The 28 greatest casting choices in superhero movies

Superheroes and supervillains have been locked in a never-ending battle for decades. But when their battles blow up on the big screen, who has been the very best of them all?

While superhero movies have exploded in popularity in the 21st century, they’ve been present in the medium almost since its beginning. Depending on one’s definition, 1920’s The Mark of Zorro marks the beginning of superhero movies, while the 1939 film Mandrake the Magician is the first comic book strip to get a movie adaptation.

More often than not, superhero movies live and die by the actors bringing them to life. After all, it takes a special kind of actor to convincingly play a man who can shoot lasers from their eyes, or wear a ridiculous costume without a hint of shame. But in rare cases, the actors chosen to star in superhero movies are revelations, elevating the material into something more than the humble origins of the genre.

Whether they’re actual superheroes or supervillains, or the people who surround them, these are some of the greatest casting choices in superhero movie history.