Batman, Superman, Wonder woman, Cat Woman, Captain America, and Hulk – all these are characters who have had a sizable presence in every child, young adult, and even adult people’s lives throughout. There is literally no way to control the transformative effect of toys, games, and Halloween costumes that are produced based on these iconic characters. Some characters are just not for a particular age but for all ages.
The film industry is ever-evolving and is in a state of flux. However, there are some characters that have gained universal value. They have been re-interpreted multiple times to fit the style of the era. Actors have incorporated the original character and have given their own touch to many universally acclaimed characters. Let us view those iconic characters and break down who has done a better job at portraying them.
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1) Batman
The first ‘Batman’ movie was released around 60 years ago. The character has undergone countable evolutionary changes. The first debut was made by Adam West and the iconic “dark mask” has now been passed on to Robert Pattinson. Fans have exclaimed that although there are numerous actors in the role, their favourite is Christian Bale.
2) James Bond
‘James Bond’ has been revived by numerous actors. All of the actors have yearned a considerable love from fans, which just makes it even more difficult to rank these actors. Although there is one winner, fans have noted that Daniel Craig’s deadpan charm, suave nature, and lethal intensity brought a lot of depth to the critically acclaimed ‘James Bond‘.
3) Cat Woman
In ‘Batman‘, his female partner Cat Woman has also undergone considerable evolutionary changes. The appearance of the character at the start was more revealing but lately, the suit has changed into a practical and comfortable suit. In this character, almost all of the fans have opined that Zoë Kravitz is the best fit.
4) Grand High Witch
The first Grand High Witch was played by Anjelica Huston in 1990. After nearly a decade, ‘The Witches’ was adapted and played by Anne Hathaway. There were drastic changes in the appearance, gait and even style of the character. Fans love the new adaptation played by Oscar winner, Hathaway.
5) Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is hailed as the feminist hero in the cinematic world. In 1970, actress Lynda Carter first took on the role. It was a TV series and lasted four seasons. Recently, the character was adapted by Gal Gadot and there she looked picture-perfect. Hands down the best ever Wonder Woman is Gal Gadot.
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6) Dracula
There are numerous adaptations of the character Dracula. Whether comedic or horror, it has gone through multiple revisions. Fans have an unerring attachment to the first ‘Dracula’ film that was released in 1931. The stance is because the first performance has set the stereotype for the vampire. No one can beat Lugosi when it comes to vampires.
7) Elizabeth Bennet
‘Pride and Prejudice’ is one of the most revered works of Jane Austen. The film adaptation of the book has had some notable award-winning actresses in the lead role. The lead character Elizabeth Bennet was played first by Greer Garson in 1940 and the latest version by Lilly James in 2016. However, fans love Keira Knightley’s adaptation of the character the most and there is no lie in it.
8) Sabrina Spellman
Melissa Joan Hart played the first teenage witch called Sabrina Spellman in 1996. Recently, Kiernan Shipka adapted the modernized and more feminist version of Sabrina. One thing is sure, fans love to see a character get empowered on screen. That is the exact reason why fans love the recent version of the teenage witch more than the former.
9) Captain America
Captain America from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been played by three different actors. It all started with Reb Brown in 1979; and in the next movie, the character was played by Matt Salinger in 1990; and now we have the current Captain America star, Chris Evans. There is no second-guessing as no one can beat Evans when it comes to being the Captain.
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10) Superman
The comic-book hero who has been re-envisioned several times is the one and only Superman. Numerous actors have played the role of world saviour but only few have left a strong impression. The first Superman was played by Kirk Alyn in 1948. The recent one is portrayed by Henry Cavill, who is considered the epitome of all the Superman acts ever played.
11) Hulk
The first Hulk was played by Lou Ferrigno in ‘The Incredible Hulk’ TV series in ’70s, while another actor played Banner. After a major change in the story, both Hulk and his alter ego Banner were played by the same actor, in the recent versions. The strategy worked and the recent version of Hulk played my Mark Ruffalo is one of the best adaptations of all the time.
12) Alice
There are no fingers to count how many adaptations of the famous novel, ‘Alice in the Wonderland‘ has been done. Most memorable portrayals were by Tina Majorino, Caterina Scorsone, and Mia Wasikowska. The fans have picked the recent version played by Mia Wasikowska as one of the best renderings of the character Alice.
13) Zorro
The daring character with a mask who thwarted the villains and defended people was Zorro. The character with no powers yet has more adaptations than many superhero films. The hero in a black hat with a mask and a sword was played by 10 actors, and by far the most promising act was by Antonio Banderas.
14) Tarzan
Most of us would fondly remember the character Tarzan who entertained us in cartoons. However, there are numerous film adaptations of the character too. The boy who was raised by apes first appeared in a magazine in 1912. Consequently, 24 actors have played the character of Tarzan from 1918 to 2016. Out of all these 24 men, the Olympic gold medallist Johnny Weissmuller’s adaptation of Tarzan is considered admirable by all the fanatics of ‘Tarzan‘.
15) Joan Of Arc
Joan of Arc is a widely-acknowledged character from France. The notable actors who have deeply incorporated the character were Ingrid Bergman, Milla Jovovich and Leelee Sobieski. Out of these three, Ingrid Bergman gave an award winning performance which just outplayed all the other versions.
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