The Villains Problem

[The Joker]

So far who's the worst CBM villain this year...

Ares.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Ludendorff was worse IMO

 

[metaphysician]

I would even add Kaecilius to that list. I felt that the character served exactly the function that was needed and Mikkelsen managed to leave an impression with limited focus and screentime. And he gave us "Mr. Doctor".

Yeah, but if you acknowledge that "functional to their purpose in the story and with a bit of charisma" doesn't count as "bad", then the entire 'Villains Problem' premise disappears in a puff of logic.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I personally thought Kaecilius was an awful villain played by a very good actor (who essentially was wasted).

 

[Erzengel]

Ares.

Agreed.

 

[Mjölnir]

Yeah, but if you acknowledge that "functional to their purpose in the story and with a bit of charisma" doesn't count as "bad", then the entire 'Villains Problem' premise disappears in a puff of logic.

Yes, there's a big difference between doing his job but not being special, and being bad. One doesn't elevate the movie when he's on screen, the other one actively brings it down.

 

[TeeKay]

Ares.

I WILLLL DESSSSTTTRRROOOOYYY YOOOOOU. At that point I was like nope.

 

[NotSoLongAgo]

Ludendorrf and his lackey

 

[Guard82]

The Wonder Woman villains were definitely the weakest elements of an otherwise strong and enjoyable film. None of them will be in the running for best comic book movie villain of the year.

 

[DACrowe]

Ares.

As much as I like Wonder Woman, you are probably right. With that said, thematically I like what he represented and how he talked with Diana. So even then I do not think he is a failure, just a nonentity in a movie that before his reveal was doing just great without him being around.

 

[DACrowe]

I personally thought Kaecilius was an awful villain played by a very good actor (who essentially was wasted).

Also agree with this. He only gets a pass because that was also the year of Eisenberg Luthor and Enchantress. Even so, the wasting of Mad Mikkelsen is just pitiful.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

You know what might have been an interesting take if they did it for Wonder Woman? To have Steve Trevor right all along and Ares never actually existed.

 

[StormC]

I don't think any of the villains this year have been outright bad. Even Kaecilius was just serviceable. To me, a bad villain has to be annoying to watch on screen, like our buddy Lex Luthor.

 

[TeeKay]

This should have not been allowed to happen.

 

[NotSoLongAgo]

You know what might have been an interesting take if they did it for Wonder Woman? To have Steve Trevor right all along and Ares never actually existed.

I thought that's where they were going. It was obvious it wasn't Ludendorff. I thought she would have a moment where she thinks "oh **** I just murdered that guy and he wasn't even Ares". I was a little disappointed when the Monopoly Man showed up and was like "ay, I was Ares all along! Let's fight because reasons!".

 

[CaptainWagner]

Ares.

Ares wasn't awful, but he wasn't nearly as memorable as a villain of his stature SHOULD be. Kind of like Red Skull in TFA. He showed up, did his job, and that was about it. Still a massive improvement on Luther and Enchantress, though.

 

[TeeKay]

I thought that's where they were going. It was obvious it wasn't Ludendorff. I thought she would have a moment where she thinks "oh **** I just murdered that guy and he wasn't even Ares". I was a little disappointed when the Monopoly Man showed up and was like "ay, I was Ares all along! Let's fight because reasons!".

Ares wasn't awful, but he wasn't nearly as memorable as a villain of his stature SHOULD be. Kind of like Red Skull in TFA.

Ares is not comparable to Red Skull IMO. When Ares showed up at the end I was like really? He felt tacked on.

He showed up, did his job, and that was about it. Still a massive improvement on Luther and Enchantress, though.

Its like polishing a turd IMO. The bar is sooooo low when Ares is an improvement on Echantress and Luthor. When he was screaming "I WILL DESTROYYY YOU", I was getting "I AM ZEH RHINO" flashbacks.

 

[Timebomb]

Ares.

Yup. Ludendorff was awful as well.

 

[Juan1193]

This should have not been allowed to happen.

https://f.ptcdn.info/078/045/000/obnh0cbb2UNDjz3Web3-o.gif

Say what you want about the movie but even you have to admit that this transformation scene was both creepy and badass! Enchantress was wasted potential imo and she would have made a much better villain for the JLD to take on.

 

[GeckoMoria]

People already know the other companies have a villain problem.

Do they? because te stereotype right that is chanted and parroted online is the "MCU villain problem". I haven't seen any "DCEU villain problem" trope.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Ares wasn't awful, but he wasn't nearly as memorable as a villain of his stature SHOULD be. Kind of like Red Skull in TFA. He showed up, did his job, and that was about it. Still a massive improvement on Luther and Enchantress, though.

Yeah this about sums it up for me. I know more about Red Skull from the comics though so was a little more disappointed in him.

 

[Xeno]

This should have not been allowed to happen.

I really enjoyed SS in the theater because it was ****ing hilarious. The "action" scenes had me laughing so hard I cried. The first Enchantress transformation was good but after that, she descended into camp. When Waller went all stabby on her heart I almost fell out of my chair. Good show all around.

My brother and I rewatched Lego Batman this afternoon and noticed all the shade it threw on Suicide Squad. LB's writers were merciless about the film's failings.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I WILLLL DESSSSTTTRRROOOOYYY YOOOOOU. At that point I was like nope.

That line and its delivery was really bad. Surprised they let that in the film after seeing how it looked. But other than that moment Ares was serviceable to me. I didn't think he was bad, more middle of the road.

Also agree with this. He only gets a pass because that was also the year of Eisenberg Luthor and Enchantress. Even so, the wasting of Mad Mikkelsen is just pitiful.

Honestly any half talented actor could have played Kaecilius, while waste a great one like MM on it when they could ha e used him for something much better later on.

 

[Mjölnir]

Honestly any half talented actor could have played Kaecilius, while waste a great one like MM on it when they could ha e used him for something much better later on.

It's not like there's a shortage of actors of Mads' quality, and seeing how he can seemingly not avoid his thick Danish accent there's not a huge list of villains that we expect to see that his voice will fit for. I have a hard time seeing this supposedly huge missed opportunity. He brought something to Kaecilius, and it didn't matter where the character originally came from, so it worked out.

Much better than Ares, who did manage to cross the line into ridiculousness at some points and looked unintentionally hilarious.

 

[John Locke]

Do they? because te stereotype right that is chanted and parroted online is the "MCU villain problem". I haven't seen any "DCEU villain problem" trope.

That's because the DCEU has multiple problems, bigger problems, that people focus on. So there's no one problem that people call out. It's the "DCEU problem". They still hate the villains and want better ones.