Comic Villians with glasses (WW84)

[Sundancer]

Michelle Pfieffer / Catwoman
Uma Thurman / Poison Ivy
Jamie Foxx / Electro
Guy Pearce / Killian
Jim Carrey / Riddler
and now
Kristen Wiig / Cheetah

Am I missing one? I was hoping this cliche would have ended by now. I think I know why they do it, but at this point it feels like an outdated trope.

 

[Da-Scribe]

I feel like that’s not that many.

 

[DarkKnight88]

There’s probably more superheroes with glasses...

Superman
Spider-Man
Hulk
Iron Man
Daredevil
Cyclops
Beast

 

[Brother Jack]

There is a definite trope with supervillains being former nerds/outcasts. It might've started with Pfieffer's Catwoman. I was a little surprised to see it in the Wonder Woman trailer.

 

[BoredGuy]

There’s probably more superheroes with glasses...

Superman
Spider-Man
Hulk
Iron Man
Daredevil
Cyclops
Beast

Supes are fake, Stark doesn't have glasses outside of his high tech dealies, Daredevil are just covering his blindness, Cyclops are functional holding in his blasts. And Tom Holland's Pete, at least, doesn't wear glasses.

So maybe OP should say the trope isn't "villains have glasses" so much as "villains have bad vision"

 

[DarkKnight88]

So maybe OP should say the trope isn't "villains have glasses" so much as "villains have bad vision"

And then develop 20/20 vision after developing superpowers ala Spider-Man.

 

[Chesterfield]

Cillian Murphy/Dr.Crane.

 

[Deck Rickard]

There is a definite trope with supervillains being former nerds/outcasts. It might've started with Pfieffer's Catwoman. I was a little surprised to see it in the Wonder Woman trailer.

Yeah this is more the trope than just villains wearing glasses. It seems like writers and directors of these movies can’t figure out how to make a villain sympathetic unless he/she started out like a socially awkward loser. If it fits the character (like the Joker) then fine. But Catwoman? What was Burton thinking with that?

 

[Schlosser85]

Michelle Pfieffer / Catwoman
Uma Thurman / Poison Ivy
Jamie Foxx / Electro
Guy Pearce / Killian
Jim Carrey / Riddler
and now
Kristen Wiig / Cheetah

Am I missing one? I was hoping this cliche would have ended by now. I think I know why they do it, but at this point it feels like an outdated trope.

Dr. Crane in Batman Begins

 

[Deck Rickard]

That stupid evil doctor guy in Amazing Spider-Man 2

 

[DarkKnight88]

Yeah this is more the trope than just villains wearing glasses. It seems like writers and directors of these movies can’t figure out how to make a villain sympathetic unless he/she started out like a socially awkward loser. If it fits the character (like the Joker) then fine. But Catwoman? What was Burton thinking with that?

What do you mean? Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman is still one of the best and most complex “villain” on screen.

 

[-JKR-]

Yeah this is more the trope than just villains wearing glasses. It seems like writers and directors of these movies can’t figure out how to make a villain sympathetic unless he/she started out like a socially awkward loser. If it fits the character (like the Joker) then fine. But Catwoman? What was Burton thinking with that?

Let's write an awesome character in an incredible movie is what he was thinking with that.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Let's write an awesome character in an incredible movie is what he was thinking with that.

Well then, he f***ed up on both counts.

 

[Deck Rickard]

What do you mean? Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman is still one of the best and most complex “villain” on screen.

She's good as Catwoman. But her pre-transformation Selina is a goddamned joke.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Nah.

 

[Brother Jack]

I actually really dug Pfieffer's dark Cinderella thing. It wasn't the comic Selina at all really, but it was a kind of fascinating arc and an incredible performance. The trope has probably never worked better than that.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I may be alone in this, but I thought it was terrible and kinda sexist. I know Catwoman's origin has varied over the years but I don't understand why Burton felt the need to introduce mystical superpowers to create a female character who could give Batman a good fight. I also feel like the whole thing was undercooked. Pre-Catwoman Selina felt like a caricature of a nerdy, insecure secretary. And then after her resurrection, she does a great job as Catwoman, but her relationship with Bruce is rushed and for some reason Burton felt the need to make her look like an extra from Beetlejuice because women aren't sexy unless they're undead, apparently.

 

[-JKR-]

Haters gonna hate.

Batman Returns rules!

 

[Sundancer]

The nerd/glasses weren't yet a cliche with Catwoman...er, Selina Kyle. Did Halle Berry have glasses?