redefining the character.
Though once considered a relatively inaccurate portrayal of the character, Reeves’s take on Constantine has since helped to raise his profile as a DC hero. While Keanu Reeves’s lethargic performance was initially criticized by some, it has since come to be accepted as an excellent portrayal of one of DC’s most complex characters. Reeves is set to finally reprise his role, though he was able to define Constantine with only a single appearance in the character’s first solo movie.
8 Jack Nicholson As The Joker Batman (1989) Close There have been many live-action versions of the Joker, and each of them has added something to the rich tapestry of the iconic villain’s story. Jack Nicholson was cast as the Joker for Tim Burton’s 1989 movie Batman, and he defined the character in the modern era of superhero movies. Following on from Cesar Romero’s far tamer iteration of the character in the 1960s, Nicholson’s performance painted the character in a whole new light.
Nicholson’s Joker combined chaotic comedy with dark and violent tendencies, making him a perfect representation of the core tenets of the character. Toeing the fine line between terrifying and entertaining, Nicholson’s performance defined the Joker for a generation. The character died in the movie’s climactic battle, however, meaning that Nicholson made his Joker utterly iconic even though he only made a single appearance in the role.
7 Jackie Earl Haley As Rorschach Watchmen (2009) Close Once considered impossible to adapt into live-action, Alan Moore and Kevin O"Neill’s Watchmen was long considered one of the best comics never to be made into a movie. However, 2009 saw the release of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, bringing its characters to life in a gritty noir setting in a manner that few would have considered possible. Among them was Jackie Earl Haley’s Rorschach, a hardened detective who initally set out to investigate the death of the Comedian.
Haley’s take on Rorschach defined the complex character perfectly within the context of Snyder’s movie. His intense obsession with solving the case, his violent nature, and his complicated moral stance were all present, with Haley’s performance earning particular praise for the delicate balance with which he brought it all to life. Haley’s turn as Rorschach not only helped make the movie hugely successful, but also came to define the character for the majority of its audience.
6 Michelle Pfeiffer As Catwoman Batman Returns (1992) Close Like many other supporting Batman characters, there have been several iterations of Catwoman over the history of DC adaptations. Tim Burton’s 1992 movie Batman Returns introduced a unique take on the character, with Michelle Pfeiffer cast in the role. Pfeiffer’s Catwoman went on to earn significant attention upon the film’s release, and quickly redefined the character, thanks in part to Burton’s singular vision.
Pfeiffer’s Catwoman was a far darker take on the character than had been seen in previous adaptations. Killed by her boss after discovering his corruption, Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle was revived by a horde of Gotham’s stray cats, and returned to life with several notably feline affectations to her behavior. Pfeiffer’s performance helped to shift the parameters of what Catwoman could be within Batman’s world, and remains consistently popular even decades after the release of Batman Returns.
5 Paul Dano As The Riddler The Batman (2022) Close Of the many actors brought in to make up the cast of The Batman in 2022, Paul Dano stood out as having given an especially impressive performance. In line with Matt Reeves’ gritty and grounded take on Batman’s world, Dano’s Riddler was far from previous incarnations of the character. Where the Riddler had traditionally been depicted as a whimsical yet dangerous villain obsessed with his own intelligence, The Batman saw Dano take the character in a whole new direction.
Dano made the Riddler a much darker and more realistic villain. His take on the character was a riddle-obsessed serial killer partially inspired by the real-life Zodiac Killer. Dano’s unnerving performance as the Riddler was one of the best elements of The Batman, and his take on the character helped to completely redefine the Riddler for many, making him a much more frightening and serious character than he had previously been considered.
4 Aaron Eckhart As Harvey Dent/Two-Face The Dark Knight (2008) Close Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy featured a number of iconic Batman villains, reimagining many in order to make them better fit within its world. However, the villain Two-Face was not hugely changed from his typical comic book self, with The Dark Knight introducing him as the seemingly incorruptible Gotham District Attorney before being attacked and scarred by the criminals he worked to fight and giving in to his inherently dichotomic nature.
Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent defined the character in live-action, especially as he succeeded Tommy Lee Jones’s own unpopular version of the character. The Dark Knight’s exploration of Harvey Dent as Gotham’s savior and then its chronicling of his villainous fall from grace made him one of the trilogy’s most tragic figures, with Eckhart’s performance perfectly selling his importance. Though Nolan’s writing is partly responsible, Eckhart’s performance brought Two-Face to life in a surprisingly emotional way, helping to unexpectedly redefine the character.
3 Danny DeVito As The Penguin Batman Returns (1992) Close Danny DeVito is one of the most well-loved and instantly recognizable actors in Hollywood, and his casting as the Penguin in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns was seen as an excellent choice. DeVito appeared as the villain in Burton’s Batman mythos, bringing him to life in appropriately dark and subtly comedic fashion. DeVito’s Penguin only made a single appearance, however, as he died at the end of Batman Returns.
DeVito’s more animalistic take on the Penguin leaned into the darker side of the character. This depiction was far from the more traditional approach to the villain, which had previously tended to emphasize his organized crime syndicate and obsession with bird-like gadgets and puns. DeVito’s performance took the character to an unexpectedly dark place, exploring a much more visceral and disturbing aspect of the villain and redefining him significantly in the process.
2 Marlon Brando As Jor-El Superman: The Movie (1978) Close Perhaps one of the greatest actors to have ever appeared in a superhero movie, Marlon Brando made his genre debut in 1978’s Superman: The Movie. Richard Donner’s adaptation of the iconic hero has rightfully gone down in history as a landmark title, and Brando’s relatively minor role in the film is just one aspect of its success. However, Brando was one of the few actors in the movie who did not reprise his role, despite having helped define Jor-El in live-action for decades to come.
Even over forty years on from Superman: The Movie’s release, many consider Brando’s version of Jor-El the definitive take on the character. As a supporting character in the expansive Superman mythos, Jor-El was relatively easy to overlook before an actor of Brando’s stature took on the role. Marlon Brando’s incredibly brief stint as Jor-El helped to make the character a key element of Superman’s live-action legacy, defining him for generations in the process.
1 Heath Ledger As The Joker The Dark Knight (2008) Close When it comes to the greatest performances in superhero movie history, there are none as noteworthy as Heath Ledger’s Joker. Ledger played Batman’s nemesis in 2008’s The Dark Knight, making only a single appearance in the role before his death. Even so, Ledger’s Joker was instantly iconic, completely redefining the character much as his predecessor Jack Nicholson had done almost two decades earlier. Ledger’s Joker went a step further, however, reimagining the villain entirely.
Ledger’s version of the Joker remains one of the darkest and most memorable villains in movie history. The actor’s hypnotic screen presence and total immersion in the role was utterly striking, and his grounded, chaotic spin on the character remains one of the greatest moments in the Joker’s history. Despite only having played him in a single movie, Heath Ledger completely redefined the Joker forever within the context of not just the DC Universe, but the whole of pop culture.
The movies of the DCEU and other DC projects haven’t always achieved continued success, however, and roles are often recast. This has seen a considerable number of excellent actors only play their respective DC roles on one occasion. However, many of their performances were so exceptional that they helped define – or redefine, as the case may be – their character. With that in mind, here are 10 DC actors who defined their roles with just one appearance.
10 Liam Neeson As Ra’s Al Ghul Batman Begins (2005) Close The first major villain of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was Ra’s al Ghul. Batman’s mentor and later enemy was introduced in Batman Begins, initially using theatrical trickery to conceal his true identity. Liam Neeson turned in an exceptional performance as the leader of the League of Shadows, helping to define what was once a lesser-known Batman villain outside of all but the most well-versed comic book fans. While Ra"s Al Ghul does briefly return in The Dark Knight Rises for a post-death hallucination, Batman Begins is the film that defines the importance and resonance of the character.
Neeson’s performance as Ra’s al Ghul was informed by Christopher Nolan’s grounded approach to adapting the DC source material. Neeson’s take on the immortal villain was decidedly understated, doing away with the more fantastical and mystical elements of the character to instead favor deception and tactical prowess. Not only did he make for the perfect introductory villain for the Dark Knight trilogy, but Neeson’s take on the character also helped to make Ra’s al Ghul a more clinical and well-known part of Batman’s wider mythos.
9 Keanu Reeves As John Constantine Constantine (2005) Close 2005’s Constantine was not the most popular movie upon its release, earning poor critical reviews and being seemingly destined to become an obscure chapter in DC movie history. However, the years since have been far kinder, with almost every element of the film being reappraised in a much more positive light. This includes the performance of Keanu Reeves as the eponymous character, with his take on John Constantine subtly redefining the character.
Though once considered a relatively inaccurate portrayal of the character, Reeves’s take on Constantine has since helped to raise his profile as a DC hero. While Keanu Reeves’s lethargic performance was initially criticized by some, it has since come to be accepted as an excellent portrayal of one of DC’s most complex characters. Reeves is set to finally reprise his role, though he was able to define Constantine with only a single appearance in the character’s first solo movie.
8 Jack Nicholson As The Joker Batman (1989) Close There have been many live-action versions of the Joker, and each of them has added something to the rich tapestry of the iconic villain’s story. Jack Nicholson was cast as the Joker for Tim Burton’s 1989 movie Batman, and he defined the character in the modern era of superhero movies. Following on from Cesar Romero’s far tamer iteration of the character in the 1960s, Nicholson’s performance painted the character in a whole new light.
Nicholson’s Joker combined chaotic comedy with dark and violent tendencies, making him a perfect representation of the core tenets of the character. Toeing the fine line between terrifying and entertaining, Nicholson’s performance defined the Joker for a generation. The character died in the movie’s climactic battle, however, meaning that Nicholson made his Joker utterly iconic even though he only made a single appearance in the role.
7 Jackie Earl Haley As Rorschach Watchmen (2009) Close Once considered impossible to adapt into live-action, Alan Moore and Kevin O"Neill’s Watchmen was long considered one of the best comics never to be made into a movie. However, 2009 saw the release of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, bringing its characters to life in a gritty noir setting in a manner that few would have considered possible. Among them was Jackie Earl Haley’s Rorschach, a hardened detective who initally set out to investigate the death of the Comedian.
Haley’s take on Rorschach defined the complex character perfectly within the context of Snyder’s movie. His intense obsession with solving the case, his violent nature, and his complicated moral stance were all present, with Haley’s performance earning particular praise for the delicate balance with which he brought it all to life. Haley’s turn as Rorschach not only helped make the movie hugely successful, but also came to define the character for the majority of its audience.
6 Michelle Pfeiffer As Catwoman Batman Returns (1992) Close Like many other supporting Batman characters, there have been several iterations of Catwoman over the history of DC adaptations. Tim Burton’s 1992 movie Batman Returns introduced a unique take on the character, with Michelle Pfeiffer cast in the role. Pfeiffer’s Catwoman went on to earn significant attention upon the film’s release, and quickly redefined the character, thanks in part to Burton’s singular vision.
Pfeiffer’s Catwoman was a far darker take on the character than had been seen in previous adaptations. Killed by her boss after discovering his corruption, Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle was revived by a horde of Gotham’s stray cats, and returned to life with several notably feline affectations to her behavior. Pfeiffer’s performance helped to shift the parameters of what Catwoman could be within Batman’s world, and remains consistently popular even decades after the release of Batman Returns.
5 Paul Dano As The Riddler The Batman (2022) Close Of the many actors brought in to make up the cast of The Batman in 2022, Paul Dano stood out as having given an especially impressive performance. In line with Matt Reeves’ gritty and grounded take on Batman’s world, Dano’s Riddler was far from previous incarnations of the character. Where the Riddler had traditionally been depicted as a whimsical yet dangerous villain obsessed with his own intelligence, The Batman saw Dano take the character in a whole new direction.
Dano made the Riddler a much darker and more realistic villain. His take on the character was a riddle-obsessed serial killer partially inspired by the real-life Zodiac Killer. Dano’s unnerving performance as the Riddler was one of the best elements of The Batman, and his take on the character helped to completely redefine the Riddler for many, making him a much more frightening and serious character than he had previously been considered.
4 Aaron Eckhart As Harvey Dent/Two-Face The Dark Knight (2008) Close Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy featured a number of iconic Batman villains, reimagining many in order to make them better fit within its world. However, the villain Two-Face was not hugely changed from his typical comic book self, with The Dark Knight introducing him as the seemingly incorruptible Gotham District Attorney before being attacked and scarred by the criminals he worked to fight and giving in to his inherently dichotomic nature.
Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent defined the character in live-action, especially as he succeeded Tommy Lee Jones’s own unpopular version of the character. The Dark Knight’s exploration of Harvey Dent as Gotham’s savior and then its chronicling of his villainous fall from grace made him one of the trilogy’s most tragic figures, with Eckhart’s performance perfectly selling his importance. Though Nolan’s writing is partly responsible, Eckhart’s performance brought Two-Face to life in a surprisingly emotional way, helping to unexpectedly redefine the character.
3 Danny DeVito As The Penguin Batman Returns (1992) Close Danny DeVito is one of the most well-loved and instantly recognizable actors in Hollywood, and his casting as the Penguin in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns was seen as an excellent choice. DeVito appeared as the villain in Burton’s Batman mythos, bringing him to life in appropriately dark and subtly comedic fashion. DeVito’s Penguin only made a single appearance, however, as he died at the end of Batman Returns.
DeVito’s more animalistic take on the Penguin leaned into the darker side of the character. This depiction was far from the more traditional approach to the villain, which had previously tended to emphasize his organized crime syndicate and obsession with bird-like gadgets and puns. DeVito’s performance took the character to an unexpectedly dark place, exploring a much more visceral and disturbing aspect of the villain and redefining him significantly in the process.
2 Marlon Brando As Jor-El Superman: The Movie (1978) Close Perhaps one of the greatest actors to have ever appeared in a superhero movie, Marlon Brando made his genre debut in 1978’s Superman: The Movie. Richard Donner’s adaptation of the iconic hero has rightfully gone down in history as a landmark title, and Brando’s relatively minor role in the film is just one aspect of its success. However, Brando was one of the few actors in the movie who did not reprise his role, despite having helped define Jor-El in live-action for decades to come.
Even over forty years on from Superman: The Movie’s release, many consider Brando’s version of Jor-El the definitive take on the character. As a supporting character in the expansive Superman mythos, Jor-El was relatively easy to overlook before an actor of Brando’s stature took on the role. Marlon Brando’s incredibly brief stint as Jor-El helped to make the character a key element of Superman’s live-action legacy, defining him for generations in the process.
1 Heath Ledger As The Joker The Dark Knight (2008) Close When it comes to the greatest performances in superhero movie history, there are none as noteworthy as Heath Ledger’s Joker. Ledger played Batman’s nemesis in 2008’s The Dark Knight, making only a single appearance in the role before his death. Even so, Ledger’s Joker was instantly iconic, completely redefining the character much as his predecessor Jack Nicholson had done almost two decades earlier. Ledger’s Joker went a step further, however, reimagining the villain entirely.
Ledger’s version of the Joker remains one of the darkest and most memorable villains in movie history. The actor’s hypnotic screen presence and total immersion in the role was utterly striking, and his grounded, chaotic spin on the character remains one of the greatest moments in the Joker’s history. Despite only having played him in a single movie, Heath Ledger completely redefined the Joker forever within the context of not just the DC Universe, but the whole of pop culture.
