Over the years, there have been some truly fantastic actors in comic book movies. It’s far more the case these days, as people are starting to take the genre seriously, due to its undeniable popularity.
Of course, it’s made some actors into superstars, including Hugh Jackman, Chris Hemsworth and, imminently, Tom Holland. It has also enhanced the profiles of existing superstars, including Ian McKellen, Robert Downey, Jr., and Samuel L. Jackson.
But the big actors haven’t all gotten the best deals when it comes to appearing in superhero flicks. Some of them signed on – undoubtedly with the promise of big money and higher profile – only to find that they were underutilized and/or appearing in an abomination of a movie.
This article will list ten top actors who were totally wasted in their roles in certain comic book movies.
Peter O’Toole (Supergirl)
The late, legendary British actor Peter O’Toole was an incredibly talented performer with countless awards to his name and several Academy Award nominations (he actually holds the record for the number of nominations without actually winning, however, which is eight).
A hugely acclaimed and popular star of both stage and screen, O’Toole gained recognition and esteem as a Shakespearean actor and went on to star in films like Lawrence of Arabia, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, My Favorite Year, and Gladiator.
However, in 1984, he found himself appearing in the Supergirl movie – a spin-off from the Christopher Reeve Superman franchise. He was Zaltar, a Kryptonian who had survived Krypton’s destruction, and he was as awful in the role as the film itself was terrible (probably because it didn’t actually interest him). He was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor, a terrible waste of a performance from such a legendary, talented man.
